Geese dressed out so small - what did I do wrong?

[3KillerBs]

Or, just use a bathroom scale. Hold the bird, stand on the scale. Then release the bird and weigh yourself. Do the math.

That only works for rough weights in whole pounds.

If you're weighing animals where ounces may matter -- particularly when young and growing rapidly -- you want more accuracy.

 

[gooseapplefarms]

Or, just use a bathroom scale. Hold the bird, stand on the scale. Then release the bird and weigh yourself. Do the math.

My wife thought I had lost my mind when she saw me holding a goose in the bathroom.
I ordered a parcel scale to weigh them in the future, it's large and has a tare function so I can weigh them in a big storage tote.

 

[BrandonsBirbs]

Or, just use a bathroom scale. Hold the bird, stand on the scale. Then release the bird and weigh yourself. Do the math.

That's how you're meant to weigh baby humans too!

@3KillerBs is very right though, even midwife's say it gives a very rough estimate.

That only works for rough weights in whole pounds.

If you're weighing animals where ounces may matter -- particularly when young and growing rapidly -- you want more accuracy.

 

[Ckr]

Are geese as aggressive and grumpy as we hear? Never met anyone who raised geese but they intrigue me, I love their calls!

So far so good, but they're still young. The keeper geese that I've been careful to never upset are super friendly and curious and companionable, but the ones that I caught and moved down to the pasture pen never forgave me... Not aggressive, but wouldn't let me even get close for months. Fingers crossed that next year the breeders still like me, but I'm prepared to cut my losses if they don't. With small children around, I don't take chances with nasty birds.

 

[Ckr]

Not found anything about your Embden geese but on a few UK sites people reporting dress out weights of the Toulouse geese from 3kg to about 4.5kg (6.6lb to 10lb) but most were between 7-8lb. These weights were from mixed sex around 30-36 weeks.

Super helpful. Thank you!

 

[Ckr]

Well, there's 'underweight' for a goose in general, and there's 'underweight' for a meat bird. Domesticated geese increased in size over their wild counterparts over the centuries/millennias. Without selective pressure, nature will want to size them back down closer to their wild cousins.
If you're planning on keeping some for breeding, weighing them live is a must IMO. You want to keep the bigger birds and cull the smaller ones for meat. This really applies to any animal, not just geese.
But, IMO, it's important to start with good stock, birds that grow quick and on schedule. There's no sense in breeding out birds that take 1 yr to get to butchering size if you can grow them to table size in 6 months with better breeding, and you'll never get there if you start with undersized birds to begin with.
The primary problem with underweight geese is the meat to bone ratio. They bone up quickly, but good meat mass comes later. If they're are dressing out at 6lbs, the usable meat ratio is going to be much less than a bird that dress out at 10lbs.
Anyway, take what I say with a giant grain of salt, because I'm new at this.

This is great info (muscle mass, etc.). Thank you!
If I'm keeping breeders I usually tend towards medium size breeds - I had Frankensized Pekins for years and while they were absolutely spectacular meat birds, I eventually let them go and I don't think I'd breed them again. A Saxony or Appleyard is more my speed for a self-sustaining flock, especially since I try to let them range a bit. With that said, I don't think I'd do the Toulouse again but smaller Embdens might be OK -- smaller than a factory bird but bigger than a heritage breed. I'll try to weigh my remaining birds and I'll update the thread if I figure it out!

 

[Ckr]

I weigh cockerels with a fishing scale of the sort that has a hanging hook under it, a 5-gallon bucket, and a cloth to wrap them in to keep them from flapping and to cover their eyes.

I do it by taking them from their roost after dark and using a red headlamp.

Take bird off roost, wrap quickly, gently, but firmly, stick bird in bucket, get weight of bird plus bucket plus cloth, free bird to return to roost. Then weigh the bucket and cloth and subtract that to get the bird's weight.

That sounds like a great idea, but the geese seem perfectly awake and aware in the night hours... I will have to figure something out without offending their great and overbearing dignity!
Thank you!

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I weigh cockerels .....
..... by taking them from their roost after dark and using a red headlamp.

...but the geese seem perfectly awake and aware in the night hours...

That's because chickens can't see in the dark, but geese and ducks can.