Duck versus Goose

We had quite a racket going on near the entrance to the chicken run, lots of honking and whistling and quacking with feathers flying everywhere... I assumed it was one of those little testosterone spats, again - which is was - between Muscovy male Moe and buff goose male Kristopher. What I did not realize was who had won!

Since they did not let go of each other I went up and grabbed Moe (he's smaller by far) but his toe nail was hooked into Kristophers skin. I unhooked that and plunked Moe into the leanto part of the run and put the little sliding door in to keep them separated. Kris seemed rather demure, no hissing at me, with a "nothing happened here, nothing to see" air around him. I did not think about it too much, as long as Emily was still on the nest, brooding (she's in the run, hence the localized testosterone).

Guess my surprise the next evening when Moe was smack dab in the middle of the run door and the two geese did not dare get any closer! MOE HAD WON! My god, I do have wimpy geese :-) I did select this particular breed cause they are a lot less aggressive and I guess that's correct!

They're even nicer to Simon now - I do not immediately have to herd and lock them in their pen. Before, when Simon would go out in the yard Kristopher would immediately run for him, but now they keep their distance - a sort of "I don't see you, I don't have to do anything" unless Simon gets too close.

I do now remove Moe from the main run each night and put him in the lean-to, which is fine and one of the Muscovy girls is brooding there anyway. He seems to know the new routine and after I clipped his nails (lesson learned: only clip the points, the rest IS alive) he does not want to be picked up and I only have to herd him once or twice and he'll go in there himself. He might be ugly but he is a smart boy :-)