Little did I know.....

[DoodlesDuckies]

Little did I know about spring goose pair breeding aggression....this is my first spring with my pair. She laid her first ever egg last weekend and Rusty (the male) has gone into crazy mode. It has made chores very entertaining and I am being either chased or stalked. He can honk, hiss and scream to the high heavens and chase you. But also go into ninja sneak attack mode and just when I think he is off busy he is actually RIGHT behind me waiting to bite. And he is FAST! I am learning to watch him better when I am out there. So far I find it comical but I am sure this will get old fast. LOL!

If I take the egg away will this behavior get any better? Or does it just need to run its course?

 

[fowltemptress]

Little did I know about spring goose pair breeding aggression....this is my first spring with my pair. She laid her first ever egg last weekend and Rusty (the male) has gone into crazy mode. It has made chores very entertaining and I am being either chased or stalked. He can honk, hiss and scream to the high heavens and chase you. But also go into ninja sneak attack mode and just when I think he is off busy he is actually RIGHT behind me waiting to bite. And he is FAST! I am learning to watch him better when I am out there. So far I find it comical but I am sure this will get old fast. LOL!

If I take the egg away will this behavior get any better? Or does it just need to run its course?

No, taking the eggs away won't make it better. Be sure to respect his space if you can. Geese respond well to respect. Whatever you do, do NOT try to establish dominance by kicking or holding him down. That will signal to the gander that you are a threat, and make him attack even harder. Some people have success with getting them to back off by picking up the gander and talking sweetly and calmly. Personally, trying that just put my face within their biting range so I don't endorse it. What I do endorse is wearing long sleeves and pants that can protect you in case they get some bites in, giving a wide berth to the areas they defend most emphatically to show you don't intend to be a threat to what's s being protected, and try not to turn your back on them. Also, when he's coming at you, try kneeling to get down to his level and talk to him. Doing this while putting one arm out and down, kinda mimicking what they look like when they come at you with head down, has calmed mine down significantly. It often makes them stop short and walk away chattering. I've also found that a scoop of feed or treat they like is ultra confusing when nothing else works. When the gander runs up with intent to bite, I'll be sure to angle the treat so their beak goes right in it. It is absolutely hilarious to watch him bite, get a beak full of corn, and then proceed to chew with the angriest look on his face. They'll often try attacking again after they've finished chewing, so be ready to shield yourself with the treat again. This treat method is how I got my geese to accept my husband when he finally decided he wanted to be accepted within the flock, but they wouldn't allow him near without attacking. It quickly changed their perception of him to the bearer of treats, rather than the scary outsider. Not changing what you wear around them too much also helps. My geese refuse to trust new footwear, and since my husband and I always wear green or brown colored cargo type pants around them, the few times I go in with blue jeans on it's like I'm the harbinger of the apocalypse. Geese love and trust routine.

Most importantly, the first year is the worst year. Imagine teenageres dealing with hormones for the first time, and that's what's going on with young geese. A lot of people give up on raising geese due to that first year with hormonal birds, but I think those people give up prematurely. By the second year, all of my boys calmed down, and none of them attack me anymore. Occasionally they'll run up threateningly like they used to, but as soon as they see it's me they come up short and mosey away. I can even dig through their nests and wander through the areas the ganders were most protective of that first year without being attacked now. Keep talking to them and spending time with them, and I promise it gets better.

 

[fowltemptress]

Oh, and in case it's not clear, I'm serious when I say talk to them! Geese are a vocal species and will feel less threatened if you announce your presence. I like to shout, "Goose goose goose goose goose!" when I'm heading out the garage to their enclosure to let them know to expect me. With an attacking gander, sometimes facing him and giving him a firm talking to or a 'No!' is enough to make him back down.

 

[DoodlesDuckies]

My male is a few years old, my female is just about a year old. I do not get in his way if I can avoid him. I always talk baby talk and make sure I don't yell or move fast at him. I talk the entire time I am on my way to their area and do NOT go in their hut if they are close by.

My female doesn't seem to care if I am around or what I am doing, its my male that is flipping out.

Honestly, I do my thing with fresh water, food and pools and leave them be. I wouldn't kick or grab him. I can handle a goose bite. Was just kind of creepy the first few times he came at me. I had to figure out what upset him the most and not do that. I need to figure out his fav snack because he has NEVER eaten out of my hand and never seems food motivated.

My hubs will be putting them in the next couple night because I will be at work. I just told him to be calm and patient- Rusty's honk/hiss is worse than his bite. Wear gloves.

Renee

 

[fowltemptress]

My male is a few years old, my female is just about a year old. I do not get in his way if I can avoid him. I always talk baby talk and make sure I don't yell or move fast at him. I talk the entire time I am on my way to their area and do NOT go in their hut if they are close by.

My female doesn't seem to care if I am around or what I am doing, its my male that is flipping out.

