Are Geese Underrated?

[JRies]

December was goose month for the livestock conservatory you can find there facebook page where they posted allot of interviews. They also have a breeders list by state. Geese are very underrated. Most breeds develop to meat weight way before turkeys and at a much lower cost there meat is the closest to beef you will get from the world of feathers. I dont want to hurt anyone's feelings and yes I think they make great pets. But keeping a breed of any fowl going has allot to do with demand for there products. There is a huge demand for goose eggs as eating eggs there my favorite but there are only a few breeds that produce eggs for 8 month out of the year and if your going to have girls for eggs well what do you do with the boys. Mostly your eggs are very limited with most of the larger breeds. I could go on but shouldn't. Just saying why most breads are on the endangered list in the US. Because Many farmers who raised for production retired or have gone to raising for the hatchery,s .So there is a low demand for there meat because there is no marketing for it in many country's goose is one of there main meats.
Personally Love all 12 of my sidekicks. I am working on improving my breed. But Im still in the learning stage.

You can also find some cool pdf on line by google searching these words
Raising geese PDF
Raising geese EDU
Raising geese University

 

[AGeese]

I am wondering which geese produce for 8 months out of the year? I see you like African Dewlaps which reminds me when you mention people retiring. I spoke with Holderread farm and was informed they were reducing their stock and turned over a number of their Giant African Dewlaps to someone in Tennessee.

 

[ThinMintTheChicken]

We have 2 African ganders (one without dewlap and one with) and they are MEAN. But they are very good foragers and protect our ducks so they earn their stay. I've gotten them to take treats out of my hand a couple of times and I catch them when they try and chase after me so they aren't all that bad. They were spoiled as babies so I don't know why they act up, anyone else have trouble with aggression in Africans?

 

[AGeese]

If I had to guess I'd say it's not only the breed, but because 2 ganders, and no girls. Someone please correct me.

 

[addctd2plnts]

I've ordered goslings from a show line of Blake Bell's Pilgim Geese. They were hard to find. I'm hoping I like them. I think I will. I know Geese will not meet a more stubborn human who is willing to stand her ground LOL There's a book I've bought by the same person who wrote the one on ducks. It's a great start for most people: https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Pet...&sprefix=geese,+raising,stripbooks,129&sr=1-2

 

[JRies]

I am wondering which geese produce for 8 months out of the year? I see you like African Dewlaps which reminds me when you mention people retiring. I spoke with Holderread farm and was informed they were reducing their stock and turned over a number of their Giant African Dewlaps to someone in Tennessee.

I have 4 from last April from the Holderreads They kept me on a list and was lucky to get four from them. Work with Wanitta if they are what you want and keep your fingers crossed.. I dont think Dave will ever give up on raising them there are just less. So Chinese and production Africans as far as I know lay the most. A production African is mostly just a African goose that has been bread for production by the hatcheries. They have breed for more eggs and given up on all the traits of the geese but still call them African geese.
I have 2 girls I got from Metzers that are production Africans. They start laying as soon as October and will lay till it gets to hot late June. This year they were worn out from last year so the eggs didn't start till January. They never got there weight back on from last year.
I think the lesson is Geese live for 20 plus years and just like chickens born with how many eggs they will have. Do you want them over several years or just for now. Just a thought.
Yes Dewlap Africans are 10 of my 12 but 2 are Production African from Metzers.

 

[JRies]

We have 2 African ganders (one without dewlap and one with) and they are MEAN. But they are very good foragers and protect our ducks so they earn their stay. I've gotten them to take treats out of my hand a couple of times and I catch them when they try and chase after me so they aren't all that bad. They were spoiled as babies so I don't know why they act up, anyone else have trouble with aggression in Africans?

Just my thoughts
I think the word is Gander. There doing what they were born to do. You are one of 3 things to them. Top Gander, Intruder or girlfriend. Geese are very close knit and all about family if the ducks are there family they will guard them from all if you are there competition they will guard them from you. This time of year can be rough and if it was goose girls they were protecting the season would be short but ducks lay for many more months so you inherited a long breeding season. But remember the good times there still in there and breading season dose end.
I tried to find it but couldn't someone answered a articule on how to deal with aggressive ganders and she answered it so well on how to win the fight. Including how to do the victory dance. I can only tell you that i have learned with my boys only pick the fights you have time to win and then dance around and let them know you won. Yep really. You should see me flapping my arms and yelling Yay I won I won doing the victory lap. after breaking up a gander fight over nothing. We all have a relationship of respect.
Keeping that in mind I have a boy recovering right now from a gander fight in the middle of the night. I guess boys will be boys.

 

[Sara S]

All I can say is I won’t ever have any becuase when I was 7 a goose attacked me and I will never be the same

 

[ThinMintTheChicken]

Just my thoughts
I think the word is Gander. There doing what they were born to do. You are one of 3 things to them. Top Gander, Intruder or girlfriend. Geese are very close knit and all about family if the ducks are there family they will guard them from all if you are there competition they will guard them from you. This time of year can be rough and if it was goose girls they were protecting the season would be short but ducks lay for many more months so you inherited a long breeding season. But remember the good times there still in there and breading season dose end.
I tried to find it but couldn't someone answered a articule on how to deal with aggressive ganders and she answered it so well on how to win the fight. Including how to do the victory dance. I can only tell you that i have learned with my boys only pick the fights you have time to win and then dance around and let them know you won. Yep really. You should see me flapping my arms and yelling Yay I won I won doing the victory lap. after breaking up a gander fight over nothing. We all have a relationship of respect.
Keeping that in mind I have a boy recovering right now from a gander fight in the middle of the night. I guess boys will be boys.

I agree with geese being very close. Our 2 boys don't go anywhere without the other, I've never seen them apart and never seen them fight with each other. They literally stumble over each other while they circle and try to intimidate me. When they try to attack I usually bump them around and they will get the idea after awhile and leave me alone.

 

[Leader Bee]

It’s a fair statement, there aren’t a lot of reliable sources out there.

There’s The Book of Geese by Holderread, good luck finding a copy that isn’t $$$

Did that recently go out of print then? I got my copy when I got my two boys for a reasonable price..it must have been sub £20