Geese: Pros and Cons

[mbbrinegar]

Here is a glimpse into the world of a 3 week old American Buff. I made this video yesterday of her. While not a true Pros Cons list, I hope you find it helpful in your decision to get geese.

She is so adorable. Sorry about your other gosling, it has me a little puzzled of why he would get so aggressive at such a young age.

 

[Skyfire]

Thank you for the kind words. I wasn't sure if some goslings are just wired like that or how common it is for them to be born aggressive. I wondered if it could have been diet related, too much socialization, etc, but Jupiter received the exact same treatment and care. We are new to the world of geese. This board has been such a valued resource of information and guidance, but we are also learning as we go.

 

[lovepoultry8009]

I'm so sorry that your goose got so aggressive I never knew that they could get aggressive at such a young age!

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Docile geese: American, Sebastapol.

All geese are loud, very loud piercing sound. Don't get them if you have close neighbors.

You can't separate them once they've bonded, like you could with chickens or ducks. So once a pair has imprinted/bonded, you can't try and make them breed with others, it won't work. They will just scream and honk for weeks, even if they aren't allowed to see each other.

Keep them in pairs or even-numbered flocks.

Their poop doesn't smell bad when they're eating grass. It only stinks when they eat pellets.

They can live for decades, so be sure you're commited. Do you really want a bird that will be around 20+ years?

 

[Carrosaur]

Cons: Geese can be extremely aggressive, especially during mating season.

There's no way to keep them from screaming.

They'll alert you to EVERYTHING.

When they decide they hate someone (a neighbor, a certain dog, etc) it's hard to change their mind.

Pros:

They're gorgeous gorgeous animals.

Their family units and friend circles are so fun to watch when you have a lot of them.

They. can see you as their mom and will follow you around as babies.

They're very rewarding when they're fully feathered, you raised them and cared for them, you were the reason that lived!