A few goose questions

[MochaDuck]

Hi everyone. I'm thinking about getting geese, but I have a few questions.
1. Can geese eat duck and chicken food?
2. Does it hurt to keep geese with ducks?
3. Can they live on the same property as chickens (in neighbouring runs)?
4. Compared to chickens and ducks, how easy are they to manage?
5. Do goose lay eggs like chickens and ducks (as in they can lay eggs "whenever they want", not having to mate like wild birds)?
6. Are geese aggressive?
and 7. Do they fly? How much/far?

Thanks all

Question 5 edited

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

1. most chicken feeds are safe for all birds, it should tell you on the bag or website
2.It doesn't sound like it is that big of a problem(From what iv'e heard
3. yes that is fine
4. couldn't tell you
5. all birds lay eggs
6. most geese are not aggressive, but it is just like roosters
7. same as ducks, domestic geese cannot fly because they are to heavy, they might flap an get a few feet of the ground, but that is it
hope this helps, I don't actually have geese, but I have been doing a little research for my neighbor.

 

[Better Than Rubies]

Hello! While I don't have any geese, here are my thoughts/opinions on your questions, from what I've researched...
1. I actually am not sure about that, but I know you can buy All Flock crumbles, made for all different ages and species (so geese and chickens could share it),
2. No...not at all! Why do you think it would 'hurt' them, out of curiosity? But anyways, we used to keep a duck and goose together, and I believe many people do it, as they and their needs and likes are probably so similar.
3. Yeah. Lots of people keep ducks and chickens in the same run, and while I'm not sure about with geese, I'm sure it'd be just fine.
4. Don't really know, but I wouldn't think they'd be too much different to manage than ducks.
5. Yes,the females do. Just not in such big quantities like chickens were bred to do yearly. The Chinese geese are a graceful and lighter breed of domestic goose, and are known for (apart from being really loud!) the best layers (perhaps laying anywhere between 35 to 100 eggs yearly).
6. They certainly can be, and males (or females currently broody/hatching eggs) might be during breeding season, but a hand raised one should be pretty chill and friendly, I would think.
7. Not really, at least I don't think they really can when mature adults, because they get too heavy (aka fat). Domestic ones probably don't have a desire to fly anyways.

 

[MochaDuck]

Why do you think it would 'hurt' them, out of curiosity?

I've read that you should not keeps ducks and chickens in the same pen (although mine are fine) so I didn't know if it hurt to have geese near by.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You def don’t want to pen ducks chickens and geese up together during Geese breeding season they get so ornery they could easily kill or injured another bird. My two geese are not very pleasant this time of year.

 

[MochaDuck]

You def don’t want to pen ducks chickens and geese up together during Geese breeding season they get so ornery they could easily kill or injured another bird. My two geese are not very pleasant this time of year.

Wow! I didn't even think of that. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Callender Girl]

Congrats on doing your research before you get geese. I saw goslings in a store on a Friday and had goslings in a brooder in my house on a Monday. Clearly, my research was pretty limited. But I have absolutely no regrets about my pair of American Buffs.

Mine free range during the day with runner ducks and various chickens, including a couple of Cochin Bantam hens, and everyone is fine together. Of course, just as chickens sometimes get "zoomies" and race across the yard for no apparent reason, the geese occasionally feel the need to herd the ducks somewhere for no apparent reason. It's not aggressive; they just walk up behind them and get the line of ducks moving.

Sometimes, if they really want to move others away from some treats, like a pan of cracked corn, they will flap their wings and make noise, but they can't really fly and they don't attack any of the other birds.

Now that Gussie has made her first nest, she and Golly are a bit more assertive in keeping everyone away from their shelter -- me included. But, normally, Gussie especially is kind of a cuddler. I hand raised them since they were less than a week old, and I've read that Buffs are generally a docile breed.

My geese having been eating all-flock food since they outgrew chick starter which I supplemented with powdered niacin and/or frozen peas.

Since they can't fly and are fairly large, they aren't really agile enough to be hard to herd back into their shelter at night. I can usually just walk behind them all the way to the pen and shelter. If they decide not to go in, I can just pick them up and deposit them in their house.

I would say they are pretty easy keepers and wonderful pets!