adding adult geese to your farm... how long in "lock-up"?

[Mojo Chick'n]

Hey all -

I looked through a few pages on here, and did not see this question come up. I got a pair of geese for a friend tonight, and since they are adults, I was wondering how long he is going to have to keep them penned before he can turn them out and have them stay put.

I had given him some guineas back last spring and he didn't keep them penned long enough - so they left

good thing they were free (for him, anyway).

The geese won't be free, so I imagine he'll want them to stick around a little longer than a day or two.

They look to be mixed geese - emden and brown chinese, I think. Will these fly very far or very high? I was asking, because I know he also has a horse pasture he can put them into when he does let them out (has cattle panel fencing) but I didn't know if they would fly out of it or not.

The poor guy just lost his favorite horse (embolism - very unexpected) and I doubt he wants to lose anything else too soon.

anyway,

more info than ya needed to answer the Q - so thanks for looking and I hope someone can give me an answer for him.

meri

 

[Cara]

Embdens can't fly. I don't believe Chinese geese can either. When we decided to free range ours we just brought them up to the house and turned them loose. We don't have close neighbours though, that's the only thing I can think that would draw them away, that or a nearby pond/lake. Keep them fed at home and they should stick around.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
That would be cool, then he could put them in his pasture for awhile before he let them out into the yard.

He has one neighbor, who is close enough to see. But they are two horse pastures away from him, so they'd have to take the road, or cross through some fencing (or over the fencing.)

How far do they generally range if they are "loose" and not in a pasture or a pen?

 

[Cara]

Ours wander a little, I don't often see them wandering but I see their great big webby prints! They never go more than 1/4 mile though.

I think they stay so close because this is their 'pond' area. They like to swim and bathe in a horse trough rather than the pond we put in for them. They are hopeless at getting through fences, other than squeezing under high gates.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Cool, thanks so much

 

[papagoose]

I have 3 embden and 13 brown chinese from what I can determine in my flock (gaggle). I got the 3 embden and 3 browns last year from people off freecycle and craigslist and had them locked up in the barn overnight and let them out. They did fine staying in my yard. They do wander across the dirt road into the neighbors yard to eat their grass and I have to go shoo them back home, but only when the neighbors didn't cut their lawns and let the grass get long. They found the neighbors pond in their horse field and went across the road daily for a swim all summer long. The neighbor didn't care and the geese came back home every evening. I had good luck with the neighbors watching for the "goose crossing" and didn't lose a goose all year last year to road kill.

My embden can fly for short distances (50 feet or so) but only do it to beat the browns to something to eat or when they see me come out and want to get their treats earlier than the browns.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

My chinese gander can't fly. He runs around and flaps his arms, but doesn't get up in the air. he wanders around, but really never more than about 100yards from his goose-house.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I'll pass the info along to my friend (if he ever gets over here to pick the geese up

)

Right now they are in the large chicken run with the dellie/brahma flock. The only problem the geese and chickens had was when the Dellie roo tried to eat out of the geese food dish - the gander pulled his tail

shoulda seen him jump and squawk - but he got the message. Otherwise, the geese seem to ignore the chickens.

I guess if my friend can't get here til next week, it'll be no biggie. I was afraid they'd (chickens and geese) have problems and fight.
Other than making a big mess with the water, there's no problem. Thankfully it's outside in a run with a sand floor - saves some of the water mess, anyway.

eta - the gander looks like a spotted embden - he's very big and fat. The goose is more delicate looking, smaller and is getting the bump on her face (just slightly) she is also spotted. They are pretty geese. Their colors are white with buff and brown patches.

meri