Can Geese & Chickens be roomates?

[lovintheridge]

I have 2 pilgrim goslings 5 weeks old and 2 Muscovies, drake and Hen. (1 year old) I was thinking about adding 2 either Red Star or Buff Orphington to the Condominium. But wasn't sure how they would be as roomies. Has anyone ever roomed geese and Chickens together? Will it work? Thank you for any info.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Geese can be very territorial. Other than that, not much issue. We have a young pair free ranging with ducks and chickens. No problem yet.

 

[RedfogsFlock]

Ours are, and our turkeys too! Well our turkeys aren't sure if they are turkeys, chickens, or ducks, lol. Sometimes they go in the duck coop, sometimes the chicken coop. But we've only got ganders, and they joined our flock fully grown, & an already established flock.

 

[laughaha]

I have two Toulouse Geese that I got especially for guard duty for my chicken pen. Everyone said that they wouldn't bond or protect the chickens (I got them originally as an alarm system) but heaven help anything that tries to hurt one of THEIR chickens. DH was killing roo's (we butcher elsewhere) as I was handing them to him outside the pen and we had to stop and just cage and move the roos as the geese were trying to climb the wire fence to get to him.

A pigeon racing trick is to put goose decoys around their yard to keep hawks away from their pigeons when training. Live geese seem to be awesome for this. We have alot of birds of prey around but I haven't lost a single chicken to hawks and we have a super large pen that isn't covered. I don't see a goose taking on a coyote or large dog successfully but my only problem dog is BIL's dachshund who is a chicken killer. He is scared to death of the geese.

I don't know if it matters or not but I got my geese as day olds and they were always exposed to chicks and chickens.

 

[Kim65]

I have a very large pen where my 12 chickens, three ducklings and two adult geese are "roomies". There is a pecking order, with the geese at the top, the ducklings above the hens but below the roosters. All the gander does is walk toward anyone and lower his head a bit at them and they skedaddle. Once in while he'll get a rooster by the tail but he lets go after a few seconds, once the rooster gets the drift of the conversation.

There are multiple food and waters and various little "housing projects". When I am not working, I let everyone out to free range the back yard. I think plenty of space is important, as well as having more docile type geese (american lavenders). And raising them all together from youth will make them a "flock".