Geese With Chickens

[farmerboy182]

Hi... I have lots of chickens and want geese. Is it possible for chickens and geese to live in harmony?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi... I have lots of chickens and want geese. Is it possible for chickens and geese to live in harmony?

Haha that's a funny one some say yes, I have to say if they free range they will probably be okay but even then it can be iffy especially during breeding season. I wouldn't house them together at all, matter of fact right now my geese are separated into their own fenced in area because I have young chicks running around and my geese have been known to grab a full grown chicken I don't want to take the chance of one getting hold of a young chick.Breeding season has just ended so I am hoping by end of July I can let them be back with the rest of the flock during the day. They also don't like broody ducks and I have those too another reason they are in their own space for now. I'll just put it this way they really don't like any of the other flock just themselves but they will tolerate the others as long as there is plenty of space to get away from each other.
I love my geese but they really are big bullies and like to throw their weight around.

Welcome to BYC!

 

[farmerboy182]

Thx for your help

 

[mylittleaviary]

I have 4 chickens and 1 rooster that are a little over a year old. This spring I added two geese to the crew (along with a few ducks and turkeys). They're all free-range and very tame. Right from day 1 I was afraid of what the rooster would do to the baby geese/ducks/turkeys, so carefully started introducing them to eachother when the babies were only about a week old. The rooster (who is known for having quite an attitude usually) ran from the baby geese immediately. He was scared of them! Must be instinct I'm thinking now. They share a building, but have separate coops inside it for night time (with chicken wire windows between them so they can't actually get to eachother, but see eachother easily). I thought this may help them get used to eachother without full access to eachother......not so sure now. They all do just fine free ranging together all day long. They share the same waterers and feeders outside and never have an issue, but also don't usually hang out in the same part of the yard at the same time. Last night Beep (the biggest goose) and his crew of ducks and turkeys refused to come out of the run on the chicken's side of the coop. I was tired and thought that since they seem to work out an arrangement amongst themselves all day, maybe it'd be ok. So I just opened the door inside the coop that usually separates them, shut the outside run door and went to bed. Woke up this morning and Beep was trying to pluck the tail feathers out of Mr. Egg (the rooster). Pork (the other goose) was chasing a hen around the run. No one was happy. I let them back out to the yard and they've all been fine friends again all day....I won't pen them together again at night though. From what I've seen watching mine, they seem to do just fine free-ranging, but they don't seem to be able to carry the truce into a confined area.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have 4 chickens and 1 rooster that are a little over a year old. This spring I added two geese to the crew (along with a few ducks and turkeys). They're all free-range and very tame. Right from day 1 I was afraid of what the rooster would do to the baby geese/ducks/turkeys, so carefully started introducing them to eachother when the babies were only about a week old. The rooster (who is known for having quite an attitude usually) ran from the baby geese immediately. He was scared of them! Must be instinct I'm thinking now. They share a building, but have separate coops inside it for night time (with chicken wire windows between them so they can't actually get to eachother, but see eachother easily). I thought this may help them get used to eachother without full access to eachother......not so sure now. They all do just fine free ranging together all day long. They share the same waterers and feeders outside and never have an issue, but also don't usually hang out in the same part of the yard at the same time. Last night Beep (the biggest goose) and his crew of ducks and turkeys refused to come out of the run on the chicken's side of the coop. I was tired and thought that since they seem to work out an arrangement amongst themselves all day, maybe it'd be ok. So I just opened the door inside the coop that usually separates them, shut the outside run door and went to bed. Woke up this morning and Beep was trying to pluck the tail feathers out of Mr. Egg (the rooster). Pork (the other goose) was chasing a hen around the run. No one was happy. I let them back out to the yard and they've all been fine friends again all day....I won't pen them together again at night though. From what I've seen watching mine, they seem to do just fine free-ranging, but they don't seem to be able to carry the truce into a confined area.

Happy to hear it wasn't worse than plucking some tail feathers. Lesson learned and everyone is still in tact. lol same here mine do pretty good out in the open but never could i or would i leave them all together inside.

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