Geese friendlyness meter

[barredrocks755]

Post on a scale from one to ten how nice you think or know a goose is.

I post a 2. I have had really bad experiences with geese they are SO mean!

 

[SkyWarrior]

6 -- most are nice or at least okay. I have one gander that's a pain because someone else raised him and he's looking to mate with humans. (not kidding). He's going to probably go to freezer camp.

 

[larkflying]

Really it depends on the season and the geese. My ganders are totally different in August than they are right now . . . and there's even variations among the ganders as well. I'd give my Buff American geese a collective 9 in the off breeding season. Right now, I have two 7's and a 2 (ganders) and the female geese are pretty much absent sitting on eggs . . .

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

As I said in my answer to your other post on the same subject.

You can not group all breeds of geese together. Some breeds are known to be calm, others not so much.

Even with in breeds you can have some calm/friendly geese in a breed not known for being so. You can get pretty rotten geese in calm breeds too.

They are individuals, yes there are some breeds known for being calm (Sebastopols, Dewlap Toulouse) and some known to be more aggresive (African & Chinese).

I can pick up our largest African gander, my husband can't turn his back on him. You just have to learn their personalities.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

My Pilgrim goslings were pretty nice, but they were just tiny babies.

 

[lauracamp]

I have had Chinese geese in the past that lived happily on my pond for years, here in Texas. Though we raised them and they came regularly for feeding, we liked that they were clever enough to stay on the water enough to evade coyotes and foxes. Of course their demise came when they tried to breed and set eventually... We have a Great Pyr. dog now that can help patrol and keep varmits away...But I'd like to find a breed of defensive geese that would be higher on the meaness meter, that might have the best chance of survival in the country-side. Any recomendations?

 

[wildpeas]

I dont understand the point of this poll.

Its like asking which flavor of ice cream is the best. It would be far better to ask: 'In your experience, which breeds of geese have you found to be the most friendly?'

Since I am just starting out in geesedom and my embdens are still goslings I would have to say embdens when they are goslings.

Mine are very sweet and calm. Right now. Who knows how they will be when they are full grown and reach almost to my waist. I'm hoping they will still be sweet and calm.

 

[cutechick2010]

Post on a scale from one to ten how nice you think or know a goose is.

I post a 2. I have had really bad experiences with geese they are SO mean!

It is not possible to say "geese are mean" or "geese are nice" because they are just as much individuals as we are. A big part of it also depends on how they were raised, if they had lots of human contact when they were small they will be friendlier. The geese you had a bad experience with may not have been "mean" either, you may have intruded on a territory where they were nesting, etc.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Mine are 10 my gander even likes my goslings and my broody goose adopted them as well they are not never mean.

 

[SkyWarrior]

As I said in my answer to your other post on the same subject.
You can not group all breeds of geese together. Some breeds are known to be calm, others not so much.
Even with in breeds you can have some calm/friendly geese in a breed not known for being so. You can get pretty rotten geese in calm breeds too.
They are individuals, yes there are some breeds known for being calm (Sebastopols, Dewlap Toulouse) and some known to be more aggresive (African & Chinese).
I can pick up our largest African gander, my husband can't turn his back on him. You just have to learn their personalities.

Now, I have African and Chinese, and they're not necessarily cuddly, but they're not mean or aggressive either. My Chinese gander will let you pet him; my African will let me pick him up. I just put some eggs in front of my broody Chinese goose and while she hissed at me (no surprise because she's guarding), she certainly didn't try to bite me.

The Embdens I adopted--whole other story. When I caught them, the child of the woman who gave them to me asked me if I was a goose whisperer.

I caught the gander with no fuss--just cornered him and timed my grab to catch his neck and body and slip him under my arm. Little did I know how aggressive he was.

I think aggressiveness is due to several factors, including how they were raised. My geese got contact, but they also learned to give me room.