Brooding Goslings (A little help with goose 101!)

[Kit-Kat]

I checked out the goose 101 and other stickies in this forum, but was hoping for a bit more in depth information. I will be getting geese this spring and am wondering what exactly it is that I'm getting myself in for... Everyone says that goslings are 'messy'. What exactly does that mean? Do they knock over their water? Throw food everywhere? Have massive poops that they fling at each other with their little webbed feet?

I was going to use my chicken brooder for them, but in looking at goose/duck brooders that other people have posted here and with the repeated 'they're messy' warning, now I'm thinking I should build them something more specifically suited to their needs? Perhaps something with a hardware mesh floor to combat this messiness?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

dont keep geese on wire floors, it can cause foot injuries and lead to bumble foot. DO place the water container on top of a plastic storage box (low sided) with a cooling rack over it so the splashed water drips into it. They grow very VERY fast and will outgrow most chick brooders quickly. They eat they sleep they poop they poop they poop lol.

 

[Kit-Kat]

dont keep geese on wire floors, it can cause foot injuries and lead to bumble foot. DO place the water container on top of a plastic storage box (low sided) with a cooling rack over it so the splashed water drips into it. They grow very VERY fast and will outgrow most chick brooders quickly. They eat they sleep they poop they poop they poop lol.

Okay! No to the wire floor then! My chick brooder is 3'x8' so I feel like it should be large enough- but scrubbing it down/hosing it off is a pretty big chore, so if they really are huge poopers, that might be a bit inconvenient!

I have heard that they grow quickly- approximately how old are they generally when people move them out of the brooder?

Thanks!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

ours are on grass daily at three days old all day and back to the brood at night. Our brooders are stalls that are 3' x 4', 4' x4' and 4' x 6'.

food and water day and night hatch to 30 days old (even outside) and then no food/water in the brooders at night 30 days and older.

 

[wildpeas]

I wish mine could go out at three days for grass, unfortunately it is still too cold here. I found the geese to be less messy than the ducks although their poop was larger even as babies than the ducks so there seemed to be more of it. They do make a mess of the water from splashing it out of the waterer and sometimes they did knock the food over from clumsiness, raising it on a flat cobblestone helped quite a bit with that.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

wild........... try doing fodder for your goslings since your climate is good for young turn out. Gives them good greens and something to curb brooder boredom too

 

[fowlmama]

I too have cold temps here in Kansas, I have two 2wk old goslings in my unfinished basement, to me they are much cleaner than ducklings. I to elevate their food and water, on something stable so they don't knock it over, they are a LIL clumsy. Their poops are indeed bigger and yes there is quite a bit of it. The larger the space you can provide the better. I go out everyday and dig up a big ole hunk of grass and give it to them. Keeps them busy, and keeps them from picking on each others "fuzz". Also as the grow, literally inches it seems over night, you need to make sure they have plenty of space if not they can have troubles with their wings. Some of the EXPERTS on here can go into more detail about that and correct any info that I've added.
Geese are an absolute joy! Wouldn't trade mine for anything! I have two yearling Pomeranian saddleback geese (darla and clydette) and two two wk old brown african goslings (hansel and gretel)

Hope this will help you in some way!

 

[Kit-Kat]

Thank you so much for all of the advice! It's definitely been helpful! I won't be getting my geese until sometime in May, but I want to be sure I'm prepared!

 

[Going Bhonkers]

Thank you so much for all of the advice! It's definitely been helpful! I won't be getting my geese until sometime in May, but I want to be sure I'm prepared!

How many are you getting? Also, they cry a LOT when you leave them. I was so happy when they grew out of that stage.

 

[fowlmama]

Oh gosh, it breaks my heart when they cry! I can't hardly stand to leave them! Makes me feel so bad! I hate to think they're sad or lonely......poor babies.....