Geese not laid - or are they Ganders?

[johnwesleybarke]

We're new to keeping geese. We were given a couple in October and they've been living in our garden with a pond and two chickens.

We were hoping to have eggs by now. They are over one year old but now we're doubting if they're geese if they're not laying eggs.

They seem healthy and they have lots of grass to eat and we give them goose food and mixed corn as small treats. They are slightly aggressive and attack the chickens from time to time which is quite distressing.

Any advice welcome.

Thanks,

John & Liz

 

[livininbrazil]

Are they Embdens? Why not post it on the Embden thread? To me, the one on the right certainly looks like a gander, due to the ways he´s standing, and the other one does a tiny bit, but i´ve also seen geese stand that way with the neck curved like that. It also looks smaller and quieter which is all female stuff. But someone with Embdens (they look Embden) should be able to tell you better.

 

[servpolice]

They are both ganders

 

[JulieNKC]

Both look like ganders to me, the geese generally have saggier bottoms, especially this time of year.

 

[johnwesleybarke]

Thanks for your help everyone. After my original posting, one our chickens was seriously injured. We didn't see the injury take place but we found our little brown hen on the ground unable to stand up. After a few days being nursed in a cardboard nesting box inside she is now back on her feet and walking kind of ok. We think she was "sat on" (or worse) by one or both of the ganders.

This was the final straw - the ganders are now gone to a good home and our garden has returned to peace and quiet with the chickens not being bullied.

It's be a while before we have geese again - if at all.

 

[livininbrazil]

Thanks for your help everyone. After my original posting, one our chickens was seriously injured. We didn't see the injury take place but we found our little brown hen on the ground unable to stand up. After a few days being nursed in a cardboard nesting box inside she is now back on her feet and walking kind of ok. We think she was "sat on" (or worse) by one or both of the ganders.

This was the final straw - the ganders are now gone to a good home and our garden has returned to peace and quiet with the chickens not being bullied.

It's be a while before we have geese again - if at all.

That´s really nice of you to let us know the outcome. Shame you had a bad experience with geese. Do the ganders now have geese to be with?
I hope it doesn´t put you off geese too much. From what I read, Embden ganders can be a handful. I have Pilgrims and some cross-bred somethings, and they´re wonderful. They get a little bit bossy when it´s feed-time, but that´s all. Enjoy your peace and quiet.

 

[RURU]

Thanks for your help everyone. After my original posting, one our chickens was seriously injured. We didn't see the injury take place but we found our little brown hen on the ground unable to stand up. After a few days being nursed in a cardboard nesting box inside she is now back on her feet and walking kind of ok. We think she was "sat on" (or worse) by one or both of the ganders.

This was the final straw - the ganders are now gone to a good home and our garden has returned to peace and quiet with the chickens not being bullied.

It's be a while before we have geese again - if at all.

My advice if you get more geese get them as goslings and imprint them on humans. But make sure to put the geese in a separate pen from chickens at night.
Also try and raise them and introduce them to chicken chicks that way they will be us to them and get along better but still they need to be in separate pens because geese love water and chicks you have to keep out of water....