Goosey goosey gander

A stray goose arrives and trouble begins

A couple of years ago we discovered a goose strolling around the yard.  Thinking it was one of ours, we shepherded it back to the field.  However, when we got there we realised that ours were all present and accounted for.  We could only assume that someone had dumped it as they don’t usually fly.

We already had 3 geese and a gander, and one of the geese has lived here longer than us!  We ushered the newcomer into the paddock, left it with the others and initially it seemed fine. Then we noticed that the gander was picking on it a little.  It gradually got worse and feathers were being plucked.

Since he wouldn’t accept the newbie, we assumed it was a gander (geese are not easy to sex) and moved it in with the ducks where it lived quite happily for almost a year.

One morning when collecting the eggs, we found a huge one in the duck shed.  It was a goose egg, therefore, she wasn’t a gander after all!  We moved her back in with the geese but sectioned off a piece of the goose hut so that she would be away from the gander.

All was peaceful and eventually we removed the partition so they were all living together.

Unfortunately though, a couple of weeks ago just as the geese were starting to lay, the gander once again began picking on her.  He became quite nasty, so for her own safety, we returned her to the duck shed and installed a nesting box for her.  If she starts to sit on her eggs, it won’t be much use but we may be able to slip a few duck eggs under her for hatching.

She seems contented now and the ducks don’t seem to mind so we may as well leave her there permanently.