The African and Chinese goose thread!!

[Starfire669]

It's a little drizzly here today, but temps are in high 60s low 70s right now, I'm expecting mid 70s this afternoon. Can I take my 6 week old gozzies out for grazing? They didn't get to yesterday cause it was colder, and I fed them spinach and parsley to make up for it. since I obviously don't know for sure what is save in my garden I'd much rather them graze on grass, but don't want them getting chilled either. The drizzle is very light, more like mist in the air than anything.

 

[Iain Utah]

They should be fine to be outside at that age in those conditions. Mine are outside all day long by that age and 24/7 if with their parents.

 

[Starfire669]

Thanks Utah! You, Brazil, and 8 have helped consistently since I joined BYC, I am very grateful. I don't want to keep making mistakes with the care of my goslings. I'm probably going to end up being an over protective mother hen now, lol. My gozzies make my family and I sooooo very happy.

 

[RURU]

Thanks Utah! You, Brazil, and 8 have helped consistently since I joined BYC, I am very grateful. I don't want to keep making mistakes with the care of my goslings. I'm probably going to end up being an over protective mother hen now, lol. My gozzies make my family and I sooooo very happy.

Do NOT feed too much spinach to the geese or goslings too much iron in it...

 

[Iain Utah]

You may want to read Dave Holderread's Book of Geese.

 

[Starfire669]

[COLOR=0000FF]Do NOT feed too much spinach to the geese or goslings too much iron in it...[/COLOR]

Thanks RURU!

You may want to read Dave Holderread's Book of Geese.

I will look for the book and order it!

 

[Starfire669]

Here are my babies today.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I left the 2 new goslings to settle and warm over night, they stayed with the chicks after all because they don't want anything to do with each other! Each was in the middle of a ball of chicks when I went to move them. It was so cute i didnt have the heart to separate them from their new friends.

When I went to let the older goslings out the babies heard them and got excited so I brought them out to meet the older gang. 2 of the big boys attacked the babies! Thank goodness I was holding the little ones, the bigger goslings got my fingers instead except for 1 who bit the bill of a baby. The baby is ok, I grabbed the attacking goslings bill and opened it without pulling to avoid injuring the either gosling. I then checked the baby to make sure she was not injured, she is fine but scared now when she heards the older goslings calling.

Will my big guys always be this aggressive to the new babies or will they accept them at some point? How can I help the big goslings accept the new babies?

You may have to separate them. Ganders are pretty mean at times! This is breeding season and they know the hen will mate if there is no babies. May be the issue with them. I have seen this in my white Chinese. Its usually the ganders, and some were even aggressive to me. Day old goslings attacking your hands! Grumpy was a real stinker, I would grab him up and hold him the second he would bite. He grew out of it, but now that he is almost grown he is at it again! I bump the chest, firm but not to harm them. If a gander goes to attack mode flogging with their wings, I embarrass them! I will pin the bird upside down and not let them up till they stop struggling.

Quote: Good post!

 

[livininbrazil]

Here are my babies today.

They look lovely, and they´ll be fine outside now, whatever the weather (within reason!) as they´re preening themselves, using their oil gland...(tiny goslings need the oil that they get from their mums´bodies for protection, so when you´re raising them without mum you have to be very careful as they can easily get chilled, but at this age they´re fine.)
As for feeding, there are a few things to avoid, but you know, generally they know what to avoid...they´ll tend to leave it. In our chácara there are avocado trees, and the fruits fall and the geese totally ignore them. the dogs, on the other hand, can´t get enough of it! But the geese eat the grass like crazy, it´s their natural diet, their main staple, and lettuce (romaine is good because it has a good amount of vitB3 which geese do need, as you know), corn, and other fruits go down like treats! That´s how I move mine around...just wave a bit of something and they come running to wherever I want them! Mine also like white cabbage.
somewhere on here someone put that you have to be careful of certain lawn grasses, especially one beginning with "k".

 

[livininbrazil]

You may want to read Dave Holderread's Book of Geese.

That´s one I want to get, and I also have Chris Ashton´s book, very informative and interesting, and has lot of info on incubation too.