can geese live entirely off pasture?

[fowlsessed]

Hatchery africans can fend for themselves very well in a pasture life as long as they have fresh water provided. Ours live most of their life in this manor.

Our sebastopols are on pasture all day with pools that are dumped, cleaned and refilled daily to keep their feathers in proper condition. They are locked up each and every night, as are the dewlap toulouse and americans.

We have Great Pyrenees LGD's so if the Africans wont come in from the rear pasture they are left out for the night, but they have the dogs to protect them. Most nights they will come up and pick a house to sleep in, but there are nights they dont, and I dont stress over them. They also do not eat much feed and maintain good body weight and feather condition.

Yup, that's kinda what I'm talking about. What do you think about the sebastpools? do they need much extra care?

 

[fowlsessed]

Oh. I misunderstood.

No problem.....

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

not a one of our sebbies is allowed to stay outside all night ever. As i stated above the Sebastopols need clean water daily (as do all birds) but even more so with these for feathers to remain in good condition. They are fancy lawn ornaments. If you hope to leave on pasture 24/7 I would look at a smooth feathered goose breed such as American, Hatchery Toulouse ect.

 

[fowlsessed]

well, if you mean coming in as in a simple shelter to keep them out of the rain and wind, I could do that. If that is the only area that they really need any extra attention than I think they would be worth the "trouble". I hope to have a pond or such by the time I get them. so water shouldn't be a problem. How about more than one breed together, like a pair of sebbies and a pair of african, will it work and they won't mix?

 

[Oregon Blues]

Geese pick their mates using a different criteria than breed. So if you have more than one breed kept together, you are probably not going to get purebred eggs.

Some of the domestic geese do not form strong pair bonds and they will mate with multiple partners. If you want purebred goslings, you will have to keep the different breeds separated. What is easiest is to keep only one breed.

 

[Habibs Hens]

im in the UK and the heavey rains brings good grass all year

my grass is cut every month thats how fast it grows

even with that said i have a hut with a bucket full of goose breeders pellets and a bucket full of water

and the food bucket is found empty every 2nd to 3rd day

my birds free range day and night with shelter to hide if they need to

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

when I say in at night I am meaning inside a building, doors shut and locked to keep them safe from predators. Anything else they are sitting targets and can be easily killed by any number of predators.

As Oregon already said you cant run a flock of various breeds and have pure bred off spring.

 

[fowlsessed]

okay, thanks. So does that indicate that other geese breeds aren't bothered by predators and can fight them off? I just want sebbies because they are supposed to be "nicer" than most other breeds and because I'm looking for simply ornamental, not going to be utilizing their meat or eggs.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

No, geese are all susceptible to predator attacks. You need to provide protection no matter the breed. There are many many calm breeds of geese if you go by breed description. Our africans are ok, but not to be trusted around strangers. The americans like to stand back and watch whats going on around here. The Toulouse are very calm, quiet and observe everything. The Sebbies are busy bodies, calm, and always willing to greet and say hello to customers.

There is also others too know for being calm, so it comes down to what you like the looks of, and can properly care for.

 

[Habibs Hens]

my apologies celtic i was NOT impling its OK to leave geese out at night

infact it is paramount for their safety to tuck them in locked doors

i leave mine out because i have 3 dogs living a few houses down in a circle me basically in the middle

and they are left out at night (not good for the dog yes but cant change neighbours opinions)

so foxes think twice before entering my area

the worst i get is my neighbours cat and i let the cat be as it is scared of my geese

again with a cat roaming all hours of the night teritory dictates that foxes wont come as again i have 3 cats in my area all roam the gardens at night

(although this is only temporary till i build a goose hut to house them without stress from lack of sleeping space