[goosepimple]

Think it was our beloved Steinbacher geese who are bullying our Muscovy ducks relentlessly at the moment - Sister George, (a nun lookalike Muscovy female, white head, black body) was discovered by my OH at the pond banking, unmarked, nothing choking her as far as we could see, but dead.  The geese are very vocal at the moment and bullying like mad.  Poor duck, one of our favourites who would wander all the way to the house for a brown bread treat and would peck our mad Border Collie on her snout.  Sadly missed.  Geese living up to their name, any further victims and we will have to pen them with a bath of water which they won't like so much.  Or do we just have to accept casualties?  A sad day.

[lill]

sadly when we have live stock we also have dead stock, something we all have to accept

[jaykay]

Very sorry to hear this  Mine don't bother my ducks (runners and calls) but as you say, they do have a reputation as fighting geese, so I wonder if your Muscovies seem like other geese to them 

Is there any reason why they have to 'hang around' together - are they using the same feeders, pond..., that could be duplicated so the ducks and the geese don't have to have too much to do with each other?

[robert waddell]

many years ago Dave lee Travis came on his sunday radio slot and could not stop laughing it was about a half hour before he could relate the story of one of his geese fancied a duck and trod it to death

[princesspiggy]

was she drowned during mating?
poor thing

[Sylvia]

A common fate for ducks, poor dears

[goosepimple]

Not quite sure about the drowning - she had grass/soil in her mouth so would think that unlikely and she was too high up the banking at the pond so must have made her way up somehow.  Geese are clearing the pond most days just now and then go off to the river for the rest of the day or keep the goats company.  They do tend to pick on an odd duck, perhaps our confident Sister George stood up to them.  Who knows, just geese doing their thing and chasing the kiddies too (which is always fun to see).  Still love them though! (geese and kiddies that is).

[OhLaLa]

I've had poultry for almost 20 years. I would put good money on the duck having been trodden to death.

And DLT thought his tale was funny? Shame on you, hairy monster!

[Mel]

If you had have said this last year I would have been unsure,I have had my Gander & Goose for 18 months or so now,Gandalf is quite a formidable character,however,this year and over the last 2 weeks he is being really horrid,attacking the call ducks,picking them up and shaking them around,one little girl has not lost all her feathers on her back.I had to chase him the other day all the way around the pond-and it is not little whilst he was carrying her in his beak! ,managed to catch him,he let go,I and please excuse as I would not harm any of my animals,but I grabbed him by the throat and shook him and told him off-only as a gesture ,he hissed and slapped me about a bit with his wings,and left me in a pile on the floor-ok,,guess he is a bit of a hard nut! Though we would not be without him,he is loved and looked after-he is spoiled!

Look at him below-you know he is saying,come on then,bring it on

[Penninehillbilly]

If you had have said this last year I would have been unsure,I have had my Gander & Goose for 18 months or so now,Gandalf is quite a formidable character,however,this year and over the last 2 weeks he is being really horrid,attacking the call ducks,picking them up and shaking them around,one little girl has not lost all her feathers on her back.I had to chase him the other day all the way around the pond-and it is not little whilst he was carrying her in his beak! ,managed to catch him,he let go,I and please excuse as I would not harm any of my animals,but I grabbed him by the throat and shook him and told him off-only as a gesture ,he hissed and slapped me about a bit with his wings,and left me in a pile on the floor-ok,,guess he is a bit of a hard nut! Though we would not be without him,he is loved and looked after-he is spoiled!

Look at him below-you know he is saying,come on then,bring it on

My gander would attack my calls, pulling their feathers out from their backs, the second time I caught him I swung a piece of wood at him. thought i'd killed him, the duck died that night, he died the next day (for the oven), I haven't had a gander since, the geese seem just as happy.

[goosepimple]

Great stories  ;- haven't had to get that aggressive yet, like you say leghorn, you love them anyway, and similarly I wouldn't hurt an animal, but I'm not afraid of the big bad goose and will handle him if necessary!  Aren't males always a problem - whatever the species!  (sorry males) 

[goosepimple]

Had a head to head with Orlando the gander today as I was giving them a bread treat down by the pond.  My first reaction was to act like your photo leghorn!  I held my arms out wide and gave him a few big 'whaaas' at which point he initially looked stunned then came at me again and I did it more aggressively and louder and he backed off with the ladies into the pond for safety, all very much to the hilarity of my OH (who was shouting ' big chicken' to him once he was in the pond) and the kids (who were watching from a long way off I may add). Who's the big chicken then..