American Buff Geese

[ColtHandorf]

It looks like I’ll be getting a pair of these gorgeous geese this weekend. Someone is moving and can’t keep them. They are just over a year old and the hen has just begun laying. I had Chinese geese over 15 years ago and that’s been ages. Can any American Buff owners chime in with experiences and tips on keeping them? I want to be sure they have a great home here.

 

[Callender Girl]

Lucky you! I LOVE my American Buff geese. I bought a pair last year, and since they are my first geese, I'm no expert. People in the "real world" often tell me that they and family members have had experiences with mean geese, but my two are nothing like that.

On those occasions when they refuse to go to their secure house at night, I can easily pick each one up and move it into the shelter. Golly, the gander, is a bit less compliant, but Gussie, the goose, will simply curl up and put her neck and head across my shoulder as I carry her across the yard.

They have also made their first nest, and I am eagerly waiting to see what happens next.

Congrats on your new Buffs!

 

[ColtHandorf]

Thanks! I'm pretty excited about getting them. I've had Chinese in the past and the sheer volume of six breeding pairs and the snarky behavior was beyond annoying. I'm hoping the experience with these will be much more pleasant.

I'm planning on letting them roam the fenced back yard during the day (60ft x 100ft or so) and then move them into the chicken pen when I get home from work so they can shelter in the house over night and the dogs can have the backyard to play in.

What are you feeding yours? I know they don't need to swim (and I super hate the kiddie pools I used to use) but how much water do they actually need? I'd planned on offering them a rubber feed trough deep enough for them to get their head under, but if I can avoid the gross pool I'd be immensely pleased. I know geese graze a lot, but in regards to feed I think I fed my Chinese layer pellets and hen scratch in an open bowl to make it easier to eat. Should I change that up for the American Buffs? How do your's do with chickens? At night and early morning/late evening they will be penned with my Orpingtons.

 

[Callender Girl]

My geese eat the local feed store brand of all-flock feed, although I give them cracked corn daily as a treat. They have open bowls for their feed.

I agree; the kiddie pool is a pain (Yet, I still have two for the ducks), but I also have a 15-gallon black rubber stock tank that allows the geese to bathe one at a time. I love to watch them dip their heads completely under water, then throw the splashes around like supermodels.

My geese don't seem to care much about the chickens, but they like to herd the runner ducks (maybe they also think it's funny to see a whole row of runners marching across the yard; I know I always do).

Gussie and Golly are normally not at all aggressive, however they are nesting now and are a bit more peevish. I don't know how they would do penned up at night with the chickens. I -- who am NOT an accomplished builder -- made a small, simple house for my geese, using plywood and hardware cloth. I already had a couple of sheets plywood here, so my only investment was the hardware cloth, a few screws and a couple of latches.

They have chased chickens away from the goose house this week, but really only by hissing and honking. No one was really attacked.

I am excited for you. I hope you love your Buffs as much as I love mine. Keep us posted!

 

[ColtHandorf]

They’re here! (After a horrible four hour drive...) They are so gentle. And boy can we clear a five foot fence when a poodle scares them...lol I didn’t want to clip, but is that something most geese parents have to do?

I think I’ve decided to name the gander Gollygosh so Golly for short. The goose I think I’m going to call Georgia, but I’m undecided.

 

[donkeydew2farms]

they are gorgeous .

 

[Miss Lydia]

It’s amazing what they can do when scared.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Isn’t that the truth? I was shocked when he cleared the fence from a standing start. They have stayed in the pen today thank goodness and have been getting along with the Orpington pair. Golly greets me at the fence and lets me love on him. Georgia laid in the kennel on the way home yesterday.

Does anyone know will moving them upset her laying cycle? Her old owner said she’d just laid two eggs of her second clutch (which I have and can pop in the LG incubator he gave me although I’m not at all confident in it’s performance). I know chickens usually take a break, but I didn’t know how moving would impact a bird that lays such a small number of eggs.

I’m really enjoying them so far. They are much quieter than my Chinese were years ago. And the gander apart from being very upset at the moving process yesterday has been a perfect gentleman. The poodles ain’t seem to bother them today and he occasionally hisses at the miniature dachshunds. He seems interested in everyone when they go out into the backyard to look at them so that’s nice also. I’m going to keep them penned in a 40x24 ft. (Ish) pen for the time being. But I’m planning on giving them the run of that plus the backyard during the weekdays while I’m at work. That should give them plenty of grass.

 

[Miss Lydia]

She may take a week off from laying till she gets settled In. You could take those two eggs and put them in their house with some deep shaving or what ever bedding you use and she may just take off where she was at the other place. Just watch the dogs I wouldn’t let them all be together with out supervision ganders can be pretty protective of their mate and wouldn’t want there to be confrontation between the dogs and the gander. Even if he seems pretty docile. They really are beautiful geese.

 

[Callender Girl]

I am so happy for you!! I think you will really enjoy the Buffs.

Yours are lovely and, naturally, I like the name Golly. In fact, I thought I was naming my baby goose Golly, only to discover when they got older that I had named my gander Golly.

I don't know how long or how many times you can interrupt the laying cycle, but I know Gussie laid her first egg under a chicken coop and I removed it. Two days later, she laid another egg in a hay shed, and I removed it. Two days after that, she finally decided to accept the goose house as a good nesting place, she rebuilt the nest I haphazardly built there, threw out the fake egg that didn't fool her a bit, and proceeded to lay 11 eggs in the nest. She and Golly are both sitting on them, and when the chickens and ducks -- who were formerly their friends -- come calling, they are met with hissing and yelling.

Best wishes for you and your soon-to-be goose family. I, on the other hand, am trying to figure out what I'm going to do if I really do end up with 11 adorable goslings.