Questions - New to geese - and here's Charlie!

[amsunshine]

Hi everyone, I seem to have caught the goose bug and so I bought a goose yesterday. I wanted 2-3 geese to help keep weeds down, keep our chickens protected, and hopefully not be seen by our 2 puppies as something to eat.

This is Charlie! The man said he was a brown Chinese, but someone told me he's an African. What do you think? (by the way, that's my Facebook farm page name in the photo).

He was so quiet and well-behaved at the auction, but now that I've gotten him home, he's a hissing maniac! I'm kind of scared of him now! How do I prevent from getting bitten and attacked?

I'm supposed to take delivery next week of 2 Toulouse adult geese from a neighbor of ours...since I am still scared of Charlie and being that he's a lot smaller than the Toulouse, should I just let myself get accustomed to Charlie and his ways before I venture into bigger geese? I'd keep the Toulouse penned separately from Charlie until they had some time to see each other and get used to each other.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

 

[Duckopolis]

That is an African! It probably needs a friend. This is why it is hissing at you. Putting it in with the other geese should be fine if you watch them and make sure that they do not fight. If they fight, put their pens next to each other until they get to know each other. Then put them in the same pen again.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi everyone, I seem to have caught the goose bug and so I bought a goose yesterday. I wanted 2-3 geese to help keep weeds down, keep our chickens protected, and hopefully not be seen by our 2 puppies as something to eat.

This is Charlie! The man said he was a brown Chinese, but someone told me he's an African. What do you think? (by the way, that's my Facebook farm page name in the photo).

He was so quiet and well-behaved at the auction, but now that I've gotten him home, he's a hissing maniac! I'm kind of scared of him now! How do I prevent from getting bitten and attacked?

I'm supposed to take delivery next week of 2 Toulouse adult geese from a neighbor of ours...since I am still scared of Charlie and being that he's a lot smaller than the Toulouse, should I just let myself get accustomed to Charlie and his ways before I venture into bigger geese? I'd keep the Toulouse penned separately from Charlie until they had some time to see each other and get used to each other.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

What a pretty goose, He is scared and that's their way of expressing it, give Charlie time and lots of greens to go with his feed he'll warm up to you soon, but what ever you do don't act afraid in front of him, try to imagine how terrified you would be if your plucked from your home taken to an auction where lots of noise and people you'd be scared too, now he has to get use to a new place and he has no friends yet. Give him time he'll come around. and when you bring home the Toulouse I'd keep them separate by fencing for a few days just to make sure the twosome don't pick on Charlie since he will be the new comer in their family. Let us know how it all goes, and don't forget to give Charlie grit along with his greens and feed.

 

[servpolice]

Thats a chinese not african! And yea chinese can be aggerssive but you gotta stand your ground against that skinny thing!

 

[amsunshine]

Thanks everyone - really appreciate all the good information. I have one more question - how long should I keep him penned up, to teach him where home is (similar to what we've done with newly bought chickens)? At this point he's still by himself - haven't made a decision on getting other geese yet but it'll be only 2-4 more geese).

 

[The goose girl]

Thanks everyone - really appreciate all the good information. I have one more question - how long should I keep him penned up, to teach him where home is (similar to what we've done with newly bought chickens)? At this point he's still by himself - haven't made a decision on getting other geese yet but it'll be only 2-4 more geese).

You should definitely get him at least one companion. Geese don't thrive on their own. This may sound a bit hypocritical coming from someone who only has one goose. But my goose is imprinted on humans and she's is never alone; there's always one of us with her.

The geese I've had have only taken a couple of days to get used to their new homes. But if they're lonely, they'll go searching for company. I almost lost two 1-month old goslings due to that - I had no idea that they'd already accepted us humans as caretakers, and when we briefly went inside, they took off in the direction they'd last seen us and just kept walking until luckily they hit a fence, four neighbors away.

BTW, geese are very vocal and talk to each other throughout the day. Until you get Charlie a companion, talk to him incessantly when you're around him. He probably already recognizes your voice, and your talking will help reassure him that things are ok.

 

[livininbrazil]

Thats a chinese not african! And yea chinese can be aggerssive but you gotta stand your ground against that skinny thing!

You have such a way with words, serv.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks everyone - really appreciate all the good information. I have one more question - how long should I keep him penned up, to teach him where home is (similar to what we've done with newly bought chickens)? At this point he's still by himself - haven't made a decision on getting other geese yet but it'll be only 2-4 more geese).

Like the goose girl said he may go looking for his buds if he had some at previous home so keeping him in a fenced enclousure for a week or more would be best for his safety, and he does needs some friends.

 

[servpolice]

  You have such a way with words, serv. 

hahahaha yep thats me haha

 

[livininbrazil]

hahahaha yep thats me haha