Chinese Goose Specific Care

[MalMom]

Hi all, I am looking for Chinese goose specific care information. I've read up a lot on geese but there appears to be some conflicting information/breed specific information for geese. I want to do everything properly. I did browse through the Chinese/African goose thread, but I didn't find what I was looking for. Here are a few things I would like to know:

How many square feet minimum does EACH Chinese goose need inside their coop, or in their run or tractor?

How big/deep of a pool do they need? I've read they only seen something to splash around in/dunk their heads in, and also that they must have a pool deep enough to swim in. I'm confused.

Are there any weeds that are dangerous for Chinese geese to eat? I'm hoping to give as much free range/tractor time as possible. Is there anything I need to watch out for or shouldn't pick and put in their run?

How old are Chinese geese when they start laying eggs? I know they have a season, but how old will they be before they start laying during their season?

Are there any secret tidbits you can share about owning Chinese geese?

Thanks for all the information!

 

[wynn4578]

It's best to allow geese to free range if possible. They love to forage and the breeds I have anyway seem to become bored and pace when they are not let out. We have White and brown Chinese and roman tufted geese. If you have to keep them in a run just make it as big as you can allow and try to make sure they have access to grass or give them grass/Timothy hay. The pool size doesn't matter as long as its large enough for them to get in and preen. Some say it needs to be deep enough for them to swim and breed but that's bull. I've raised geese for years and all they do just fine with kiddy pools when nothing else is available.

Chinese geese will generally start laying the season after they are hatched unless they were hatched very late in the season. Where I live laying/sitting season tends to be from about February or march until about July.

I have no idea what plants are poisonous to them. There doesn't seem to be anything on my place that can't eat because I've never ran into that problem.

 

[MalMom]

It's best to allow geese to free range if possible. They love to forage and the breeds I have anyway seem to become bored and pace when they are not let out. We have White and brown Chinese and roman tufted geese. If you have to keep them in a run just make it as big as you can allow and try to make sure they have access to grass or give them grass/Timothy hay. The pool size doesn't matter as long as its large enough for them to get in and preen. Some say it needs to be deep enough for them to swim and breed but that's bull. I've raised geese for years and all they do just fine with kiddy pools when nothing else is available.

Chinese geese will generally start laying the season after they are hatched unless they were hatched very late in the season. Where I live laying/sitting season tends to be from about February or march until about July.

I have no idea what plants are poisonous to them. There doesn't seem to be anything on my place that can't eat because I've never ran into that problem.

Thank you so much!!! I'm hoping to give mostly foraging time, or at least several hours a day. I just want to make sure the run is big enough should they have to be in it for whatever reason. If they don't get to be out I provide lots of fresh greens in the run for them. Lucy mostly follows me around, and yells at me if I get too far away. The other day I let them out and they were just at my feet the whole time, they didn't even eat many greens. I think they come up with ways to annoy me on purpose.