One Goose Picking in Another - Help Appreciated

[Sakiza]

We have a variety of geese and I noticed one of my Africans is pulling back and wing feathers off a Super African. I will post pictures below.

I have the Super African in the barn for now so the feathers and get a break. Can anyone tell me why this is happening?? How long can I leave the goose outside her gander before they don’t accept the Super African back?? I am also unsure as to wether the Super African is a male or female.

*Maybe it is a lack of protein since it is winter? I added some mealworms to their diet today.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can you give him/her a outside pen where they can all still see each other while the goose recovers? Could be lack of protein in the diet, might be gander on gander. If you can get a good pic of this one full body head first we maybe able to tell you if it's a female. Have the 3 always been together? what are you feeding?

 

[Sakiza]

@Miss Lydia The building for the birds should be ready this week and then I would be able to pen the Super African inside there so the rest of the geese can still interact.

Sorry for the confusion on the original post, there is a whole flock/team of geese. We have 29 geese all together (along with the ducks). Only one goose is picking on the other. That is why I am not sure if it is a lack of protein. Right now, they are being fed corn and occasionally sweet feed. I just added some meal worms today.

The goose in the pictures is very passive about the other goose nibbling off feathers. Doesn't try to run away or fight back.

About 24 of the geese were all raised together last Spring. Could it be that they are getting ready for their first mating season?

I will get a picture of the Super African tomorrow for you.

 

[jtn42248]

It could be that the mating season is starting and the more aggressive goose sees competition in the one being "attacked". We have 11 geese and have had to break them up into 3 gaggles. One male (father of all the other males) is intent on killing the other males and keeping all the females to himself. Separating them may be the only long term solution.

 

[Sakiza]

@jtn42248 I don't think that would work for us. We have a good sized pond that everyone stays on when the weather is nice and then they are fenced in with their own smaller pond and building during the winter.

The goose that is picking at the other is very calm about it. Just follows the Super African around and nibbles on the feathers. Think it could be due to mating season?

Once Spring is here they will have a few acres and a large pond for them to get space from each other.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Doesn't sound aggressive enough to be mating season

For one corn and sweet feed doesn't sound like a good sole diet in winter. I do feed my flock whole corn but it is along with a good feed diet. Sweet feed might be okay I'd have to read up on it but maybe try giving more of it and using the corn as a treat in late afternoon. Mealworms are an excellent form of protein. My gander won't touch them though. Another is Black oil sunflower seeds. For my own flock they get the Corn, BOSS and mealworms in the afternoon as a treat.
29 geese wow now that is a nice size gaggle. lol

 

[sourland]

It may be breeding related, but I'm guessing more along the lines of nutritional deficiency. They need to be fed a balanced diet.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just finished reading up on sweet feed. Doesn't sound very healthy and protein is very low like 8% .An all flock feed would be better.

 

[Sakiza]

@Miss Lydia @sourland Gotcha. Would a BOSS and rolled oats along with some corn be good for winter?

I appreciate your help. I was misinformed about winter feeding from the individual I got some of the birds from. This is very helpful.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am not sure if they are still going to get what is needed by limiting their access to a whole feed. Like All flock. Which is formulated for all poultry. I realize it is expensive to feed them all but only through winter if you have pasture over spring and summer. I do add Oats to my Fermented feed I make for my flock but it's only to cut the calcium since I don't like feeding layer to my drakes ganders and rooster. But that is all I can get in winter.
https://poultrykeeper.com/keeping-geese-faq/feeding-geese/ here is some info on feeding geese I found this on line maybe do some research and there is info on feeding geese oats here on BYC I'll see if I can find it. this I can get year round.

I am actually going to switch my 40 flock member to starter/grower once I finish up this layer I have I was talking to a member and educator on here that feeds it to all her poultry and really likes how well they do on it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/feeding-oats-to-geese.535975/