Raising Geese 101

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks! Just finished my first goose egg omlet and it was great!

They sure are yummy, to me like gigantic chicken egg.

 

[lovinchickypoos]

They are the consistency of duck eggs and the flavor is just slightly different than chicken eggs, to me anyway. I would guess they could be rubbery if overcooked. Supposedly, I have allergies to chicken and duck eggs (according to a blood test), although Iseem to have no problem with my own bird eggs. Maybe these will be tolerated better. Too bad they don't lay like ducks or chickens!

 

[lovinchickypoos]

So I have a 3-sided shelter with a roof and my waterfowl still lay in the open in the pen. It is dropping into the teens all of a sudden. I think I'm going to start herding them into the shelter and blocking them in so at least I'LL feel better!

 

[Alaskan Dragonfly]

So I have a 3-sided shelter with a roof and my waterfowl still lay in the open in the pen. It is dropping into the teens all of a sudden. I think I'm going to start herding them into the shelter and blocking them in so at least I'LL feel better!

My geese have a perfectly good goose coop with an arctic entryway and a TON of warm straw inside. It has been -15F here for a week, and they sleep outside every night, their choice, and they are perfectly happy!

 

[lovinchickypoos]

That makes me feel better, thank you!!!

 

[Alaskan Dragonfly]

That makes me feel better, thank you!!!

No problem! I worry too so I just have to keep reminding myself of all the birds that thrive here in the winter, even at 40 below!

 

[lovinchickypoos]

It wouldn't have bothered me so much if it was a gradual dive but it went from lows in the 40s and 30s to 15 in one day. Weird temperate desert weather doesn't give much time to acclimate to our extremes!

 

[marquisella]

Will geese eat alfalfa hay in the winter? I'm in the North East, we already have snow on the ground so they can't eat vegetation. I wondered if I bought good quality soft 2nd cutting alfalfa have, would they actually eat it?

 

[Iain Utah]

Geese prefer grass hay or 'grain' hay over alfalfa. My geese like to eat (and lay on) hay when there is snow on the ground.

 

[cwalden]

So you don't put yours up every night? Look your temp is way too cold for me but we have just had a freeze temp. I put her up each night in her lil house. She hates it and cries too. Sounds sad but I was sure that she would be warmer AND nothing would eat her. Is it ok to leave her out like that? Well it seems like it reading from what you wrote. 40 below ! OMG ! Life below Zero TV show is as close as I'll ever get to that.