[Womble]

Hi folks,

We recently incubated some Embden goose eggs, and had two goslings hatch. They never imprinted on us though, and were very panicky whenever we went near them. They're now about 7 weeks old and starting to grow feathers, but they STILL turn into a big pile of squeaking shrieking fluff if we so much as walk past their pen.

Has anybody else had this problem?  Any casual observer of their behaviour would be convinced we were abusing them in some way!!

[graham-j]

Hi,make a silly noise with your mouth as you approach the run they will hear you and associate that noise with you and food.And then rather than run away they will look to you,also move very slowly around them.
As I approach my pen I go "oioioioioi,oioioioioi,oioioioioioi,oioioioioioi,whats all this then" in a soft voice and they are fine.If I just approach them they go into panic mode.
It works for me try it,they need to here you coming and know its you.

Graham.

[Heyup]

My gorgeous gossies came from another forum poster, aged a few weeks and separated on the day I acquired them from their wider goosie family...  So definitely not imprints! 

I kept them penned for a number of weeks, as we'd been having a few fox / buzzard issues with my hens and I wanted to be sure they were of a fox-proof size before allowing them free-range. 

They were in a pen we moved at least twice daily so they could get at fresh grass in the run....  I had no idea how prolifically young geese poo!!!

Yes - I agree with you entirely; impending death (you'd have thought) each time we went anywhere near, changed water, moved pen, gave food to etc.  What a racket - and they all clumped up in one corner of the pen and shrieked their little heads off.

Since they've feathered up (mine are a bit older than yours and are Toulouse / Embden crosses) and been let out, they're the calmest most docile geese you could imagine.  I can herd them anywhere, easily, and they don't bat an eyelid at anything; even being scooped up to plonk them somewhere else when they've wandered out of their (quite reassuringly small) comfort zone.

So hang on in there; the paranoid gosling stage seems to pass when they get bigger and more adult!  Mine are now fulfilling the role I acquired them for - guard geese.  They're perfect with me and my Hubbie, mix well with other poultry and my guinea fowl, but are proper little guardians of the smallholding if they sense a stranger in their midst. 

If their attitude towards my own terrier is anything to go by, the fox won't stand a chance; four huge geese standing on tiptoe and not afraid to make a noise, bat their wings and give a well-aimed peck where it's deserved....  (Poor wee dog is a bit perplexed).

So just try to ignore the squeaking, shrieking stage - it's disconcerting and you wonder what you're doing wrong.  They'll come right in the end and you'll be rewarded with some really super adult geese who'll hopefully become a very valued presence on your holding.

[Womble]

Hi Both,

Thanks for the replies.

I think our two are a bit beyond the "oioioioioi" stage, but I've given them a bit more space to run around in, and they seem perhaps a little happier.

The truth is that we already have a flock of perfectly well adjusted geese (who gave us the eggs for the incubator), so these two are sadly destined to be Christmas Dinner in any case. However, I was wondering what on earth I'd done wrong, so to hear that this is normal behaviour is at least encouraging.

Thanks again!

Womble.

[shygirl]

If their attitude towards my own terrier is anything to go by, the fox won't stand a chance;

we lost a goose to the fox when she was laying an egg, so they are still vulnerable, especially when they are sleepy.

[lachlanandmarcus]

Geese laying, anything sick or outcast Un paired ganders may be taken, strong and fit pairs of geese will likely be safe as foxy can take on one goose but not a pair or a group successfully. We lost an outcast boy but the cohesive 2 pairs that remain (who stick together) are a formidable opponent.