[VAWatcher]

I've never seen it before in my life but that does not mean it isnt possible. But is it? Is it possible for a duck to cross breed with a goose?

The reason I am asking is, we have had this white goose around for years and his mate passed away and this year he is following around a very unique looking female mallard but even her brood look odd as many are really huge and some are small. It looks as if it is three to four different age groups of ducklings.

[VAWatcher]

This might help with my question.

Here are a few pics.

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...0080510_01.jpg

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...0080510_04.jpg

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...0080510_15.jpg

[Quercus]

They all look like mallard ducklings to me.... no goose genetics there!

Broods of duckings of diferent ages will team up and hang out together!

[VAWatcher]

Possible the Goose just stays with the female for companionship?

Possible some of the ducklings might be orphans she has taken in?

We have many rehabbers in the area too, possible this may be a rehab mother.

[Vinch]

I already saw at three times a male goose who goes with a female Mallard with ducklings, and this goose chased every others ducks and geese which come near "his" family.
Rapidly, at these three times, the female Mallard abandonned her duckling and the male goose bred them for the rest of time, very efficiently...
Near 90% of ducklings bred by this male goose reached the fly age...
While the ducklings bred by their own mother suffered of a hight predation by magpies and gulls...

This male goose was a Barnacle X Bar-Headed hybrid...

[Gentoo]

I think geese and ducks are too far apart genetically to mate successfully. They also have quite different courtship displays which in themselves would be isolating mechanisms.

[AlexC]

This conversation reminds me of the character "Heiffer" on the TV show "Rocko's Modern Life." ...anyone? 90s kids?

[VAWatcher]

I will keep watching the female duck and goose and ducklings just to see what happens and how they look later on. This whole thing has me interested in these two but I have to say, they are happy together and the young have a big advantage over the other ducklings, these have the protection of the goose.