Bonding help

Honk

Honk

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Firstly, hello. My name's Mark, I live in Wiltshire and recently adopted three geese that a friend found forlorn in a layby. They were exhausted and filthy and one, who's since been put down, could barely walk. I'm now very fond of the two we've got, Puddle (left) and Jemima (right).



But, we wanted to make it a threesome again (maybe a foursome) and went and bought a young Toulouse goose, this year's model (we've no idea how old Puddle and Jemima are). So, they're all female, we're not after breeding any. We've shut them in the shed as recommended by Tim Daniels article on PoultryKeeper.com and by heck it's been hard work and we're only into day 3. I'm writing this from the shed as we're really having to keep tabs on Puddle. Margot (the new girl) only has to make a noise and Puddle's got her by the neck and laying in left and right hooks with her wings. I've never seen anything like it. Obviously in the shed Margot's got nowhere to get away and I'm regularly wading in and pulling Puddle off though she usually stops now if I shout. Before all of this we were on beak rubbing terms so it's a shock she's turned into a she-devil.

The first night we put them all in their house together and they were quiet until it got light and I legged it down to make sure everything was OK. Yesterday, we put them in the shed all day and the violence ensued. They were separated from each other by a fence last night which I removed this morning, only for Puddle to start up the beatings again. It turns out, though we didn't realise this until there was a new girl, that Jemima's boss. She'll give Puddle a good peck and get in between her and Margot if she's on the ball but if Puddle gets the red mist, there's no stopping her.

My questions then are

1. Is this all normal behaviour?
2. Am I wrong to be intervening all the time?
3. Should we be giving them a bit of free time to roam as Margot can't eat or drink without getting flattened?
4. Will they just bond anyway without the enforced confinement?

We let them out for a few hours this morning to have a bath and some grass. Margot keeps a 5m distance but otherwise is wandering with them. Any help much appreciated.

Mark
 

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Thankfully, they've calmed down today and are definitely on the road to friendship.
 
That's good. I'm sorry nobody answered your post, Mark, I think most of us on here are chicken keepers, and so know little about geese. Anyway, welcome to the Forum, and I hope the geese will now have settled down and made friends.
 
Thank you, and so far, it's all quiet outside; they're not separated tonight but hopefully I'll get a good night's sleep.
 
Do let us know how you get in, they look lovely birds. A pic of all three would be lovely. I'm moving your thread to the General Waterfowl section, as I think it may not have been seen in Other Poultry.
 
Thankyou. I wasn't certain where to put it. Photos to follow.
 
Here's a picture of Margot. She's more nervous than me than the other ladies now.
L1000349.jpg
 
Hiya, sorry I missed your post. I have to be honest I'm not great at goose behaviour at all, even though I have geese! Glad to hear they are getting on. Maybe you can offer advice to others in this situation now ;)
Zo
 
I certainly will where I'm able. They're all good mates now though Margot, the new one, still won't eat from my hand. Early days.

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Hi Honk, this is typical behaviour of geese, ducks and chickens. But its probably more noticeable and more aggressive in geese as the are bigger and stronger. All they are doing is establishing a pecking order, It sounds like you know who is boss, and puddle is the deputy and now Margot has to learn that she is at the bottom of the pecking order in hierarchy terms. Also as they are in a strange place with a strange bird it may be more aggressive then normal because they are more unsure and unaware of there surroundings.
 
Good to know. It's funny to see Margot fighting back a bit these days especially with Puddle if she gets in the way. What's odd is that now they've all settled, Puddle, the deputy, is the one that will tell strangers where to go! Jemima will hiss and shout but Puddle will go in all beaks blazing and has claimed a few trouser legs and children's bottoms. I love them.
 
All waterfowl have different traits, we used to have a duck that as soon as he heard keys jangling in your pocket he went and chased you up the garden path. The geese will soon all be creating havoc and hatching plans together on how best to distract you whilst the others get up to mischief being the funny things they are
 
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