Or will they at least not kill their babies like drakes will?

-- Jonathan (spades_31080@yahoo.com), May 22, 2001

Answers

You may find out how good of parents they are the hard way -- that is to say, when they chase you all over the place defending their babies. Hopefully, he sees you as a permissable intrusion. I would cull out any gander that killed babies, that's not normal behavior, at least not for their own babies.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), May 22, 2001.

Jonathan,

I have a toulouse goose and an african grey gander. They raised babies last year and he was very protective. He guarded her while on the nest and watched after her and the goslings after hatching. I don't know if this is the usual behavior since this is the only gander I've had. your mileage may vary.

-- Mona in OK (modoc@ipa.net), May 22, 2001.

Thanks for the answers. I am thinking about buying some toulouse geese. I had a pair of mallards several years ago. The duck set and they were so funny when she would come off the nest. They looked like they were talking and happy to see each other. We had to help the baby ducks hatch because the shells were so hard. (Both the ducks hated the pond!) Then the drake killed all the babies when she brought them to the house. It sounds like ganders are just the opposite.

-- Jonathan (spades_31080@yahoo.com), May 22, 2001.

We have several geese and only one male and one female will sit on the eggs and the male is much better at it. We put duck eggs under him last year since the ducks wouldn't sit and he hatched them as well. When we tried to get the baby ducks he put the 4 babies on his back and ran around the pen to keep them from us. We knew the other geese would kill them so we had to get them. The other geese would take the geese babies away from him a couple days after they hatched.

-- beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), May 22, 2001.

Ganders are a goose's best friend. We had lots of geese growing up, and I almost got my little legs broke by one protective gander!! (I was 5) I learned to carry a rake in when I fed and watered them in springtime. I've never known of a gander to kill goslings. Humans are another matter, keep the little kids away from nests and definetely away from goslings. They stay protective for 2 or 3 months.

Don't forget geese mate for life. :-)

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), May 23, 2001.

I got three toulouse goslings today. I wanted to get a goose and a gander but the hatchery only sold them st. run. Is there an easy way to tell male/female geese apart like there are ducks when they get older?

-- Jonathan (spades_31080@yahoo.com), May 23, 2001.