Experience with Canada geese?

[piccolini]

There is someone on craigslist in our area that is selling canada geese, goslings, and eggs. I would love to get one but someone once told me that they fly away. Does anyone have any experience with them?
Thank you!

 

[gamebirdsonly]

I have some and yes sometimes they do fly away. .

 

[piccolini]

Oh darn. It would break my heart if they flew away. I guess I won't be getting any then... I know you can clip their wings but I don't like doing it

 

[desertdarlene]

Sometimes they fly away, sometimes they don't. But, I've seen some stick around because they're well cared for and have good company.

 

[PrinceSandwich]

You could always pinion them.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Most areas require a permit to keep them (I believe it's a federal permit, so it should be required in ALL areas), so you may want to check on that first. But yes, you can pinion them so they can't fly, I believe it is a requirement.

 

[cdnley]

We had one in the spring/summer of 2010. Her parents were killed because they nested on a fish pond (terrible I know). My friend caught the one gosling they had and brought her here. We raised her solo in a small pen in the garage and then we got 4 ducks (2 Rouen and 2 Blue Swedish). They all became friends with the goose acting as the "mother". All summer long they lived happily in the pond with the goose sometime behaving as a duck and vice versa. Then around fall time Goosey started looking around and seperating from the flock. We had many goose flocks come through and Goosey still stayed with the ducks. One day she flew away for a few hours but came back. Then around September a male goose came through and they fell in love and soon flew off south.

I cried and the ducks were visibly upset for awhile but they got over it.

So yes they will fly away but there is something about having a wild Canada goose that is so nice. She was the friendliest of them all and my 4 yr old would often flap her arms and "fly" and the goose would run beside/behind her and fly too, it was a very sweet sight. Goosey would talk to us as well, you could tell when she was happy...and she was always happy to be with people. She would gently eat out of our hand too...

I can only hope she will return this summer, I hope she survived the trek south. I also hope the domesticated geese and ducks I ordered will be as good as her too!

 

[Rosecomb-Ryan]

A friend of mine actually bought 2 from him last year. They were very nice geese. He got them as 5 week old and his pair of Shetlands raised them with their one baby. He has had wild Canadians come in with them but these two have never left. They are extremely bonded with the Shetlands and I dont think they will ever leave. I think it really depends on the goose.

Ryan..

PS Nice to see I have someone that lives close