Honestly, I do my thing with fresh water, food and pools and leave them be. I wouldn't kick or grab him. I can handle a goose bite. Was just kind of creepy the first few times he came at me. I had to figure out what upset him the most and not do that. I need to figure out his fav snack because he has NEVER eaten out of my hand and never seems food motivated.

My hubs will be putting them in the next couple night because I will be at work. I just told him to be calm and patient- Rusty's honk/hiss is worse than his bite. Wear gloves.

Renee

Ah, I read that it was your girl's first ever egg and mistakenly thought your boy was as young, too! You say it's your first spring with them? So he may be getting used to things and hopefully calms down. Do you spend any time with them outside of filling up pools and feed? If you can spare the time, that's really the best thing anyone with geese can do. And he doesn't need to take food from your hand in order for the treat trick to work, you just need to be quick enough to stick a scoop of treats in his face right before he bites into your flesh, like an edible shield. I always think it's funny when they expect a bite of human fleshsicle and clearly look confused as they chew away on corn or peas, but my sense of humor is warped like that. Good luck to your husband! Gloves are always great advice with geese.

 

[DoodlesDuckies]

Ah, I read that it was your girl's first ever egg and mistakenly thought your boy was as young, too! You say it's your first spring with them? So he may be getting used to things and hopefully calms down. Do you spend any time with them outside of filling up pools and feed? If you can spare the time, that's really the best thing anyone with geese can do. And he doesn't need to take food from your hand in order for the treat trick to work, you just need to be quick enough to stick a scoop of treats in his face right before he bites into your flesh, like an edible shield. I always think it's funny when they expect a bite of human fleshsicle and clearly look confused as they chew away on corn or peas, but my sense of humor is warped like that. Good luck to your husband! Gloves are always great advice with geese.

I got her as a gosling last spring. I had 2 actually and my male died of something in July. I found Rusty on FB within weeks from some elderly gal. She said he was a couple years old. He fit in very quickly with my girl. (and 6 ducks, 1 distinguished gentleman drake) Never had any issues with any of them. Even this winter the geese sometimes would hut up with the ducks. Idk, they all just got along well. Now Rusty lost his mind.

The weather here is just starting to warm up. I kind of lost connection this winter when temps got to -30 deg F and a lot of darkness. I was not spending a lot of time out there with them. Goal was food, water, shelter and safety for them. I can tell our connection isn't as good as it was. The ducks are even a little skidish. I will try the food bucket trick. I don't want any of them stressed or unhappy.

 

[fowltemptress]

Oh gosh, yeah. Every Spring is a reintroduction after being holed up for winter, and your winters are something else. I have family in Wisconsin and know how it is. I'm sure you're doing great; it sounds like you are. Ganders just get twitter-pated in the spring. Hopefully Rusty mellows out a bit for you.

 

[DoodlesDuckies]

This weekend got a little rough with Rusty. I did toss him a couple heads of romaine lettuce to keep him occupied when I changed water ect...He chomped on that lettuce with his angry honk chomp and side eyed me the entire time. Breaks my heart seeing him like this because he is such a sweet goose otherwise. Mad at the world.

 

[fowltemptress]

This weekend got a little rough with Rusty. I did toss him a couple heads of romaine lettuce to keep him occupied when I changed water ect...He chomped on that lettuce with his angry honk chomp and side eyed me the entire time. Breaks my heart seeing him like this because he is such a sweet goose otherwise. Mad at the world.

If it makes you feel bad, how about reframing the way you think about it? He's still a sweet goose! Keep in mind that as tough as they can seem to us geese are a prey species, and the world is a scary place filled with threats at every corner for tasty prey. Nature packed in an extra helping of fight into a goose's "fight or flight" response during nesting season to give these gorgeous birds a leg up in survival. It's not personal, and he's not really mean. I always think of it as sweet and sort of romantic that geese were given the courage to go after creatures such as humans, who are bigger and stronger than geese, to protect their mates and offspring.

Also, angry honk chomp is the perfect descriptor - I can picture it exactly! I think every goose owner must know that chomp.

 

[DoodlesDuckies]

If it makes you feel bad, how about reframing the way you think about it? He's still a sweet goose! Keep in mind that as tough as they can seem to us geese are a prey species, and the world is a scary place filled with threats at every corner for tasty prey. Nature packed in an extra helping of fight into a goose's "fight or flight" response during nesting season to give these gorgeous birds a leg up in survival. It's not personal, and he's not really mean. I always think of it as sweet and sort of romantic that geese were given the courage to go after creatures such as humans, who are bigger and stronger than geese, to protect their mates and offspring.

Also, angry honk chomp is the perfect descriptor - I can picture it exactly! I think every goose owner must know that chomp.

I have enjoyed watching him court his lady these past months. Clears the way for her to eat or be in the pool. Lets her in the hut first and if she doesn't, he goes and gets her. And if she runs with the ducks he honks like crazy for her - we always know when he cannot find her. He is a gentleman for sure.

Thank you for that perspective.

Renee