Anyone have experience with Canada Geese?

[JJRS]

Did the original owner think its part domestic because it has a big white bar on its forehead? Most state game agencies require a "domesticated game bird breeders permit" which is in addition to the Fed "sale and disposal permit". If you only keep one bird and it is flighted it will eventually leave to find a mate. If it is a gander he will not likely ever come back. If it is a hen it may return with the new mate to nest (creating a situation nobody wants). During breeding season the tamest ganders can suddenly give you a heck of a beating. If you keep flighted pairs and they hatch and fledge young the whole family will eventually hit the road to explore and teach the goslings. One way or another, Canada's are best kept on the ground.

 

[blueraven]

cool yeah i got her about a month ago to pair up with my male canada goose and i do have papers for him. she came from Minnesota, they were selling her for people to eat and i was happily given first rights to her over the people who wanted her for christmas dinner. I wasnt going to let that happen to a beautiful goose like her. she looks pretty much like a normal canada except her feet are light gray instead of black and on her black collar where the black meets the whiteish breast it kinda has a white ring. she is also more of a grey and my normal canada who is more brownish. They are both the same age as far as i know they said she was from this years hatch. so i am hoping in a few years she starts laying.
The closest goose is the male called Moose he is so friendly as he is imprinted on me and very trusting i can just about do anything with him. he sits on my back and lets me pick him up.
ducks are (brown) Merly/male , (black) sherly/female, mallards and i also have one not pictured that is the offspring of merly and sherly and also some mix of mallard they are all black with white patched breast with mallard markings, very pretty duck,
and lastly the female mix canada hard to see her. all take some pictures soon of her as she is finally fitting in with my flock. no fighting at all she is a bit scared of the cats and dogs but who wouldn't in a strange place.



this is there winter area where they swim in a kiddy pool that i fill every morning with warmer water and they clean their feathers.
mix goose in far background still as she is not 100% use to me yet this was 2nd day of letting her out side with my ducks
my ducks and geese i let out every morning and the are out all day with no fence they return to the shack were they spend the night
on their own. and in the summer they spend the day in a pond.


this is moose down at the pond.

enjoy , ask if you want so see more pictures , if anyone wants some ducklings this spring from sherly and merly and posibbly some mallard eggs also , or even hybrids i be incubating some when they start laying.

 

[blueraven]

I am not sure in the add they said Mix goose , but i clip the feathers down so make sure they both cant fly . what do you think of the mallard , i let 2 of them fly i think they are paired up but not sure do you think they will fly off to mate and hatch eggs or do you think that they will nest near the house. where i put them in at night.

 

[JJRS]

The pictures are small. Seems a good possibility its a giant x whatever (giant x western or interior possibly). Either way looks like a couple "Canadian Geese" in the pictures. I'd contact the breeder or if you really want to get to the bottom of it hire out for DNA testing. Free flight ducks are a bad idea unless you aren't too attached to them anyway.

 

[blueraven]

when i specificly asked them what was the mix they said the white embum goose type and canada . i asked them if they had a permit for her and they didnt so i asumed i wouldnt need one either. because how else would they get her than without the permit. right?

yeah i was thinking of the dna testing also , na not to attached to them wanted to see if they would fly south but they never did , the ducks fly around the house and will come back right away i have never seen them land on the lakes by our house surprizingly. they only land in our small pond were they swim.

so if it is a mix goose i dont need a permit right?

but if it is a giant subspecies , do i need one?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Beautiful geese and ducks, sorry I can't help you on permit, but I would think if she is a mix then you wouldn't need one. But I don't know that for sure. There is a Buy, Sell Trade section on BYC that you can post eggs, ducklings, gosling etc for sale.

 

[JJRS]

All I can say regarding the permit is if you are able to prove the bird is canada x domestic then it is not a species listed under the MBTA (at least 1/2 of it is not) and therfore SHOULD (should's can cost a lot in court fees) not require a permit. Either way it's sticky stuff. Best idea is to ask a USFWS warden about a hypothetical friend who has a bird like yours...

 

[sourland]

If she is a Canada/domestic cross, she will be sterile. It's hard to tell from that picture, but she looks like a Canada.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If she is a Canada/domestic cross, she will be sterile. It's hard to tell from that picture, but she looks like a Canada.

Gosh i didn't know that sourland.

 

[sourland]

Yeah, it's a gene # deal like the muscovy/mallard cross that results in mules. One of our local parks (10 years ago at least) had an African type goose that paired with a Canada gander. They raised 3 goslings - sort of a dilute Canada coloring with orange feet. Mother died that winter but the young birds are still alive and fly with the resident Canada flock. They stand out when they are foraging as they are somewhat larger and more blocky. Whenever you see one the other two are close at hand. Makes me wonder if Canada 'families' hang together when they mature.