I am faced with a difficult situation and I would like your opinions and/or suggestions. Here is the problem…
I have an aggressive gander and he is a chicken killer. Further, as if that wasn’t enough, he is mean to my husband and chases my dogs and I can barely stand it.
What would you do to solve this problem?
Thank you for your insight, advice and answers.
Life on the Farmlet 
Is a Gander a goose ? From the little bit Ive read so far , best bet is to remove the aggressive one to the stew pot .
Good luck 🙂
Hi Rich,
Yes, a gander is a boy goose. I had read that Pilgrim geese were supposed to be so mild mannered, and yet he is not. He is also quite a few pounds heavier and taller than the rest. Perhaps he had another breed in his line? Dunno.
You’ve got two choices… rehome him or butcher him. I’m leery of rehoming a problem animal. I don’t want the animal to cause more trouble and end up back with me.
If you could find a woman with a flock of geese… no chickens, no dog, that might be an out. Maybe post him on Craigslist or backyardchickens.org and see what sort of response you get. Beware that you’ll get replies from folks that’ll come get him and sell him immediately at auction, etc. or eat him.
I don’t blame you for being frustrated. I cannot stand an animal that bullies or kills others.
Thank’s Julie,
He is my pet, my favorite… that’s what makes it difficult. 😦
I’m so sorry. Maybe he’s a Toulouse? Not sure about their temperament. If he’s a pet, then I’d try my best to find him a home in a flock.
Good luck. Keep us posted.
Oh dear – your pet and your favorite. That makes for a very difficult decision. I thought I had an idea but no more. Now I have no solutions at all. Probably go with Julie’s suggestion – a new home and his own private flock with no competition.
Sigh…
pray….
Hello Elena, I did, I am, and I will.
Thank you
I was going to say “dinner” but then I read he is your favorite. That’s a sad situation and not an easy decision for you. I’m sorry I can’t offer any good advise…
I have (re)learned a very valuable lesson, never name your food. Thank you for writing Anke.
I tend to be very practical and my livestock aren’t pets, so pardon me if I’m too blunt. I would butcher him and if he’s too tough (or you just can’t make yourself eat him), I would add the protein to my dog’s food to recoup some of the feed cost.
Hello Andy,
Cheeky didn’t start off to be a pet, it is a long story… and I won’t bore you with that. 🙂 But, once he “went to the dark side” I knew I had to do something. I was just hoping for an easy out I guess. Thank you for your honesty.
Thats such a precious answer. I will pray for you too :>)
Sorry Lynda 😦 Didnt realize he was your fav . Touch choice 🙂
That’s OK Rich, I didn’t exactly say so right off now did I? 🙂
Has he always acted this way or could it be “Spring” and be temporary? Have you thought about an animal psychologist? I know…sounds nutty. But, we had a male cat that would not tolerate anyone except me. He would “pick” fights and spray even though he was neutered. My last resort was an animal psychologist suggested by a friend. I thought it would be a total waste of money. But after an hour, the guy determined that we had one way into the food/litter box area and our male was attempting to “guard” the food. It was driving him insane that he could not control everyone/thing going into “his” room. Once we prepared another area for the rest of the pets in another room, his temperament changed almost overnight. Just a thought. Best wishes for a good resolution.
Christine, thank you for your suggestion, but I am sure that I couldn’t afford that… it’s an interesting idea though! However, this started before Thanksgiving last year. I think he is not pure Pilgrim. I believe he is a mix with one of the more aggressive breeds of goose.
I think that for the short term you should pen him up. It’s not fair to everyone and everything else to let him keep terrorizing. When Roosterman started attacking my dog Marky, I placed him in a pen. Marky felt relieved, and although he was not a free man, Roosterman still enjoyed having his girls trot all around the outside of his pen.
A very difficult decision. I suppose a yard for him alone or perhaps with any other animal that he can tolerate would be an imposibility. I will be watching for your solution and be here to give you a if you decide you must take the difficult course.