Keeping geese with chickens

[Nija Chick]

I got 5 geese as babies, and one of my broody chicken hens raised them from day old. So mine grew up in the field and chicken house they are in now, and they sleep in the chicken house with 20 chickens, on the floor. Sometimes they bully the smaller hens, but if they do, my big BCM roo, puts them in their place.

But the one time I tried to integrate a new hen into that established flock, the geese immediately killed the new hen. Even though they knew her from seeing her across the single fence separating the two flocks. So you can raise them together as long as they are not the ultimate boss, Heihei my BCM is , and as long as there are no "Intruders" of new birds. If you do, make sure you integrate the new bird(s) sloooooowly.

I got the geese to protect the chickens from predators, but they are a hassle dealing with their territoriality.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My geese ducks and chickens all free range together on little over half acre fenced. But the geese have their own house. No way the geese can sleep in with the other birds. Usually all my gander has to do is lower his head at a chicken or duck and that lets them know they are close enough. They have never injured one of my other birds other than my Muscovy drake and my gander fighting then they have to be separated.

 

[CJreef]

I have a 7 month old African Geese. I raised her in a spare bedroom from a one day old gosling. When she was a couple months old I put her in a playpen which I would keep outside the coop when the weather was good then I would put the playpen in the chicken coop for the night. The coop is about 20 by 10 and I have 3 full grown hens and 3 roosters as well as 6 young hens I raised from day one in the same room as "Annie" the goose but in separate enclosures. After a while I freed Annie and she never caused a problem with the chickens or the pair of ducks who visit the coop to snitch a little chicken feed every now and then. I think she thinks she's a chicken.
I had gotten her as a goose guard dog after our dog had to go to the Rainbow Bridge. We're in our 80s and did not feel up to getting another large dog. Annie has a wonderful disposition but the visitors and delivery people don't know that and she scares the devil out of them

 

[Miss Lydia]

Annie is beautiful.

 

[CJreef]

Thank you. I wholeheartedly agree but there might be just a little prejudice here.

I just posted in another thread. I am concerned that Annie may be deaf. She does not respond when I call her name which she should know by now. Have you ever heard of a deaf goose?

 

[Nija Chick]

So I'm of the mind that Annie is the only goose in with the chickens, so that works. I think I may be having issues because I have 5 together with the chicken flock, so they think they are their own flock. I built then their own shed, mostly to keep their food dry because they don't use it for anything other than the kitchen lol, they sleep outside now, keeping the chicken barn MUCH cleaner lol, wow geese POOP A LOT.
I have 5 new teenager pullets that need to go in with the flock now, and I'm afraid that the geese will kill them like they did the first one. I think I'll move the geese out into a separate field until the new chickens get settled then maybe bring the geese back in. If anyone is in Wa. state and wants a few beautiful Chinese geese, let me know lol. I don't want to re-home them, but open to it. Maybe it's because they are in a flock, perhaps if I just had two geese per field, they would be less bullyish. ?

 

[Lori-in-Californa]

After some research I have come to the conclusion to NOT get geese instead maybe ducks or more chickens.

My ducks and chickens co-exist in my backyard easily. They have seperate coops at night, and free range during the day. Ducks are a bit dominant when I hand feed mealworms, or if they think there might be something cool in a food saucer, but I can wave away the ducks to allow the chickens a share of the treat.

 

[JanR1]

True that. For now I guess I'll just enjoy my neighbours geese from a distance it's funny to watch them terrorise everybody passing from the street but nobody complains about them since authorities won't do anything anyway.

We have 17 chickens and 3 geese and there are no problems at all. I think it may be because the gander was raised in a mixed environment. Chickens, Guineas, ducks and geese. The female geese follow his lead and give no problems. The only time there is an issue is when the chickens try to eat their food. He won't do anything until I say "Tell them that's your food and to go away." Then he lower his head and makes them leave. They aren't afraid and will come back so by that time I'm ready to distract them. When we first brought him home, he had a different mate then, he was put in the chicken pen until we could get something ready for them. He was reluctant to leave the chicken pen and kept wanting to go back. The couple that we got them from tried not to bond with them and it has been difficult trying to work out a relationship but we're finally getting there after nearly a year. He lost his first mate to a varmint but I think it worked in our favor. He was so lost and called out a lot and followed me around when I was outside. I told my husband we had to do something. Fortunately we found someone that had not sold all their female and we bought two. He was so happy! I think he thought one of them was the one that was lost. We are making more progress at being friends, he will touch me but doesn't really want me to touch him. That's okay I can wait. I wish I had known about geese a long time ago, I love them!

 

[JeanLynott]

We have 3 American Buff geese and 15 chickens. They co-exist pretty well but the chickens know to steer clear of the geese. If the chickens get too close, they may get nipped. I've never seen any feathers pulled out, though.

 

[debbiejac2003]

We have 3 American Buff geese and 15 chickens. They co-exist pretty well but the chickens know to steer clear of the geese. If the chickens get too close, they may get nipped. I've never seen any feathers pulled out, though.

Do they sleep together in the same coop? My gander just barely fits through the door, the female is fine. The geese and 5 chickens were born and raised together since day 1. there is a separate place the geese can go at night, but they insist on going in the chicken coop at night. How do I separate them?