The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

I guess one question would be... could a goose be happy in a flock setting with chickens or would it be pining away for another goose?

 

[Mojo12]

OK, guys, I have no idea how this thread came up for me, other than I posted something one night about how my ancestors (who I knew before they were ancestors) kept their animals. Chickens were not pets then, they were food and providers. They had a huge shed to roost and lay in with a big open doorway and acres and acres to forage in. Nobody ever gave them a second thought unless a hawk flew through or there was an "egg-suck" dog around (which was then run off). I think the only time they were actually "fed" was when grandchildren or other kids were around to shell corn for them. They ate what they found. They hatched their own eggs. How much more "ORGANIC" can you get than that? The eggs were good, the fried chicken was great.
While my family eats a lot of wild game and we grow the majority or our own veggies, I haven't gotten to the stage of eating my chickens yet. My grandchildren have claimed and named them.....LOL I'm not ruling out ever eating them, but....OK, I've named a couple of them myself and I can't imagine frying up Aretha or Keith Ennis or Funky. (OK, so Funky is getting closer to the frying pan daily)....
But you guys seem to be very close to one another, and again, I'm not sure how you came up for me....I don't have a lot of time to read and be involved and so......I'll just say: chickens are cool, but in the end, they are either food or providers of food, and while they are quite entertaining, they are not worth the effort and expense of shipping in organic foods and freaking out about what they eat. They are CHICKENS, and chickens eat ANYTHING IN FRONT OF THEM, including styrafoam peanuts, mice, and anything else that looks interesting. They are CHICKENS, and chickens will pluck and peck their best friends to death. I mean really? If you want to be totally organic, then you need to let your food go where it goes, eat what it eats, and go from there.

 

[Turkeytruff]

While Mr. Salatin's solution might work for him I would (as a goose owner) question it as a solution to the small flock owner. First, make sure you get a goose and not a gander. Second make sure you get one of the more docile and calm breeds. Even then your goose is going to be lonely for geese companionship their entire lives. Geese are unique in that they bond with other geese so tightly as to form a family relationship. Goose and Gander mate for life and even with no male around two geese will bond in a relationship like old maid sisters. These relationships can not be formed with other breeds of birds.

I second jtn42248. Geese need to be in a pair; I have 2. They are very much bonded to each other; even when they forage at opposite ends of the field. One will honk to the other, and check out that they are alright. And I know that they have kept the numerous eagles and hawks here from taking out our chickens. (That and we have 3 large turkey toms that strut around) I have watched as the eagle slows down over our field, takes a look, gets honked & gobbled at, and keeps on going.
Our tenant has just lost 2 ducks in the last 2 weeks from a huge bald eagle that comes around every morning between 9:30 and 10 AM. She has no large animals around her flock.

 

[farmerfogg]

Beautiful shed! I love how you divided it up.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

A question for folks with A GOOSE:


In the most recent Acres Magazine, there is an article with Joel Salatin asking him to update what he's learned since updating the Pastured Poultry Profits book. I was pretty excited to read what I'm quoting here regarding guard animals for chickens. Wondering what y'all think who have had geese.

Now remember. He says 1 GOOSE per flock of chickens. Not several geese. Here's the quote...please comment:

I would definitely consider getting 1 goose if this were true.

We had geese + chickens... they where great guard animals, and because mom & dad knew teens try to sneak out windows to go to the parties guess where the animal run was, the kids where never successful (ma wah ha ha... old age and cunning beats youth)... we kept a pair of pilgrims. We never lost a bird to aerial predators, but we still had problems with coons, so the dogs had to be out at night to stop that.

 

[vpatt]

I would like to learn more about keeping either a pair of geese or turkeys with my chickens. I am guessing a pair might be better than a single in spite of what Joel said. Do they eat the same feed.....do they free range well ( I think yes for turkeys). Would they stay close by or tend to wander and lead the chicks astray? Do they get along well with chickens? Would a male turkey or goose have issues with a rooster and where do they sleep. Lol....I can probably think of more questions. Oh do the geese need a pond?

 

[COChix]

I would like to learn more about keeping either a pair of geese or turkeys with my chickens. I am guessing a pair might be better than a single in spite of what Joel said. Do they eat the same feed.....do they free range well ( I think yes for turkeys). Would they stay close by or tend to wander and lead the chicks astray? Do they get along well with chickens? Would a male turkey or goose have issues with a rooster and where do they sleep. Lol....I can probably think of more questions. Oh do the geese need a pond?

Turkeys can be out with the chickens during free range time,I know this from a couple of farmer friends. One has a flock of about 40 chickens and 10 turkeys. He stated the turkeys are a great flock protector and a big deterrent for Hawks. I saw them all and they all are out completely inter mixed, the turkeys sound the alarm for predators.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:

I would like to learn more about keeping either a pair of geese or turkeys with my chickens. I am guessing a pair might be better than a single in spite of what Joel said. Do they eat the same feed.....do they free range well ( I think yes for turkeys). Would they stay close by or tend to wander and lead the chicks astray? Do they get along well with chickens? Would a male turkey or goose have issues with a rooster and where do they sleep. Lol....I can probably think of more questions. Oh do the geese need a pond?

I don't have geese but I do know that they are vegetarian while CHICKENS NEED ANIMAL PROTEIN. So I'd have to feed them a little differently since I have fish meal in my main feed and I give them additional animal protein sources. But I don't think that would be a big deal.

So...I'd like to know the answers to your questions too...FOR GEESE (not turkeys). I'd probably just get a pair of females so..
-Would the roosters get along with them okay?
-And, yes... where do they sleep? Do they sleep on roost or on floor? Could they share the same housing?
-What would be a good breed?

 

[Lacy Blues]

That statement about having no proof that they would drive off bears but they "have reason to believe that they do" is way beyond what a reasonable person would assume... unless they live in the city and think that a bear is pink, comes stuffed, and will rest docilely on your kids bed!!!!

 

[jtn42248]

Be cautious about thinking that geese will attack and/or drive of a flying predator. My geese are probably the best alarm system you can get. But, they would not protect my other birds from a flying predator attack. I would know the hawk/eagle/buzzard is around because of the way my geese honk in alarm and the way they eye the sky. But if that predator were to attack my chickens or ducks they would not protect them. My gander would position himself between the attacker and his females and probably end up dead. There deterant nature is in their size. Most flying predators look down, see a large bird that they can not grasp and fly away with (be it goose or turkey) and then go on to easier pickings.