A Beginner's Guide to Raising Geese and Are They Right For You

Are you thinking about adding geese to your backyard flock or homestead? Did you fall in love with some goslings at the feed store and bring them home before doing your research? Have you always been afraid of them because you got chased as a kid? Don’t worry; you’re not the only one with questions. Let’s explore the world of geese together.

Why would you want to raise geese?

Geese can be an outstanding addition to any backyard flock or homestead if you’re prepared to care for them. Most geese are very personable and can become “pets” because they bond strongly with “their humans.” Many geese are considered dual-purpose and can be raised for their meat and eggs, which are large and can be used in cooking or various crafts. Geese can be used as an effective means to keep lawns clipped short from their grazing. In mature orchards, they can also weed around the trees and pick at windfallen fruit on the ground. Care should be taken when using them in gardens as they may develop a taste for a desired plant alongside the weeds and grass. Geese can also be shown, and due to their intelligence and demeanor when handled regularly, many people find it very rewarding. Geese can easily live for 15-20 years when well-cared for, bringing enjoyment to their owners for a long time.

Goose eggs are different than chicken eggs when it comes to cooking. The yolks are larger and richer, while the whites are thinner or runnier. Goose eggs are excellent in custard, baked goods, a waffle or pancake. Don’t try to make a meringue with the whites from a goose egg. Due to the thinness of the whites, they will not whip up and stiffen into stiff peaks like a chicken egg would.

Geese can, of course, be raised for meat. You may be surprised to find that goose meat tastes more like beef than poultry. For a small-scale homesteader, goose meat is a great alternative to raising your own beef to slaughter due to the affordability of raising geese.

There is a common idea that geese are “guard dogs” or can be used to defend or protect smaller birds in backyard flocks. While it is true that geese may vocalize when they are upset or there is an intruder or something that doesn’t belong, geese, despite their size, are at risk of predation from the same animals that threaten your other fowl. They are ineffective in repelling rodents, opossums, raccoons, snakes, foxes, coyotes, domestic dogs, bobcats, or birds of prey.

*Author’s note: I have personally had geese killed by bobcats and have had hawks attempt to take chickens free-ranging in the afternoon alongside the geese. Broody females were unable to repel snakes from their nests. Other common North American predators have also been seen in and around their pens.
You’ll be pleased to hear that geese are remarkably easy to care for and, in many ways, are easier than most commonly kept poultry, like chickens, ducks, or turkeys. Geese are self-sufficient, easy to feed, and usually excellent parents.

While geese may be easy to keep, they are very different than caring for a chicken. Excellent resources are available for a more in-depth guide to raising geese for detailed husbandry requirements. The Modern Homesteader’s Guide to Keeping Geese is a great comprehensive beginners’ guide, and Keeping Geese: Breeds and Management is another excellent guide, specifically on raising geese. For a more general guide to poultry, there’s no better book than the Storey Guide to Raising Poultry which covers just about every type of backyard poultry, including geese.

What do geese eat?

Geese, unlike chickens, are predominately grazers. While chickens, ducks, and turkeys prefer more protein-rich food sources, geese have a digestive system specially adapted for digesting grass, their primary food source. Your geese will do best grazing on a pasture where the grass is about three inches tall. The taller the grass gets, the less effectively geese can graze. Geese must have access to greens in addition to standard non-medicated poultry feed. Medicated feed is specifically dosed for chickens and can be toxic to other species. Many prepared diets are available, and range from high-end Mazuri products formulated specifically for geese to more common feeds like All-Flock or All-Stock feeds at local feed stores.

An acre of grass will usually support 20-40 geese, depending on the breed of goose and the condition of the pasture. During winter, grass can be supplemented with soaked alfalfa, vegetable greens, or good-quality hay in addition to their pelleted diet.

Do I have to have a pond for geese?

While geese have webbed feet for swimming, they do not spend as much time in the water as swans or ducks. So no, you do not need a pond. Geese appreciate the opportunity to bathe in clean water and readily use a plastic kiddie pool. You can offer more elaborate ways of bathing, but remember geese, like other waterfowl, will defecate and put substrate in the pool through a dabbling-like behavior. The simple setups may be the easiest to clean. In cold climates where the water is in danger of freezing, it is best to offer small water sources in the winter to prevent spillage and the birds bathing and then standing in snow or ice.

If your intent is to breed your geese, they have an easier time mating in water.

