Geese breeds

[keith14]

I noticed that some people prefer certain geese breeds over other's. What breeds do you guys like and why. You can say the pros and cons for the breed of your choice, for example I prefer chinese geese only because that's the only geese the hatcheries had near me but otherwise it wouldn't really matter but I know that some breeds including the chinese geese can be aggressive lol.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a 14 yr old Embden gander and a 9 yr old Toulouse goose. The gander was hatched here, the goose came home at 4 months old. These are the only breeds I have I love them both but owning geese are not for the faint of heart. Mine are grumpy from Jan till June each year. After breeding season is over and they molt they are fine till Jan rolls around again. They live in a little over half acre with ducks and chickens. Which they tolerate for the most part. Except my Muscovy drake and my gander they are mortal enemies. They have their own house too. So before anyone starts to think they may like to have geese they really need to research research research. Many times during breeding season I think why am I doing this? lol

 

[GeeseGoose]

I noticed that some people prefer certain geese breeds over other's. What breeds do you guys like and why. You can say the pros and cons for the breed of your choice, for example I prefer chinese geese only because that's the only geese the hatcheries had near me but otherwise it wouldn't really matter but I know that some breeds including the chinese geese can be aggressive lol.

While I’ve only had my one embden, she is wonderful! Here are the pros and cons:

PRO: She is huge! She’s large and in charge- very intimidating to wild animals and dogs, even other geese. Her huge wing span definitely outranks the wild geese. She *has* lost/backed down from ONE wing span challenge, but that was only because she had molted all of her flight feathers, lol
CON: Her large size means she needs more space. This isn’t an issue for me, but can be if your coop is smaller. Also, she’s heavy, weighing in at about 20lbs, but likes to be held! She’s not a gosling anymore, that’s for sure!

PRO: She is a fierce and loyal protector. 90% of the time, she stays with and protects my two ducks. Even when she isn’t Right by their side, you can tell she is still keen on her surroundings and ready to sound the alarm when necessary. She sure knows how to scare off a dog! My neighbor once saw her allegedly fight off a mink, even! When fighting doesn’t seem to be the best course of action, I’ve seen her lead the ducks to make a flying break for the pond.
CON: She’s a bit too protective… My dogs have been animal/bird dogs all their lives. My beagle, Willy, especially likes to hang around and even shepherd ducks a bit. In the past, this has been great! Bee, however, takes exception and chases him off, often “goosing” willy on the behind. Willy is not hurt, as she hardly even takes a nibble at him. He just doesn’t seem to understand that she is a bit different from the little ducks he’s used to!

PRO: Vocal and loud! Her chattiness is great for telling how she feels. It’s easy to tell when she is feeling wary, happy, upset or not feeling well. I can also hear if she is distressed or feels threatened from inside the house, so I can come running with a shovel to chase a predator away (if she doesn’t already have it covered!)
CON: She’s very loud. Whenever she sees me across the yard, she honks excitedly and doesn’t stop until she reaches me (even so, she honks happily at me for a bit.) While I know it’s because she loves me and is super jazzed to see me, I worry the neighbors may think she’s dying or something.

PRO: She is a total love! I raised her and she is a total mommas girl. I had to leave for college and feared she may lose trust or even forget me, but nope! When I returned for winter break and summer break, it was if no time had passed! She absolutely freaked out to see me home again! While the ducks generally follow me around, Bee is like glue. She’s always stuck right next to me and prying for attention.
CON: Uh… not much, really? I guess it’s a bit bothersome when she tries to take stuff from my hands and eat my food, but it’s sweet- she’s just a curious little thing and wants to be included!