Flying

[rmonge00]

I am sure this is a dumb question, but none of these farm breeds of geese can fly, right? What height of fence do you need to keep them in? A few more questions: What sort of housing do they need? Can they share a coop with chickens? Thanks for the help - I have never raised geese and am thinking about giving it a try...

Ryan

ps What breeds do you guys recommend - mostly for meat, but wouldn't mind a few eggs...

 

[rmonge00]

anyone...

 

[Borncountry419]

The only domestic goose that can actually fly is the cotton patch goose. But they're extremely rare, so I doubt you'll end up with any. I've had a few china and roman geese that could fly, but they needed a tail wind and about a hundred feet of running before they could get airborn. A 3 foot fence would be just fine, anything shorter they might just climb over if they desire.

 

[Sore Thumb Suburbanite]

Most geese need to be pretty fit and have a ton of space to get lift-off...I've seen it at the park coming down a hill, a bunch of mixed graylagish geese...quite a sight.

Go for embden geese for meat...they dress out clean and are way to heavy to fly anywhere, the 3 foot fence rule is a good one, it works for my pilgrims. As for eggs, if you want a good production goose, the white chinese lay the best...but they are relatively small and very NOISY! Talouse are also a good dual purpose breed too.

 

[Gator113]

We have 3 Toulouse Geese and one Toulouse-Embden mix. The mix has flown once that I know of, and he was at about 8' for about a 15' distance. I think he was as surprised as I was. ;>) My fencing is mostly 3' tall and the geese have never challenged the fence... I like to think it's because they are happy and don't feel like they are in need of anything more than I already provide them.

I just ordered some additional breeds, but I think you will like the Toulouse. I've had my year old geese for a few months and they all eat out of my hand. When I sit and talk to them and my dog, they actually look like they are paying attention.... more than some folks do. ;>)

I'm a rookie, so take anything I say with a grain of salt.

Good luck.....

 

[Goosehaven]

All of my geese can fly low over the water if they get a running start and all take a notion to. I have one toulouse that can fly out of the 4 foot chain link fence anytime he pleases and often flies above the house when the canadians come and go and then circles back around to the house. He is the only one out of my bunch that has ever got out of the four foot fence but its intentional and he knows he can do it. When its really cold in the winter he doesn't even attempt to fly out of the fenced area but the first nice day and he's out every single morning. My other geese have flown over the 2 foot landscape fence a time or two but thats not designed to keep them in. We just put it around an area of our yard we don't want them in for the most part and except for a couple occasions they don't fly over that.