Best geese to go with for pets

[Firekin1]

I'd like opinions on what would be the best type of geese for pets and eggs. Geese are something I grew up with, but never have had any of my own and I've decided to get a few. I'm not so much concerned really in the egg department, but more in temperament and look. Growing up we had a few nasty buggers that wouldn't let you move without giving you a pinch and I'm trying to avoid those. I was thinking Sabastopols mainly because they don't look like your everyday goose and they're not common around here. Any other suggestions?

 

[livininbrazil]

I'd like opinions on what would be the best type of geese for pets and eggs. Geese are something I grew up with, but never have had any of my own and I've decided to get a few. I'm not so much concerned really in the egg department, but more in temperament and look. Growing up we had a few nasty buggers that wouldn't let you move without giving you a pinch and I'm trying to avoid those. I was thinking Sabastopols mainly because they don't look like your everyday goose and they're not common around here. Any other suggestions?

The most commonly recommended are sebs, Pilgrims and Am Buffs, but probably best to look up goose breeds, then check out the ones that appeal to you.

 

[Speceider]

I would suggest getting parent-reared birds.... imprinted birds cause a lot more problems.

Clint

 

[flockman]

I would suggest getting parent-reared birds.... imprinted birds cause a lot more problems.

Clint

Or you can go for my option. I raised them and spent time with them but didn't truly imprint them. The goal was for them to be calm around me but fear me some too. It worked well for me with my American buffs. The are much less noisy/ aggressive than some Embdens I know. Research and find what you like. I chose buffs because they are more docile and good parents while being of decent size. I also like the coloring!

 

[Speceider]

Or you can go for my option. I raised them and spent time with them but didn't truly imprint them. The goal was for them to be calm around me but fear me some too. It worked well for me with my American buffs. The are much less noisy/ aggressive than some Embdens I know. Research and find what you like. I chose buffs because they are more docile and good parents while being of decent size. I also like the coloring!

I certainly would not disagree....the biggest problems come from imprinted geese who think humans are geese.... they can be friendly, but need to respect you.

Clint

 

[livininbrazil]

I would suggest getting parent-reared birds.... imprinted birds cause a lot more problems.

Clint

Or you can go for my option. I raised them and spent time with them but didn't truly imprint them. The goal was for them to be calm around me but fear me some too. It worked well for me with my American buffs. The are much less noisy/ aggressive than some Embdens I know. Research and find what you like. I chose buffs because they are more docile and good parents while being of decent size. I also like the coloring!

I certainly would not disagree....the biggest problems come from imprinted geese who think humans are geese.... they can be friendly, but need to respect you.

Clint

My first 3 I got were x-bred females at 2 days old. I reared them, obviously, but they imprinted on themselves, and at 3 months they were free-ranging around the place, just went 'home' at night. they´re easy to manage, don´t hiss at me, let me interfere in their nests.
.
I got a trio of Pilgrim-type geese from a farm. they´d had little contact with people. I´ve had them a few years now. They come and feed out of a pot in my hand, and let me pick up their goslings when they have them. I´m amazed at how calm they are after not being used to people.

I never have any aggression probs with any of my geese beyond the odd hiss at breeding time. I now have 28 of them.

My one experience with an imprinted gander was when I offered to give it a home because the family was frightened of it. It was an absolute pain. It never was really aggressive, but would sneak up behind you and pinch really hard. It had no fear of people, so just kept pinching everyone. It went to a place that had a huge area that needed a guard goose!

 

[waterfowl rocks]

I have a pair of buffs that I raise from goslings and the gander (Fred) didn't fear me and would sometimes chase my five year old sister and any other creature that got in his path including me. So after a month him chasing people around the barn yard dad said we had to lock him up when I was not around.

So every day after that I worked with him and now he's still not allowed out with out me around but he has become the sweetest gander I own, he will climb on my lap every day Just to say hi and beg for his favorite food (grass). But he still will bites everything except me and his mate Buffy. But my point is that any goose can be trained to be friendly it just takes time. The way I did it was every time he came to bite me I would grab his bill and give it a little twist and once he figured out who's boss he backed off and then I was really nice to him, and now he's really nice to me.

 

[Firekin1]

I keep looking up different breeds, temperaments, etc....there's just too darn many..if I could I'd get a whole wack of them I'd have a trio of everyone that interest me....I've had so many different breeds of birds...chickens, ducks, turkeys, pheasants, peafowl, guineas, but never any geese.....I NEEEEEED geese....lmao

 

[Miss Lydia]

I keep looking up different breeds, temperaments, etc....there's just too darn many..if I could I'd get a whole wack of them I'd have a trio of everyone that interest me....I've had so many different breeds of birds...chickens, ducks, turkeys, pheasants, peafowl, guineas, but never any geese.....I NEEEEEED geese....lmao

Have you seen this thread, ....https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/618185/raising-geese-101 to make it even harder on you..