Do geese fly away???

[Hixnstix]

We have a pair of Buff geese seven weeks old. We've raised ducks before that have flown off. Will geese fly away, should we clip their wings? What age do geese start to fly?

 

[larkflying]

Where did you get your geese from? We have the same breed and they are just about the same age. I love having geese . . . they have such personalities.

I'm pretty sure that American Buff geese mainly stay on the ground. They are too heavy to fly even as young goslings. I watch mine flap their developing wings and they can hop off the ground but not much more. Sometimes they will get excited about the joy of living and take off flapping, but they only get a foot off the ground, and don't fly far. We aren't planning on clipping wings, and I never had to clip the geese we had when I was growing up . . . but I've clipped a lot of chicken wings! : ) Some hens are just too smart for their own good . . .

Rachel in WA State

 

[Hixnstix]

We got them from Metzger Farms along with 2 female & 1 male buff ducks. We didn't think the ducks were suppose to fly either but we are missing the male this afternoon with no trace of preadators. So I don't want to loose anymore.

 

[The goose girl]

If a hawk came buy and took the duck, there wouldn't necessarily be any trace left of it.

Domestic geese usually don't fly more than a few feet off the ground. I don't know about your ducks.

If you want to clip their wings just to be on the safe side, you should clip only the flight feathers on one wing.

 

[GarlicEater]

Quote:
Oh, I hope so! I keep telling mine they're free to migrate, any ol' time they feel like it.

(In actuality, the lighter ones can get a lil' off the ground if there's a headwind. A 4' high fence contains them just fine.)

 

[Hixnstix]

Never thought of a hawk. But with lotsa chickens to choose from I wouldn't think a hawk would have gotten the male duck who never leaves the pair if geese. Also I thought with a hawk we'd a found some feathers But that's what this forum does for all of us. Teach us!!!

 

[opalwednesday]

my eleven week old (Embden?) goose flew for the first time today!

more like a flighty hop, but still very cool. she did it twice and then put away the flight wings for the day.

 

[Hixnstix]

Mine are 8 wks tomorrow. Only lotsa flapping while running so far. Excitement not flying. Guess my missing duck really was too young to fly, in hindsite. They sure are slot funner than chickens!!!!

 

[crj]

I had no signs of a predator and it got 4 indian runner ducks and 1 pekin. I found 2 remains. I still don't know what got them and I have 3 dogs. They are now more protected and I have a game cam now. Nothing yet on camera. I guess that's a good thing.

 

[Hixnstix]

We have 16 hens and only 3 ducks, now 2. What is duck the treat of choice????