Geese & Chickens - Can they live together?

[horsefarm]

I have three SEb geese goslings in with two other breed goslings and my chickens. The Sebastopols are more gentle than the other goslings, but thus far all get along well. Chickens have learned to stay away, if they value their feathers. They started it with some mean pecking and the grey geese learned quickly to pull their feathers. They backed off and havent bothered any of the goslings since. I think the SEbs should get along fine with chickens even when grown, as they are more gentle, as their rep. suggests.

 

[peeppeep]

I've got Pilgrim Geese (7).. they're the nicest.

 

[jblee]

I know nothing about geese, exepct what I have read and the 2 Buff goslings I just got. The common thread here seems to be the Chinese breed of geese. I think there aggressiveness is too much for other animals sometimes and even people. Theres Chinese geese at a small fish pond nearby and they are the ones you have to watch your kids around cause of the meanness. My chicken coop is elevated with steps so I dont think the geese will go in there but the chickens and geese will share the yard, so hopefully all get along.

 

[smileysal]

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Does this Chinese gander look aggressive to you???

 

[Miss Lydia]

My gander pretty much ignored the chickens till my lil frizzle became a mom and she tried to run him away from her chicks which he was ignoring too but she didn't think so anyway, now i have to keep them separate because he won't take no back talk. She also chases the ducks but so far they haven't turned on her.

 

[jblee]

Sorry if I got under someones skin. Never said all chinese were aggresive. Only shared what I read and what I have seen. I wasnt attacking the breed, it was just an opinion based on other people posts and my own experiance with geese and observation of what is being said.

 

[smileysal]

Quote:
Nope

just making the point that this particular Chinese ain't agressive

I have to say I believe it is the way you raise them that makes them mean, or not!

If the ones at the park are mean to kids, maybe some kids were mean to them first, they remember these things

And that's from first hand experience with more than one breed

 

[Balbinka]

If you keep exclusively females, it shouldn't be much of a problem. They won't be as overrun with horomones as ganders would.
Especially if they are allowed free range and space to "get away" from each other.

But to me, a product of good breeding is for aggressive geese to end up on the dinner table. Conformation is great... but as they say in the horse world,

"If he doesn't act like a gelding he will be."

 

[worryhorse]

I agree about the geese at the park probably having been antagonized by kids. If you watch them, a lot of parents seem to think it a wonderful experience to let their children go out and chase the geese, or ducks or anything else that may be cruising nature. I'd develop a bad attitude too if I was being chased on a daily basis. My Chinese Gander is a doll. I give him his little "goosey" massage everytime I go out there. He is protecting the female right now who is sitting on a nest. But even then he just stands in between you and her and makes lots of noise. He might nibble at you pants or shoes.

As far as penning them together with Chickens, I read that geese are a good addition to a free roaming area because they will "guard" the flock whether it be intentional or not. Just their noisy and intimidating presence is a benefit to any other critter you got out there. My geese are indifferent to the chickens. The only time they pay attention to them is if someone comes out with treats. The chickens will run over to grab up treats while the geese noisily waddle on over, and upon their arrival will chase the chickens away.

The geese have their own pen for at night and the chickens have theirs. But I too tried to keep the geese out of the chickens. I put an 18" trellis in front of their pen. It worked for the geese. It was too tall and the geese were too big and awkward to try to go over it. However, it succeeded in keeping the chickens out too. These same birds that jump the 4 foot fence into my backyard and patio area seemed flustered and not able to figure out to jump over the trellis. At night, I kept finding them roosting on the stacks of bricks just outside the side of their pen. (Have you ever tried moving a dozen sleeping chickens? They don't wake up...Hilarious! My hubby compares it to moving the sleeping child from the couch.) So I put a cement block in front of their pen with the open sides up. Chickens did not seem too mind this one and easily hopped over it to get in and out. However, it only stopped my gander for about a week. Although clumsy, he gets past this new obstacle easily now. My female doesn't find it worth the while though and doesn't even attempt to get in there.

 

[IdealisticRoo]

After attempting this at home in a LARGE run with every shelter having 2 daytime exits and the geese sleeping in a separate shelter, I would offer the following advice!


DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MIX GEESE WITH CHICKENS OF ANY SIZE!!!!!


I ordered a pair of tufted Roman Geese in February, 2011. They grew very quickly and at 4 months old they decided to kill chickens.

I lost 2 birds and had 1 severely wounded.

The losses were an Ameraucana/ Silkie mix and a Partridge Silkie.

The survivor was a Partridge Rock, but she played dead. She now has only 1 eye and very few feathers.

I feel terrible about this, but they grew up with and around the chickens and seemed to be fine together. The killings happened shortly after the gander began mounting the goose.

I do hope my experience will help others to realize that this is not a good idea.