Are geese hardy?

Geese are a healthy lot. Even in very cold climates, they often prefer to remain outdoors and shun any shelter you give them, and you may find them lying out in the snow, contentedly preening themselves. Geese can get sick, and it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with their normal behavior, so you can more easily tell when something is wrong. For a list of common health problems and how to prevent, recognize, and treat your goose, please visit The Open Sanctuary Project’s page on potential goose health challenges.

For more information on angel wing and how to prevent and correct it, visit the forum page here.

What sort of housing do my geese need?

Geese do pretty well when free-ranging and appropriately protected from predators. However, they must still be provided a shelter to hold them at night securely. The shelter has the added benefit of preventing their dry feed from getting wet in inclement weather. It will also double as a secure place a female can go broody and prevent her nest and goslings from being out in the elements. Geese do not roost, so an open concept works well, like a loafing shed.

Something like the shelter seen on Martha Stewart’s Blog would do nicely.

Her geese are in a secure pasture, but I would advise adding a mesh front to ensure predators cannot get at the geese while sleeping. Wire on the front also allows the shelter adequate ventilation to keep things dry. Remember, when locking your geese up for the night, they will need fresh, clean water deep enough to clear their nares (nostrils). If they have access to their feed overnight, it is doubly imperative that they have water available. Due to a goose’s poor night vision, you may install a dim night light, perhaps blue rope lights, to provide a small amount of light and to prevent night frights or them startling awake and sounding off.


For steps to create a similar shelter for your geese, please visit Martha Stewart’s Blog here.

Line the shelter floor with dry straw. If drainage from water is an issue, you may put down a bed of pea gravel first with hay over the top. Each goose needs approximately three square feet of space in their night shelter.

Supervising your geese when they are free-ranging is advised, as they can wander far in search of suitable grass. Fencing in a large area for a pasture may be your best bet for being confident they are safe and have plenty of greens to forage.

When it is time for your female geese to lay, they prefer a secure, quiet corner. Females will share nests, which can cause complications when brooding the eggs and goslings. A jumbo cat litter pan is one of the best nesting sites to offer in their shelter. Place some pine shavings on the bottom and some hay on top. She will build her nest when laying her eggs if provided with additional hay. Geese usually lay every other day and cover the nest to hide the eggs when they are not on it. The female will not begin sitting in earnest until she has laid the entire clutch of eggs, which may number between 7-12 eggs.

Can I keep my geese with other poultry?

All geese are individuals, and no two setups are the same. While some geese may mix well with chickens or other waterfowl like ducks, it is always best to have a backup plan if they do not work out in the same area. The biggest key to success is ensuring the birds have enough space. You may find your geese bully other birds when housed in tight quarters. Some species and breeds of poultry may do better with your geese than others. Flightier birds such as Leghorns or Sicilian Buttercups may be able to out-maneuver the geese and stay out of reach when tempers are running high. At the same time, other more sedate breeds like Cochins or Orpingtons may find themselves at a disadvantage. Geese can easily kill other birds if the mood suits them. I never advise mixing species during the breeding season when geese are especially hormonal and are attempting to protect their mate and nest from interlopers.

*Author’s note: I have personally kept geese with ducks, chickens, guineas, and turkeys with varied results. Some breeds of chicken do quite well with the geese, while others do not. Ducks are also hit-and-miss. Muscovy drakes and ganders (male geese) tend not to get along. The geese usually bully other domestic ducks derived from Mallards. Drakes may also attempt to harass nesting hens and goslings, leading to stress, injury, and in some cases, death. I have never successfully kept geese with turkeys of any variety. Toms and turkey hens will fight with the ganders. Crested Guineafowl and geese are probably the best combinations I’ve tried. Both species completely ignored one another.
Aren’t geese mean, though?

Geese have a bad reputation for being aggressive. Like the myth of them being good guard animals to protect your backyard flock, if you spend some time with geese, you’ll see that simply isn’t true. Hand-reared geese are often devoted to their “human flock.” Properly socialized geese are not generally aggressive to regular household members who care for and spend time with them. Visitors may be met with some territorial bluffing that can escalate to aggression. It is advised to pen your geese to be safe if you have visitors in the space they usually occupy. If your geese encounter someone new, the individual must stand their ground. Running or behaving as if the goose has frightened them will only heighten the aggressive response.

