Geese vs. Ducks?

[bluemerle]

Hello! Back again with more questions.

I plan on keeping geese & ducks both - though only one is going to happen this year. I just can't decide which! Both will be from hatcheries - Ancona ducks from Cackle, Tufted Romans from Metzer; all female. I'm familiar with ducks, so I know what I'm getting into with those! Not so much with geese. My usual mode of research is youtube videos, but a lot of those are of Chinese geese, and I understand that the Romans tend to be a lot quieter and calmer.

I guess I'm just looking for some perspective from people who own (& love!) both. Are the geese just as entertaining to watch as ducks? What is your daily routine with them like? Admittedly I'm leaning a little bit towards geese because I hear they make less mess than the ducks - is this true?

Thanks in advance for any responses!

 

[LRH97]

Hello! This is certainly a good place for questions!

I'm partial to geese, myself but that's just me. I've never really been into domestic ducks as much as turkeys, chickens, and geese. I do love my Muscovies though. Ducks and geese do have their similarities, but they've got some pretty big differences between them too. Not so much regarding care, but differences between the birds themselves.

I think both are entertaining birds to keep. Geese probably would appeal more to the beauty aspect, though. They're more graceful and stately as opposed to quirky and waddly. However, they're very intelligent and if you work with them when they're young, they can be very affectionate. Let it be known, I don't want to put forth the notion that geese are predator proof, because they're not. I have lost geese to predation over the years, albeit few. However, I've had duck massacres. The term "sitting duck" doesn't come from nowhere, you know.

As far as my daily routine with them, it's just feeding and watering. Nothing really special. I alternate grazing days with both breeds of geese I keep--that's another thing. If geese have access to good pasture, a majority of their diet will consist of that. That means less feed for them and more money for you! Mine also LOVE iceberg lettuce. When they hear the wrapper, they're on top of my feet. Plus they're just so cute when you kneel down and they're talking in your face while you pet their chests!

I'm not trying to knock ducks at all, but there's just something about geese for me. As for mess, any waterfowl will turn a patch of grass into mud over time. Ducks will just do it 300x faster. Geese will root around and "weed", and over time them just being there will wear the grass down. But, I'm sure you're aware that a dabbling duck is perfectly capable of turning a 12" mud puddle into a swamp in a week's time.

 

[thumper650]

@Miss Lydia has both, she could give you some insight.
I have ducks, I'd love geese but I'm concerned about the noise, even though there's some space between me and my neighbors.

 

[bluemerle]

@thumper650 Yes, I would love @Miss Lydia 's thoughts!!

@LRH97 Thank you for the response!! The more I hear about geese the more I am about them. And yes - I have plenty of grass on my property, so they should be happy!

I will say - the one thing about chicken people I've been jealous of is that their routine can just be feeding & watering. With the ducks, most of my routine with them is managing their pool. And their surprisingly large, gopher-like holes they like digging all over. I believe they're worth it, but they are a lot of work.

 

[Helloworld]

Geese. Easier to maintain. Meaner than a snake during breeding time. Protect ducks from predators.

Ducks. Terrible mothers. Owls love them. The funnier character. Bossy.
I use as leaders for geese because they demand organization! I have a flock of 6 blue American Geese and I have 1 American buff male duck that keeps them all in line. He is their boss. We do this with every set.

So my answer would be you need some of both. Lol

 

[Pinckney]

My goose lost her mate this year (she’s living with my ducks while I find a mate) and right now she is seeking my attention. She just hangs out nearby. So I got down on the ground and talked to her for awhile today. She just stood about 2 feet away and quietly hung out with me. That to me is the difference between the two. Ducks are always in motion whereas geese you can press pause and just hang out together.
She does make me laugh too but the ducks, maybe b/c they are a flock, are more entertaining.
She’s a Shetland, so a smaller bird, and she’s not as messy as the ducks. Maybe if I had a lot of geese I’d feel differently but since I keep them in electric netting and move them around the ducks and geese have done a great job at fertilizing my grass. I don’t have an issue with the size/quantity of the manure but I do move them through my horse pasture, making sure they have shade/can hide from aerial predators. I had 6 Pomeranians at one time and really enjoyed the flock dynamics.
Not sure if that helps you to decide which to get first? I’d vote for geese first so you can focus on getting them off to a good start. Ducks don’t need the same degree of attention.

 

[ChristineR]

I guess I'm just looking for some perspective from people who own (& love!) both. Are the geese just as entertaining to watch as ducks? What is your daily routine with them like? Admittedly I'm leaning a little bit towards geese because I hear they make less mess than the ducks - is this true?

Are the geese just as entertaining to watch as ducks?
I think so.

What is your daily routine with them like?
Both get fed once per day. Both are let out of their pens when I'm home.

Admittedly I'm leaning a little bit towards geese because I hear they make less mess than the ducks - is this true?
Not necessarily. Goose poop in the yard sticks around WAY longer than duck poop. Ducks make more mess around water, though. Both can be pretty messy, so I probably wouldn't use that to decide to go with one over the other.

If you do plan to have both, but aren't getting them at the same time, I would get the ducks first, so the goslings can grow up with the ducks and hopefully not bully them when they get bigger than the ducks.

 

[Pinckney]

If you do plan to have both, but aren't getting them at the same time, I would get the ducks first, so the goslings can grow up with the ducks and hopefully not bully them when they get bigger than the ducks.

Or let the geese raise the ducklings as their own. Should work if you place the ducklings at 1 or 2 days old.