10 facts about geese – Foundation for Animal Welfare in Germany
- After hatching, goslings first have to learn who their mother is and have no innate mother image. The chicks follow or imprint on the «object» they see first. Therefore, it can also happen that they imprint themselves on a person if this is the first «object» that moves and makes sounds.
- Geese are herd animals. During the mating season, they form monogamous bonds that last a lifetime. Even if their partner dies, geese often remain alone for the rest of their lives.
- They are waterfowl. In addition to «country life» they spend a lot of time on the water. Unfortunately, in today’s intensive husbandry, they have no access to water.
- They take care of their young with self-sacrifice. If an enemy approaches their chicks, they will also attack to protect their young.
- Geese sound the alarm even more sensitively than dogs. They react sensitively to every strange noise with their warning calls.
- Geese are migratory birds and fly in a V formation, saving a lot of energy for their long-distance flights.
- They enjoy cleaning their feathers, foraging for food in the grass most of the time, and collecting twigs, bark and leaves for their nests.
- Geese have excellent hearing, sight and smell.
- Behavioral scientists or others who have spent a lot of time with geese report that they can feel emotions just like humans. If, for example, the life partner dies, they trust for a very long time and withdraw.
- Geese feed mainly on seeds, nuts, grass, plants and berries, but also on insects. Domestic geese are good migrants and can travel great distances (5 km or more) in search of food.