# Killer gosling, oh boy



## Traci Kennedy (May 13, 2017)

Hey all, I'm pretty new to all of this, just 5 weeks now. I have 2 brooders, 1 is really just on hold because nights aware still too cold. So there isn't heat in it, but it runs about 75 degrees.

At any rate, I already made an addition to my flock and added some chicks and 1 gosling, all about 10 days old now. I had a couple chicks look the worse for wear and thought one of my cats had somehow gotten in.

They didn't.
I had nursed one of the chicks almost back to health when I saw the gosling pick up a chick and sling it around like nothing. Not even out of meanness, just nibbling the chicks fuzz and the chick came with!

I have her separated now. She's not ready to go into the big girl pen,  but away from the little!

Just thought I'd mention it because I had searched topics to see if they could be blooded together and didn't find that it was an issue. Now I know!
ETA brooded not blooded, though as it happens...


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## Pyxis (May 13, 2017)

As you have seen they don't do well together - if you don't have another gosling, which you should. Bear with me, I've created a copy and paste because I have needed it so many times this year.

"You should never have just one goose. They are flock animals and need at least one friend of their own kind. To do otherwise is cruel to them and would be akin to locking you up with just chimpanzees for company in the hopes that you'd get along with them and protect them because you have no other humans to be with and they're the best you can do.

I'm not even saying this just because I've heard it around, I experienced it. My first roman tufted grew up here without any other goslings or geese because her intended mate died in transit on the way to me. Sure, she hung out with the chickens and ducks, but she wasn't really happy. Once I got some more geese she immediately took to them and they are now an inseparable flock. I would never want to have another lone goose again because it's just cruel to the goose.

Many people are perpetuating the myth that it's fine to keep one lone goose, but if they'd think about it at all they'd realize that just as they wouldn't want to live with another animal species their whole life that can't speak their language, can't become their mate, can't raise young with them, and can't even participate in their favorite activities (swimming, in the case of geese) that it's not something that's okay to do to a goose either. They are innately flock animals, just as chickens are and just as we humans are."

That said, you should find another gosling ASAP. I'm betting the poor gosling is going crazy being alone right now. I brood chicks and goslings together successfully (until the geese get so big they need to be away from the chicks so they don't accidentally injure one by stepping on it) as long as there is another gosling in there so they can play together and nibble on each other. They also will tell each other when the nibbling is too much so they can learn boundaries.


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## Traci Kennedy (May 13, 2017)

She is alone because she was the only gosling left at the feed store, poor thing. I have 10 eggs incubating now , though there will be an age difference when they hatch. She has been hanging out on my lap, but her tummy is rumbling and I'm giving her the side eye because I know what's coming lol

Will she be ok as a solo gosling until the eggs hatch? She is about 10 days old and they still have 30 days to go!


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## Pyxis (May 13, 2017)

Traci Kennedy said:


> She is alone because she was the only gosling left at the feed store, poor thing. I have 10 eggs incubating now , though there will be an age difference when they hatch. She has been hanging out on my lap, but her tummy is rumbling and I'm giving her the side eye because I know what's coming lol
> 
> Will she be ok as a solo gosling until the eggs hatch? She is about 10 days old and they still have 30 days to go!



I'm so glad to hear she'll have gosling friends in a month! For now though, she won't be happy at all when you have to leave her alone in the brooder. It's not a perfect solution, but until the new goslings hatch can you get some ducklings for her to hang out with? They keep up with geese in terms of growth much better than chickens do and make much better brooder mates when you don't have another gosling.


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