Adding Geese to flock

[fauna]

I'm thinking of raising some geese this year to process. Looking for input of type and time to grow(pastured) to process. Are they like ducks and have pin feather windows?
Thank you.

 

[Isadora]

Yes, they have pin feather windows like ducks do. I double checked Metzer's website and they said people typically do the processing at week 9, 15, or 20 to avoid them.
I let my goose grow out to 20 weeks and then butchered her.

 

[gatrapper]

We raised embden's last year. They will great and we will be getting more. Only fed them starter for maybe 2-3 weeks (however long it took them to finish one bag). They went out to pasture and took care of themselves. Easiest and cheapest birds I have ever raised!

Taste great too. We have been throwing the thighs and legs in the slow cooker and making BBQ sandwiches out of them. It's fantastic!

 

[fauna]

We raised embden's last year. They will great and we will be getting more. Only fed them starter for maybe 2-3 weeks (however long it took them to finish one bag). They went out to pasture and took care of themselves. Easiest and cheapest birds I have ever raised!

Taste great too. We have been throwing the thighs and legs in the slow cooker and making BBQ sandwiches out of them. It's fantastic!

Thank you! How old were they when you processed? We have a friend who has some 50-70 adults around his pond. I think the catch is getting either the eggs or the goslings. I'm thinking night would be the best time. I'm not sure if I get a pair that she would go broody after the move.

 

[gatrapper]

We weren't in a rush, so I waited until cooler weather to process. I got the goslings in April and started butchering a few in December. Could have done it earlier, but wasn't in a rush since they weren't costing me any money.