Buff Geese ?????????

[RAREROO]

Hi all

I am looking for some pics and general info on raising Buff Geese. I am considering getting a young pair for myself since my aunt was wanting a pair of them also and it got me thinking about getting them. I've never raised geese before but I have raised ducks and I figure one goose would probably be ate and make the same mess as at least 3 ducks so I am already expecting that much, but I would only have a pair and they would be free ranging with my ducks if I did get them so I figure that wont be too bad and if I dont like them I can always sell them.

But like I said, I would love to see some pics of all ages of Buff Geese and any info on breeding and nesting habits and stuff like that.

Thanks

 

[catnip]

Raising geese is similar to ducks. Geese like to graze on grass with some supplemental waterfowl or flock raiser type food if you wish. They need a bucket of water deep enough to clean their nostrils. They like to swim, but you don't have to have a pond to raise geese.

Buff geese are seasonal breeders. Buff females only lay eggs during the spring time. My goose uses a dog house to lay her eggs. Since I was removing eggs from her so I didn't have any goslings around, she laid 3 clutches this season. 2 with 12 eggs and the last late clutch with 6.

My Buffs are two now. Breeding season wasn't too bad. My gander thinks I need to be his second girlfriend. My goose did get cranky with me this year when she had eggs in the nest. Some warning nips, but nothing too bad. Now that the season is over and all her eggs have been removed, she's back to her extreamly sweet self.

Try them out. I haven't regretted a single thing about my Buff geese.

 

[ilovemuscovy]

Quote:
are they noisy?

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
Thanks for the info, do you have any pics of yours ? And so they do readily brood their own eggs if left to their own devices ? That is how my ducks are now that I let them free range, most of them set two or three times a season ( though most of the time a take the babies from them at a young age to sell them, there is a good market for ducklings here and I dont need a whole yard full of ducks ) But I love that the ducks are constantly broody becase I let them hatch turkey or chicken eggs for me too, so a broody goose would be great, for setting other eggs if not her own.

 

[catnip]

Sorry, no current pics on this computer. I'll see if I can hunt some up.

My goose went broody her first breeding season and would have this year too if I hadn't kept taking her eggs away. She wasn't successful hatching her first year due to some really strange weather we had. Since I live in town, I decided it was best if she didn't hatch anything out.

I don't think geese will readily brood any other eggs but goose eggs. The size difference alone between goose and duck eggs might tip a goose off that the eggs aren't hers.

 

[[email protected]]

I don't know if you can see her very well, I think she is American Buff, but not sure...
This is her as a gosling.

She is female and not as sociable as my male, but I think that is common. They are not load at all, except for when I get them excited about going swimming, then she flys down to the tank, b/c she is smaller than the male Roman. She has quite the personality... jennifer

 

[Jenifer Kraus]

I will try and get some pictures. I have had Buff geese for atleast 6 years and I currently have a American Lavender gander too. They are wonderful to have around . I have Sebastopol geese also and personality and temperment are pretty much the same. Love em to.

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

I keep Roman Tufted Geese & Sebastapol's and they are all very sweet and pretty quiet. I recently ordered my first pair of Tufted Buffs from Metzer Farms. They'll be 3 weeks old this Tuesday. They are very, very, sweet and have been adopted along with another pair of Roman Tufted babies that are the same age - by a trio of my adults - as of yesterday. They spent their first night out in the barn with the rest of the flock last night. I just checked on them a while ago and everyone is doing fine.

Based on what I've heard on this forum and now having these two sweet little Buff's here at home with me - I would recommend them. I plan on getting others in the future.

Hey, welcome to the world of geese - you'll love it!

Joni

 

[scbatz33]

I have a pair of Africans from this season - hatchery stock. They are 2 months old. At first I was not fond of them at all. They are aggressive to the smaller birds and I had to separate them as week olds from the chicks and ducklings. They did actually kill onE of my chicks by drowning it and caused severe injury to another chick but it survived after a couple weeks of individual care.

HOWEVER!!!!! They have grown on me - big time. They follow me all over. They come when I call. They are not nearly as messy as ducks. They do eat a lot but considering their size, it not that much. They are big enough to free range during the day near the barn so they aren't going through as much feed as when they were penned constantly. They are still aggressive to the ducks and have completely eaten my roo's tail! AND they talk ALL THE TIME!!!!

They are so funny, they can't decide if they want us to touch them or not. The male is more docile than the female. However, she is far braver and tends to be the one who goes after the other birds first. My husband has started calling me Mother Goose because they have taken such a liking to me. I have twice had to lock them in the barn to keep them from trying to follow my car up to the house!!! In the morning I usually have to sneak off before they see me go or else they will come running honk-peeping at me to not leave them!!!

I don't know how they will be as they grow. Maybe they will out grow me like the ducks did last year. We will have to see. But for now, they are pretty cool - as long as they are kept away from my other birds!!

 

[RAREROO]

Thank you all


If you all have any, I would love to see some pics of goose eggs sitting beside Duck or Chicken eggs so I can see the size difference, I dont think I have ever seen goose eggs before.