Geese Info Needed Semi-Urgently!

Minnowey

Songster
7 Years
Dec 30, 2016
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Northwest Oregon
I say semi-urgently because I won't be getting goslings for two weeks yet. I just found out today, one of my relative/poultry friends has geese, and she hatched out three baby goslings yesterday, she didn't want them, and they go to me:woot. They are pilgrim geese, all three females. I am new to geese and have some questions.
First off, no medication of any kind, right? At two weeks, will they need heating, or can they head outside? Is it true that you shouldn't feed them scratch, or is that you shouldn't? Here's my biggest question: geese beat up chickens right, but what about just the three females as adults/juveniles. Can they live with the chickens. Even if they can, I will probably not put them in with the chickens, but I would like to know how they do with ducks. I've got 8 runner ducklings, and my ideal living situation would be the geese and ducks living together, not with my chickens and turkeys. Speaking of turkeys, how are they with them? Any advice for a newbie greatly appreciated!
Oh, and here's a pic of the mother, father, and one of the goslings!
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You should see if your friend will keep them until the parents are done raising them instead of just for two weeks - it'll make it easier on you because, yes, at two weeks they still will need some heat and will need to be in a brooder.

Scratch should be fine as a treat, but not as a staple. They need to eat regular feed like the other birds. Whatever feed you feed your ducks should be fine when they're adults. As juveniles, they will need to be either on Flock Raiser or on chick starter with niacin added, which is the same as what your ducklings should be getting now, which is convenient. They will also need to be able to graze.

They don't really beat up chickens. Mine live with my chickens. They assert their dominance for sure but there's no aggression there. If you want to keep them with your ducks and separate from your chickens that'll work too.
 
You should see if your friend will keep them until the parents are done raising them instead of just for two weeks - it'll make it easier on you because, yes, at two weeks they still will need some heat and will need to be in a brooder.

Scratch should be fine as a treat, but not as a staple. They need to eat regular feed like the other birds. Whatever feed you feed your ducks should be fine when they're adults. As juveniles, they will need to be either on Flock Raiser or on chick starter with niacin added, which is the same as what your ducklings should be getting now, which is convenient. They will also need to be able to graze.

They don't really beat up chickens. Mine live with my chickens. They assert their dominance for sure but there's no aggression there. If you want to keep them with your ducks and separate from your chickens that'll work too.

She says that two weeks is the normal time she takes them away from the parents, which is also the time she throws her incubated goslings outside forevermore. On the other hand, her weather is a little warmer this time of year, I'll talk to her about letting her keep them a little longer. I am still a little reluctant to keep them with the chickens, they do poo a lot. Do they rip up grass?
 
They definitely need some warmth/protection at two weeks still. That will either have to come from you or mama/papa goose.

Goslings and geese LOVE grass. They're little lawnmowers. Grass is their favorite food, and their primary food source "in the wild."
 

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