During the breeding season, ganders, in particular, can be very aggressive towards intruders in their territory, even if that intruder is you. They may have various things that upset them. A bucket of feed, for instance. Only you can learn what your geese find acceptable and not during the breeding season.

Aren't geese loud?

Geese are louder than most commonly kept backyard poultry, but the noise is not constant. Geese can be loud during breeding season while mating and if something "exciting" is happening. Mostly, in between bouts of yelling or screaming, they are quiet.

So what if I want my geese to breed?

Geese are usually competent parents when left up to their own devices. Females easily go broody, and both parents are devoted to caring for their offspring. All geese lay seasonally. Depending on what breed of goose you have, they may lay once a year or twice. Chinese and African geese (derived from Swan Geese) usually lay in the fall and the spring. Other domestic species developed from the wild Greylag goose generally only lay in the spring. Depending on your location, you may notice some variability when they begin to breed and lay eggs.

Artificially incubating goose eggs can be tricky. For details on how best to achieve success, check out the Goose Incubation & Hatching Guide in the Geese section of the forum. Incubation times can vary between the different breeds of geese, but generally, an average incubation time is thirty-five days. The female must be allowed to bathe during the incubation period to keep the eggs at the proper humidity.

When the goslings hatch, be sure they can reach water and feed. They will spend a lot of time grazing with their parents when it is warm enough to venture out of the nest. Be sure to keep them from getting wet or chilled. Also, be sure they cannot get into the deeper water source the adults use. Goslings can get in but do not always get out. They will chill and drown if you don’t catch them in time.

So what kind of goose should I get?

Only you can decide what breed or breeds of geese best suit your needs. Below you will find a brief description of the various commonly kept breeds of geese.

Light Breeds –

Chinese (Brown and White)

Chinese geese are descended from the wild Swan Goose. This breed is smaller and more delicately built than most other breeds of domestic geese. Both sexes have a pronounced head knob, with the gander’s being the largest. Chinese geese are vocal and are often used for their “alarm-like” calls to alert their owners of something amiss. Chinese geese often lay twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. For more information on this breed of goose, check out The American Livestock Conservancy webpage.

Roman and Roman Tufted

Easily recognized by the tuft on its head, the Roman Tufted goose certainly stands out, while Roman geese lack this distinctive tuft. For more information on this interesting and critically endangered breed of goose, check out The American Livestock Conservancy webpage.

Cotton Patch

Cotton Patch geese are sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females can be visually sexed depending on what color they are. For more information on this beautiful and threatened breed of goose, check out The American Livestock Conservancy webpage.

Shetland

Another small sex-linked goose, the Shetland, is a popular goose amongst the breeders working with it. For more information on this critically endangered breed of goose, check out The American Livestock Conservancy webpage.

Medium Breeds –

Pilgrim

Pilgrim Geese are a docile breed also known for being sex-linked. For more information on this breed of goose, check out The American Livestock Conservancy webpage.

American (Buff, Blue, and Lavender)

American geese are calm and relatively docile. Buff is the more common color. Dave Holderread developed the Blue and Lavender Ice varieties and they are much less common.

For more information on this breed of goose, check out The American Livestock Conservancy webpage.

Sebastopol

Sebastopol geese are easily recognized by their curly feathers. White is the most common variety, but there are buff, grey, and blue varieties, with more being developed. One of the more costly geese, it is important to research the breeder and their flock before purchasing as many low-quality Sebastopol are produced each year and priced much higher than they should be.

For more information on this breed of goose, check out The American Livestock Conservancy webpage.

Pomeranian

The Pomeranian goose has distinctive plumage in the saddleback variety. They can be found in grey and buff in the US. European breeders of this goose may also find them in white and grey (solid).

For more information on this critically endangered breed of goose, check out The American Livestock Conservancy webpage.

Heavy Breeds –

African

African Geese are one of the largest goose breeds kept in the US. For more information on this breed of goose, check out The American Livestock Conservancy webpage.

Embden

Embdens are a large breed of goose, commonly bred for the table for their meat and their eggs. For more information on this breed of goose, visit their Wikipedia page.

Toulouse

This large goose is available in a production strain where the dewlap is absent, and the dewlap Toulouse can weigh over 25+ pounds. A placid breed; visit The American Livestock Conservancy page for more information.

**A special thanks to @Isadora and other BYC members for supplying photos of their geese for this article.**