African Geese Questions

[vbrowne1]

Hi!! So, my chicken breeding has become sucessful. I am on my 5th hatch and we have hatched some cuties! Everyone on here was awesome at helping me learn new things and become a better chicken mommy. However, i need your help again.

We decided to add some geese to our zoo, esp after some wild mallards took residence in our pool (speeding up its conversion into a pond). We ended up with two african geese, and i am in love. They are about a week and a half, and we got them from one of the more reputable feed stores here in Arizona. I have done a TON of research on them, and they are quickly getting super attached to their mommy.

My 1st question is what do you guys think the sexes are? The yellow one is more vocal, more watchful, and nore stand off-ish. It has also gone from being the smaller of the two to the larger in the last week. The other is more laid back, cuddly, preens me (a lot), and seems a tad more friendly. Both are ridiculously cute. I read males are bigger, will have thicker necks, lighter beaks, and so on. We are hoping to have a male and a female, but either way they will be loved.

Second, ive gotten tons of information on food options, but what do you all recommend? We have little actual grass here, so i want to make sure all their needs are met. We plan on planting some grasses and stuff for them, but ik it wont be a large enough area to sustain them (and thats if i can keep it alive). Right now they have seed, cracked corn, a mash. Timothy hay, and alfalfa hay in their inside house. Outside they have the same plus access to some grasses (and they do eat it). I do know i can give them all sorts of fruits and veggis and greens, but at what age should i start giving them goodies?

Housing wise and yard wise they are set. Currently they are inside until they are bigger, at which point they have a fenced in yard with a "pond" as well as a secondary, enclosed and covered night time yard and house. They also have a kiddie pool, a sprinkler, and we are trying to get some grasses growing good. We do outside time 2-3 times a day and it includes some water time. They love it. I am curious as to any tips for training them to go to their small yard at night.

I just want to make sure i give them the best care possible, esp with geese being new to me, and i know you all are FULL of great information!!!! Plus, i am so in love, between the following me around with their little tiny wings in the air and being, quite possibly, two of the cutest things ive ever met, i want to spoil them!!

Thank you all for any information that can help me learn more and be the best goose mommy i can be!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are the cutest things!
First off Congrats on your 2 new babies. They are both Chinese One white one brown. True Africans will develop a dewlap under their chin when mature. No way of telling sex this early unless you vent sex and it's risky for injury if you don't know what your doing.
At their age I would not be offering them hay, their starter and some soft grasses is all they need, soft grass chopped at their age. Any other stuff can wait. They need all the nutrients from their starter. What feed are you using? Asking because chick feed doesn't have the niacin that Waterfowl babies need to have strong legs.
Also when offering anything other than their starter they will need chick grit it's their way of grinding up roughage in their crops if they don't have it they can develop serious digestions problems. Chick grit can be placed in a bowl close by their feed and they will use if as needed. Not on their feed.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/geese.31/

 

[vbrowne1]

They are the cutest things!
First off Congrats on your 2 new babies. They are both Chinese One white one brown. True Africans will develop a dewlap under their chin when mature. No way of telling sex this early unless you vent sex and it's risky for injury if you don't know what your doing.
At their age I would not be offering them hay, their starter and some soft grasses is all they need, soft grass chopped at their age. Any other stuff can wait. They need all the nutrients from their starter. What feed are you using? Asking because chick feed doesn't have the niacin that Waterfowl babies need to have strong legs.
Also when offering anything other than their starter they will need chick grit it's their way of grinding up roughage in their crops if they don't have it they can develop serious digestions problems. Chick grit can be placed in a bowl close by their feed and they will use if as needed. Not on their feed.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/geese.31/

I will check on the starter feed brand when i get home... It is the stuff recommended by both the feed place and by someone who was a goose breeder. They didnt have interest in the hay, so we just give them their feed and some grass, since they love the grass so much. They are the absolute best! Very funny little creatures! Ill look into some grit stuff for them

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are adorable. I live in the mountains of Western NC and have such rocky soil grass doesn't grow here very well. So I buy greens for my flock. Favorite of my Geese is romaine lettuce. Chopped fine for goslings.
Your babies are precious ❤

 

[vbrowne1]

They are adorable. I live in the mountains of Western NC and have such rocky soil grass doesn't grow here very well. So I buy greens for my flock. Favorite of my Geese is romaine lettuce. Chopped fine for goslings.
Your babies are precious ❤

Thank you! I love these guys!! I am actually growing some greens, so yay! I decided to try to grow some grass for them... So far its doing well... Growing grass on concrete... Lol
I cant wait to start giving them goodies!!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

No tell me how your growing grass in concrete?

 

[vbrowne1]

No tell me how your growing grass in concrete?

I transported about an inch and a half of dirt, on top of that i put a half inch of topsoil and moss mix, then the seeds (bermuda grass), theni covered it witha half inch of manure/soil mix. I water it for about an hr (via sprinkler) twice a day. Its hot here in AZ! I honestly didnt think it would work. But here we are... Growing concrete grass. The pics are from today/right this minute. I only did a small patch to see if itd work, but in 2 weeks i will do the rest

 

[Miss Lydia]

That’s really cool. As soon as we go back to spring I’ll be using grow boxes to plant grass for mine covered with fencing to keep the chickens from scratching the innerds out

 

[vbrowne1]

That’s really cool. As soon as we go back to spring I’ll be using grow boxes to plant grass for mine covered with fencing to keep the chickens from scratching the innerds out

Seems like there is always projects!!! Good luck with your grass!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yep always!!