Goose/Duck Bonding with Humans??

[nursemomab]

I have 2 domestic ducks (Cayuga cross and Swedish cross) and an Emden goose. They are about 9 weeks old. I've had them since 3 days old. I have spent a lot of time with these little ones. Holding them, talking to them, water/splash time, just sitting in their area while they walk around me. The ducks have always been very skittish and nervous. They run away from me and want nothing to do with me. My goose earlier on would follow me around like I was the mama but now it also prefers to keep a distance. I'm feeling frustrated because I was hoping they would be more bonded with me. I figured I would see what others had to say about this. Maybe share some of your experiences with your ducks and geese. Is this normal duck and goose behaviour? I had hoped they would greet me with excitement but instead they run away. Should I continue trying to catch them or leave them alone? Yesterday I tried to take my goose for a walk around the yard and it just did its own thing. He wanted nothing to do with me and then was difficult to catch and put away for the night. One thing that caught me off guard though was as I was sitting on the lawn watching it eat some weeds one of our barn cats approached and my goose began hissing at the cat. It has never hissed at myself or my kids. So would that be an indication that the goose is obviously comfortable with us but prefers space?? I was just really hoping these 3 would be more accepting of affection!!

 

[silenthawk2x3]

Our goose and ducks (all hand raised in the house) do prefer their space. Dick (our Toulouse gander) will pick weeds around and lay near me in the yard, but he doesn't demand to be rubbed or loved. I think he is just too busy stuffing himself to be completely honest. I feed them by hand treats and often a handful of their feed to encourage them to come and see me and it has drastically increased their affections. Both Dick and the ducks will run across the yard towards me if they see me go into the building where I keep my feed or if I sit in one of the yard chairs and cup my hands. Many of the ducks will approach and let me pet their beaks even if I don't have treats for them. Dick always peeps at me when I peep at him trying to get his attention, or call his name, but isn't always keen on coming up to check me out. I hold him every day, often after tricking him with food or after a short chase, and he preens me and eats my hair. He doesn't reject the contact and obviously enjoys being held because I "preen" him with my fingers and he often goes right to sleep. Even though he was raised right along with all of the pets (chickens, ducks, cats, dog) he is not a fan of Molly (our mutt) and the outdoor cats and will hiss at them if they get within four or five feet of him. He has minor altercations with our hen named Pecky, and bites all the ducks in the kiddie pool when he feels crowded, but otherwise we just laugh hysterically when he is hissing. Dick and the ducks are only around 7 weeks old and the 9 ducks are all pekins, by the way.

My best advise would be to encourage them with food.

 

[EvenLater]

From my experience, ducks (even raised alone/single, indoors with constant human interaction) never seem to bond with humans quite as much as geese can and do. When I had outdoor (farm) ducks and geese, they would "tolerate" me, come looking for treats, not chase me down (LOL) but that was about the extent of it, despite spending LOTS of time with them from babies on.

Now, my seriously WEIRD current indoor goose is a whole other story! And, I think I've figured out why. Other than a few playdates that didn't go well, Cas has never really seen another goose. As a result, he thinks he's human and prefers the company of humans. He ADORES climbing onto a lap, ANY lap!, and enjoying a snuggle...

And CRAVES being pet...


He is primarily bonded with me, as I'm the one that brought him home and has spent just about every waking moment with him. He makes sounds for me that he doesn't do for anyone else, he will follow me ANYWHERE, come when I call his name, and I'm the one he runs to if he's startled or scared by something. BUT...Cas is and never was treated like "just a goose". Cas is treated more like a human toddler! He has a play pen filled with toys, goes everywhere with me, even has his own TV he LOVES watching movies on!


I think it all boils down to if raised with other geese, they KNOW they're a goose, and will prefer other geese. If raised with NO other geese, they think they are human, and prefer humans. This belief comes from the mothergoose website as well as my own personal experience, and differs from others opinions here. But IMHO if you want a TRULY ONLY human bonded goose companion that ENJOYS being held, cuddled, touched, the only way to achieve this is to have ONE, raised from a baby, with TONS of attention and affection. BUT...this is just MY opionion.

Edited to add: Your ducks and goose are acting like normal ducks and geese. Cas was raised inside with my other pets (2 dogs and 2 cats, and a parrot) and even with that he will hiss at the cats, but likes the dogs! My parrot learned to copy his honk so they "talk" back and forth to each other! I don't completely understand it either. My dogs are both about 90 pounds, and would seem more of a "threat" I would think, to a prey animal, but Cas enjoys and even plays with them! My cats (both only about 9 or 10 pounds) on the other hand, one he tolerates and the other he hisses and chases every time he sees her! I have NO idea why!

When he was younger, I tried (on advice of some members here and thinking maybe he was missing something) taking him on several "play dates" to mingle with other geese, both "farm" geese and a friends indoor goose. None of these went well. Cas did NOT take to the farm geese AT ALL and only somewhat tolerated the indoor goose, preferring instead to seek the human interactions of my friend, her children, and myself rather than mingle with the goose. I thought he'd enjoy being around other geese, as he does really enjoy watching them on TV or videos, but he really doesn't. But again, my goose is really weird! LOL

 

[chronichippie]

I recently bought 3 geese. 1 Chinese and 2 embden at around 1 month old. I spent a lot time with them and they follow me everywhere. they sleep in front of sliding glass doors refusing to go in their pen. I give up on chasing them in at night. I purchased my ducks around same time and same age . The 5 ducks I have are standoffish and not bonding with me. I put their food and water in the chicken coop at night and they go in there to sleep at dusk/dark. my advise just sit around your geese maybe pick grass and hand feed them. I love my geese but they are very aggressive towards my dogs and cats of all sizes. My geese are very jealous and don't hesitate to run the other animals away from me. Good luck! My geese don't care for my ducks in their pool either!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I recently bought 3 geese. 1 Chinese and 2 embden at around 1 month old. I spent a lot time with them and they follow me everywhere. they sleep in front of sliding glass doors refusing to go in their pen. I give up on chasing them in at night. I purchased my ducks around same time and same age . The 5 ducks I have are standoffish and not bonding with me. I put their food and water in the chicken coop at night and they go in there to sleep at dusk/dark. my advise just sit around your geese maybe pick grass and hand feed them. I love my geese but they are very aggressive towards my dogs and cats of all sizes. My geese are very jealous and don't hesitate to run the other animals away from me. Good luck! My geese don't care for my ducks in their pool either!

Welcome to BYC..

You know one of these days your going to say I wish I had taken the time to train my geese to go into their pen , because at their young age or even older they are going to be preyed upon. Geese have no way to protect themselves from a predator with teeth. Find a helper and go out before dark and begin teaching your geese to herd open you arms and walk behind them slowly don't walk fast or run, until you get them into their pen then after you have then inside give them a reward something they really like to eat. You'll be showing them that if they do what you want they get reward for it. I use 2 long bamboo poles to herd my geese when walking them to their paddock in the mornings. you can use old mop handles broom handles. all work well. As for them bullying your dogs and cats stop that too by using your poles to put between them and which ever animal they maybe going after. Dogs will only take so much and will eventually retaliate and you may end up with a dead or injured goose. These things are easily corrected it you try hard enough. Please protect what you have made your responsibility. I point the pole to the ground between my dogs and geese to stop them in their tracks. and use the word back off or no. Geese are naturally bullies and bluff. It's the animals with teeth that we need to worry about.