Goose for xmas dinner - next year

[The Cobra]

I'm quite frankly shocked at the sky high prices of a single Goose for xmas dinner. So my new idea is to rear 2 geese on my plot - have one for xmas dinner next year, and sell one for someones xmas dinner. Is it viable to have these geese for egg laying, as well as fattening them up to put on the xmas dinner table?

[Scarlet]

I've never kept geese - Nicos does so will probably answer later.
I've kept turkeys until recently and they usually don't come into lay in their first year by which time they have been eaten!

[chris]

They need a lot of space and grass ideally.

They don't lay that well (compared to chickens/ducks for example), hence the price of goose eggs in supermarkets.

Yes, they are *very* expensive, for really not that much meat (chest cavity is huge). However, I really like goose. I decided against it this year, as for ones reared local to me, they were £75 - which is a huge increase from last years price.

I've instead bought a different cut of beef (forerib) than we'd usually have, from a farm not that far away

If you have the facilities available to rear them, then go for it. I'd love to do it, but do not have the space or time to be able to do it.

[Scarlet]

I've instead bought a different cut of beef (forerib) than we'd usually have, from a farm not that far away

I did that last year, my teenage boys were horrified!! That's not what your supposed to have at Christmas!!

They disappeared on their scooters Xmas Eve and came home with a turkey in their rucksack!! They waited until the turkeys were reduced at the last minute in the shops to get a good deal. They were so pleased with theirselves but they wanted their savings returned

[chris]

Hehe. Turkey... Hmm. I initially though it was an American tradition, but looking online it seems that it wasted popular over here with Henry the eighth too. I've read that goose was the traditional bird, and it's the bird we normally have.


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[The Cobra]

Hehe. Turkey... Hmm. I initially though it was an American tradition, but looking online it seems that it wasted popular over here with Henry the eighth too. I've read that goose was the traditional bird, and it's the bird we normally have.


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Goose was the traditional xmas bird ever since Victorian times and probably before. Then Turkey took over as the chosen xmas bird. I'd go for goose every year if it wasn't as expensive as it is now, hence my thoughts on rearing my own!

[Scarlet]

You can't beat a home reared turkey!!! I love a goose but the boys like a good sized portion of meat!

[Bren In Pots]

Rabbits nice



sorry couldn't help it

[Nicos]

Geese?
Well , we normally have 5 youngsters to bring on each year
4 gals and one boy
Last year we had to take 2 boys and 3 gals and quite frankly the boys' hormones together caused too much agro!

We buy them in May at about 6 weeks and free range them until the end of October.
Generally they only have one feed per day and free range on grass the rest of the time.
We have none for over wintering as they become aggressive and eat a lot.
We sell ours to our friends for about £30-£40 each and only just break even depending on how much grass is available.

Meat wise..there's just enough for 6 peeps ..and then soup with the bones.
In France, the meat would be enough for 12 peeps. Just goes to show the difference in expected meat consumption eh???

We have to buy in extra goose fat for roast spuds as our geese are muscular and not fatty.

They are really lovely natured and innocent.
Much 'nicer' in character than chooks.
Bit noisy though if disturbed.

Yummy, yummy meat though!!!

Edit- we have Toulouse geese

Oh yes...and our bunny meat is yummy too- but given the choice I'd prefer goose meat, it's sweeter and less 'metallic'

[The Cobra]

Rabbits nice



sorry couldn't help it

nooooooo!!!! lol

[The Cobra]

Thanks for the reply Nicos. So it is viable for me to rear a couple of Geese for next xmas then. Better get the allotment ready for them then!!!

[Nicos]

Just be aware they poop big sloppy ones all over the place

[snuffer]

Nicos, thanks for saying you find rabbit meat 'metallic' I've often said so and people look at me as though I am crazy.

We always used to have goose at Christmas but started having turkey a few years ago, saving the goose for new year.

Cobra rearing your own sounds like a great idea. However I'm a bit of a softy so would not be able to kill a bird I had reared. Believe it or not my first job upon leaving school (many, many years ago) was as a slaughter man.

[The Cobra]

Nicos, thanks for saying you find rabbit meat 'metallic' I've often said so and people look at me as though I am crazy.

We always used to have goose at Christmas but started having turkey a few years ago, saving the goose for new year.

Cobra rearing your own sounds like a great idea. However I'm a bit of a softy so would not be able to kill a bird I had reared. Believe it or not my first job upon leaving school (many, many years ago) was as a slaughter man.

I don't think I'd have that problem, I feel worse paying £70 for xmas dinner!!!! It may not happen for me this year as I have so much to do at the allotment with it being new, but I will be looking into it in the future

[Nicos]

Nicos, thanks for saying you find rabbit meat 'metallic' I've often said so and people look at me as though I am crazy.

..oh...relief!!...people look at me as if I am mad too! ( yeh...welll!)
I'm going to go with the thought that you and I have highly developed taste buds!