Female geese with drakes

[DakotaDreamer]

Hi everyone,
I am getting my first goslings soon. I got females only to avoid aggression during breeding season and am going to use them to guard my chickens and ducks. I have two drakes though and keep reading that geese and ducks can mate. Since geese don't start laying until a year of age, when can I incorporate them into my existing flock with the drakes? Also the bag of feed for the geese says to switch them to layer pellets at 18 weeks of age. I know that they need a lot of grass to eat and wheat in the winter with the layer pellets but when can they start eating some layer pellets since they will have access to the hens feed. 18 weeks seemed early to me. Thank you for all of your help. I would love to hear about your geese, too

 

[peachyduckies]

First of all, your geese will not necessarily guard your flock. However, they may sound an alarm if they see a predator or a stranger approaching them.

Second of all, your geese and drakes may mate. You can’t hatch the eggs that the geese have laid, since they generally have a low fertility rate, but you can eat them. It’s also almost genetically impossible for a goose and a drake to make a crossbreed.

Personally, I would switch to layer feed around the time that they are supposed to start laying eggs, which is the spring after they were born. Example, say the geese were born in March of 2018, so they won’t start laying eggs until March of 2019. Until then, use starter, grower, and finisher.

 

[DakotaDreamer]

Hi peachyduckies, thank you for your response. I was wondering when the geese would be mature enough to breed in case the drakes tried to mate with the geese. I know that they start laying at a later age then ducks and chickens but I wasn't sure if that was representative of the age that geese mature. I just want to know when I would be able to put them in with the drake and they be safe. Thank you for the response on layer feed and telling me more about them as guardians. I appreciate the great information.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You can switch everyone to All flock feed also and then just put out oyster shell for your layers, non layers may nibble but won't eat it unless needed.

Don't put your female geese in with the drakes until they are sexually mature. Drakes are so hormonal they will mate with anything during the heaviest part of breeding season. .

 

[DakotaDreamer]

Hi Miss Lydia, That is a great idea for feeding them. Thank you for the suggestion. At what age do they mature? The only thing I have to base the time of maturity off of is that they start laying at around a year. I wasn't sure if that was when they matured or if it was merely because most goslings hatch during the spring so the first laying season would be a year from then. Thank you for your help

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well I can only go by my own experience with my geese, When my gander and goose first mated she was almost 9 months old. She laid her first egg about 3-4 weeks later.
Then a few years later I brought home 2 1 day old goslings and my pair raised them. At 5 months of age my oldest gander was mating with the 5 month old It was consensual she flattened out in the pool for him. I was very surprised now the gander that grew up with her didn't start mating with her till he was around 8-9 months old she started laying around 9 months old. So I guess they are ready to mate at a younger age but maybe the ganders aren't? I def wouldn't put her in with drakes until at least 5- 6 months old. Drakes can be relentless in their pursuit .Geese are very different in their approach to mating not near as crazy as ducks.

 

[DakotaDreamer]

Thank you. I just want them to be safe so I was willing to house them separately for a year if needed. I will probably incorporate them at around 6-7 months then. Thank you again for your help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you can do that it would probably be best.