can geese be protecters?

[Chickenrandomness]

i'm getting chickens and GF this summer, a small frlock to start out with, but i don't have the time and money to build a run. and there are plenty of prditors: foxes, coyotes, badgers, owls, hawks, falcons, a golden eagle, small weasels, and my cat. would geese protect my flock?

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Only to a very limited extent, They are usually good on the skywatch detail and give warning to others to take cover, because of their size they will make the smaller birds of prey think twice. Of the 4 footed varmits only your cat will learn to fear them. They are watchfull and give loud alarms but they are birds and not great fighters.

 

[Chickenrandomness]

once, i had an embend or however you call it, chase me around at a pond, and i'm nearly 6ft tall!!!!

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

I have 3 pomeranians, since I've had them there have been no hawk/owl attacks in my duck yard, its about a 1/4 acre, these ducks will not go in a building ever so they are outside, no 4 footed attacks either, i have a nesting pair of owls across the street and a nesting pair of hawks behind the house, I've seen the hawks in the tree above the duck alot, and the owls I hear and see on the barn 2-3 this a week in the spring

 

[noahsgeese]

My two Embden geese protect all our chickens!

 

[peachick]

here is my goose vs fox story....

a few years ago when I only had 4 sebastopol. one night i forgot to lock them up at night. turns out they slept under my bedroom window. about 2am they wake us up making lots of noise. hubby looks out the window and turns on the flood light .... there is my big gander jumping at and fighting off a fox, while the other geese go running. by the time hubby gets his gun and goes out there the fox was gone and the gander was walking back from the trees at the property line..... he literally chased off a fox!!

 

[J3172]

your gander's lucky the fox didn't have any experience hunting geese or he would of been go with the goose. Geese do little to protect your birds I can say they will help prevent some hawk attacks. owls that come at night will take what they can get. AS for the golden eagle they eat full grown cranes, will drag baby sheep off cliffs, and falconers use them to hunt wolves, so the geese could fall pray to the eagle, I'm not sure about falcons it depends on how big and hungry it is. As for badgers as long as your chickens can get off the ground or should I say are smart enough to get off the ground they should be safe. Coyotes and fox will take both the chickens and geese if they can. Your biggest problem might come from the small weasels, but if you know how to trap them they shouldn't be a problem. So geese may do a little to help but don't depend on them fully, a dog that is bigger then 50 pounds would keep the fox, coyote, badger, may catch the weasels, and could help with the birds of pray.

 

[KellyHM]

They keep the neighbors' kids out of my yard.

 

[vicki2x2]

You geese won't stand a chance against the coyotes, badgers and most fox, maybe even weasels, they are nasty critters. They might be able to fight off a young, inexperienced fox, but a mama with kits will take them in a heartbeat. We had a local golf course near here that had fox taking the canadian geese right off the course during the day with golfers looking on!

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
I have observed 5 occasions when a fox came after my lone goose, 3 times she put him off the property. Twice she came on the porch screaming for my help. A fox finally got her one night while she was setting a nest under my beakroom window and I didn't get outside fast enough! Don't always expect the goose to win.