Geese or ducks? Which is better

[BarredRocks3]

So we had ducks and now there gone (they were both drakes so we had to get rid of them.) Now in the spring my family is debating over what we get in the spring, ducks or geese? Which consumes more water and is more messy? Anybody like one more than the other or are they the same care wise?

 

[Alaskan]

So we had ducks and now there gone (they were both drakes so we had to get rid of them.) Now in the spring my family is debating over what we get in the spring, ducks or geese? Which consumes more water and is more messy? Anybody like one more than the other or are they the same care wise?

About the same care wise....,

I found the geese marvelous at keeping my lawn trimmed AND edged, but tgey
1. Like to sit and poop right in front of the front door
2. Would not graze evenly.

I think a moveable pasture for the geese would make them much more doable. They were tasty.

I found ducks (Cambells, Blue Swedish, etc.) very impressively, how can they be that messy, messy......and much tastier than store bought duck. I didn't try them as lawn mowers.

I now have Muscovy.
- most tasty of the three, truly magnificently delicious. You can make them taste like veal or super tender beef.

- not destructive of vegetation, they love meat. It us great fun to feed them bait fish, chicken wings, and dog food, etc.

- so ultra cute in the way they wag their tails when happy, that it is difficult to eat them. Also, they are very quiet, if you live in town.

 

[Carrosaur]

I like geese WAY better. So much friendlier and calmer, more like PETS not lawn ornaments that run away from you.

 

[livininbrazil]

I like geese WAY better. So much friendlier and calmer, more like PETS not lawn ornaments that run away from you.

Lawn ornaments that run ANYWHERE would be quite novel!
My favourites are my geese, muscovies are second.

 

[LovedMyAlydar]

I will take geese over ducks any day. Ducks are airheads. And messy. Dig holes anywhere they find a bit of standing water.

Geese have a ton of personality and bond pretty closely with you if you are their caretaker. I love my geese.

 

[jtn42248]

I have 24 ducks and 3 geese and the geese take the prize in almost all categories. They have personality, the chatter to me, the follow me around like little puppies, they are clean compared to other fowl, they alert me about goings own around the farm.......

My ducks are beautiful, they are silly, they are fun to watch but they act like I am the monster that came from out of the muck they make in their water. The males want to rape every female that moves and try to kill each other...especially the younger males that have no idea what is going on yet. They are a good deal more work than the geese or the chickens.

 

[livininbrazil]

I have 24 ducks and 3 geese and the geese take the prize in almost all categories. They have personality, the chatter to me, the follow me around like little puppies, they are clean compared to other fowl, they alert me about goings own around the farm.......

My ducks are beautiful, they are silly, they are fun to watch but they act like I am the monster that came from out of the muck they make in their water. The males want to rape every female that moves and try to kill each other...especially the younger males that have no idea what is going on yet. They are a good deal more work than the geese or the chickens.

All of the above, and I´ve been really enjoying the wonderful smell of little gozzie poops just lately... can´t say that about ducks or chickens...

 

[DurhamDuck]

Better for what? Pets, eggs, meat?

Carrosaur is right- geese are more like pets than lawn ornaments (ducks can be pets, too, but they will turn skittish if you don't spend a lot of time with them). They need deep water though, to get the weight off their legs. Waterfowl have very weak legs compared to chickens and other poultry/gamebirds. Heavy duck breeds also need deep water. If you only have a small pool or tub, I would go with Indian runners. They are a more skittish duck, but will lay tons of eggs. Also they come in tons of colors, which is nice, because then you can tell individuals apart easily. As long as you give them enough water to clean themselves off in they will be fine. They are really funny looking. They are very skinny and useless for meat though.

Someone mentioned muscovy ducks. They look, act, and taste differently from other breeds. They don't quack but they need a roost to sleep on at night. Some people don't even consider them a real duck. So do your research not just on duck or goose, but duck, goose, or muscovy.

BTW- if you want eggs, stay away from geese. They only lay around ten eggs in May and then stop. For eggs go with ducks: Indian Runners, Campbells, or Welsh Harlequins, or a hybrid designed for egg laying.

If I could only have one or the other it would definitely be geese. They are more like pet dogs, whereas a flock of ducks is more like a koi pond. The only downside is you don't get eggs.

Geese need more water and land to exercise on or their legs will get weak. Plus their grazing instincts are strong so they get a little neurotic if they need to be locked up in a small space- they need more land than chickens or ducks. If you don't give it to them, they will chew their way out of the coop/fence to find it! Small breeds of ducks don't have this problem and lay more eggs.

They all make a mess. Some types of geese will rip grass out of the ground but other breeds just trim it, so take that into account, too. Geese honk really loudly, too. Muscovies make hardly any noise. Ducks are somewhere in between, but still on the louder side.

 

[servpolice]

Geese. are 100 times better then those birds we called ducks

 

[jtn42248]

Geese. are 100 times better then those birds we called ducks