Thinking about geese

[OverWyreGrower]

I've been offered a couple of 2011 mixed-breed female geese....

Whilst Mr OWG is fairly opposed, I'm quite interested in finding out more...

So, does anyone have any goose advice... I'm interested in how much noise they actually make - is it any worse than having cockerels?

They'll be in our large grassed run with the other poultry. We're planning to re-fence our paddock and let the ducks/hens onto that over winter to stop the run getting too bad.

[VirginVegGrower]

They are a great burglar deterrent. My auntie used to bring the dog in at night and let the geese out. That's all I remember.

[RichmondHens]

I think they are noisier than chickens, but it probably depends on the individual geese. Be careful they don't attack your chooks, a friend of mine had her best Orpington quite badly injured by one of her geese who apparently just picked it up and flung it over her head!

[OverWyreGrower]

These are apparantly chook friendly, having lived with both hens and ducks since hatch...

I know geese need a lot of grazing - do I need specific goose food, or are layers pellets OK?

[Nicos]

I have 5 young geese at the moment- we buy them in the Spring and bring them on ready for Xmas.
I've never had an adult goose so can only comment on mine.

The male goose ( there are 4 females with him) is only just starting to become a bit more pushy and nipping - but they are Toulouse geese which are supposed to be timid.
I've seen a couple of them have a snap at the chooks, usually when they go near their food. Often the chooks chase off the geese though.
Food -wise, we were told geese shouldn't eat chook food, so we buy a mix good for all farm birds.
I have noticed we get thinner shells even though the chooks are offered oyster shell ad lib.
Mine all sleep in the same area - a pig sty with 2 perches for the chooks. and they seem fine with that at the moment.
Ours free range with the chooks behind an electric fence and graze all day on the grass. We give them some mix when they are let out, corn at lunch time and mix before bedtime.
We also provide a fresh bucket of drinking water each day and a child's 'shell' paddling pool with a couple of bricks in it so any chooks accidentally falling in can clamber out.
The chooks laying area is fenced off from the geese with wide mesh- so the chooks can go and lay in peace and not have the geese eat the eggs ( which mine seem to adore!)
They like to have a long run and flap their wings several times a day.

Noisy?
Not really- only when we/other peeps/dogs are around - they quietly chunner away between themselves usually.
Mine have all been very accident prone so you need to check out for things they can tumble/trip/cut/impale themselves with

I love having geese and really miss them when they're gone- they're MUCH less nasty than chooks!

[OverWyreGrower]

Thanks Nicos!

I've already got ducks - so we have 2 turtle sandpits/paddling pools for them anyway!

We've got sheds for the birds to sleep in, with perches and nestboxes up high, and deep straw on the bottom for ducks, so that sounds like the geese would fit right in.

Just have to persuade OH that they aren't as bad as he thinks!!

[Two_Sheds]

I love geese, esp. the big bossy white ones. Great guard dogs!

[Piggle]

me too - they've always got an opinion ...... I like an animal with an opinion!

[Nicos]

Te he...have a look at these ...

Love the Goose Part One - YouTube

[RichmondHens]

I know geese need a lot of grazing - do I need specific goose food, or are layers pellets OK?

According to Katie Thear (in one of my livestock books) one acre of grass will support 9 geese, so I guess for 2 you would need about 1/4 acre. If they have enough grass you shouldn't need to feed them at all through Spring, Summer and early Autumn, and give them a supplementary grain feed (wheat/oats) during the Winter months. They shouldn't need more than that. I suspect if you run them with chooks they will pig out on all the chook food costing you heaps more. If you have the space run them separately on your grass paddock and keep the chooks in their own area.

We're actually planning on hatching our own geese next Spring, so I'm researching all things goose at the moment!

[chris]

Well, I never knew they ate that much grass. That's crazy! Goose is now my favourite christmas meat, its simply amazing. They for consumption, OWG?

[RichmondHens]

We've been costing out how much it takes to raise chickens for meat versus geese for meat - geese are much much cheaper (providing you have the grass, which we do), and you can sell them for much more. No brainer it seems ....................

[Two_Sheds]

Their eggs taste weird though

[its hilly]

I've got two chinese x white geese. Had them from a couple of months old. Hilary B gave me some really helpful advice to set off with.
They have their own sleeping shed in a little paddock as when she is sitting he will see off anything that goes near. And that includes us and the farm dogs and my german shepherd. Although Sid saw off our GS before Cerys started sitting. We have to herd him with a broom at that time. The rest of the time they are very friendly.
The geese live on grass, with a top up feed of mixed corn or wheat at bedtime, usualy just a big handful each, fed in a big stainless dog bowl full of water. They also love the cooked veggie peel stew, and warm porridge that I do for the chooks. They wont touch layers pellets, not sure if that's just mine, but everyone I know who has them just feed corn or wheat. But I feed hens and geese seperately as at feed time the geese will have a go at the chooks, even roosters, as the wretched little horrors just MUST nick the geeses corn. Mind you its easy, just set up a little feed area accessed by a pop-hole and the chooks will still have free access to feed that the geese can't pinch, and feed the geese in their own little enclosure.
They have a deep paddling pool and love a gentle spray from the hosepipe too. But they have a lovely habit, he gives her 'gifts'. Often twigs etc for nests, but also beakfuls of mud. They will dig up soil then filter it in their pond, so any water will end up as liquid sludge very quickly. We limit it a bit by keeping their pool (which is in their enclosure) at the opposite end to their shed, and keeping one of those untipable square feed trays near their hut and full of water, so they play in that most.
They are super guard dogs and quiet on the whole. They honk like mad to say hello, and on a much faster harder tone if there is something out of place, like strangers leaning on the field gate, or dogs or foxes.
Sid is above waist high and if he is mad at you he will bite, as they have a serrated edge to their beaks and twist as they do it, it bloomin hurts! But worst is that he will beat you with his wings, that leaves huge black bruises. So you do need to learn how to grab and move them properly for in-cases. But it's rare. If you and himself both feed them and spend some time getting to know them when they are young then you shouldn't have many problems. Mine come to call, and will follow a rattled bowl of corn anywhere.
As you can probably tell, I love em. Good job too as they live a long time, except dinner geese, who are killed at less than six months I believe.

[Two_Sheds]

they have a lovely habit, he gives her 'gifts'. Often twigs etc for nests, but also beakfuls of mud.

That is so cute, and much more useful than petrol station flowers