Can goselings be kept with chicks and later chickens????

[mnblonde]

I am getting4 gooslings today-2 are going back to the original owner when feathered and 2 will stay with me-i was hoping to raise them with the chickens-any thoughts on this? I think they are Chinese but will have to wait til i see them today Thanks in adavance!

MNBlonde

 

[Kim65]

THey will get along fine but the problem is that goslings need lots of water, deep enough to dip their bills in up to their nostrils. And they will play in the water, and soak everything. That could be unhealthy for the chicks, who may get chilled from wet bedding. It's mainly an issue when the chicks are tiny, under two weeks old. Chicks can and will drown in deep water (so will goslings for that matter) so do your research about the water and food set ups best for each kind of bird.

Those waterers for chicks (red plastic bottom with a quart jar screwed upside down on top) are not deep enough for goslings. For goslings I'd use an inside cat or small dog waterer that holds a couple of quarts of water in a jug and trickles in (whatever they're called LOL). It's not deep enough for them to drown but they will get wet and need lots of bedding and a heat lamp for a week or so to dry them off.

Some would say do NOT brood them together for all of these reasons. I guess I would too, seeing they have different needs. But once they are all old enough to go outside (depending on your climate) they can cohabitate. Make sure the GOOSE water isn't so deep a young chick can't get out, but deep enough for the geese to clean their nostrils and so you don't have to refill it every five minutes

 

[onthespot]

They also chew the feathers of the chicks, like they are trying to graze on them.

 

[Kim65]

Quote:
That's why you have to hold the goslings all day long, every day, so they can chew on YOUR hair and not the chicks

BTW they never outgrow chewing your hair if you let them start. I've heard they chew each other for "comfort" like a binkie. Goslings are very oral.

 

[Golden Valley Farm]

Maybe just when you first get them, but I would remove them before you end up with a bald ,wet chick. I had that happen last year.

 

[sourland]

For all of the reasons above and because goslings grow so much faster than chicks and can trample them with their big clumsy feet, I would not brood them together.

 

[JordanFamily]

Yeah I would worry that the chicks would get trampled and suffocated because the geese grow so fast and will be giants in no time at all... Either a chick is going to get ran over in while the goslings run around or they are going to suffocate when a gosling lays on them... You can always try and then move them apart if it doesn't work out but I wouldn't do it at all if it were me... Some people have even had there adult chickens get drowned by adult geese when kept together... Something to think about...

 

[CMV]

I have had problems housing geese with smaller birds. The geese are aggressive and do not hesitate to beat up their smaller coop mates. I had problems with ducks and geese- who were raised together- getting into scuffles, with the ducks coming out on the losing side. The scuffles were terrifically violent and the bullies were permanently removed from the situation. The goose I have left is very friendly with her duck buddy, but if a chicken comes waltzing by the goose attacks. Even my biggest, baddest chicken is scared to death of the goose and avoids it like the plague. I cannot even allow the groups (waterfowl and chickens) to free-range at the same time because the goose will seek out chickens to attack. And this is the gentle goose!

I would not recommend housing geese with other poultry. I know others do it, but my personal experience has been that it's not a good idea.

 

[[email protected]]

I house my 8 chickens and 2 geese together. First I got the chicks, little bitty, then about a week later I got the 3 day old goslings. THey all did great together albeit one of the geese pulled the tail feathers from one chicken - and yet another chicken thinks it is a goose. But when they come out of the coop during the day, usually it's the chicken w/ 2 geese together and the rest of the chickens are off together. Somehow, there are never 8 chickens together... Anyway, the geese are now about full grown, I think, at 5 weeks?? and I have no idea how much bigger the chickens will get, but no body has been bullied yet (that I know of). THe chicken who's tail feathers were removed, never minded, I think she thought she was being preened! jennifer