general questions about geese

[bibliophile birds]

thanks for the tips everyone. i hadn't thought about that with the electric fence... i think we have a pulsing charger somewhere, i'll just have to do some digging around to find it.

i'm hoping to get more geese in the near future, but i believe these have been on their own for a while, so introductions will probably be slow. hopefully after a few weeks of constant water access they'll start to get the hang of it. maybe i'll go for a swim and show them how it's done!

the Canadians definitely outnumber the 2 Romans i'm getting- last i counted we've got around 12 pairs, all raising goslings. they're here most of the year and have been for at least 20 years- they were introduced by Fish & Game just after our lake was built because lots of nesting grounds in the area had been destroyed by development. they aren't protected or i wouldn't be able to introduce new geese at all.

 

[bibliophile birds]

well, i got them home and i LOVE them! they don't quite love me yet, but there has been minimal hissing and no biting, so we're off to a good start! i sat in the pen with them for a little while and splashed them which they seemed to enjoy. they are just precious!

 

[Golden Valley Farm]

Are they tufted Buffs?

 

[sydney13]

about how loud are they? do you think a quiet goose is about as loud as a chicken? im thinking of getting geese but im worried about the neighbors

 

[bibliophile birds]

i'm pretty sure they are Romans or at least some Roman cross. they are mostly white, with just a bit of light gray mixed in... and some dirt, of course! and they definitely have blue eyes, whereas i think Buffs have brown?

when i picked them up from my BYC friend, they were QUITE loud- honking and hissing and being clowns. much, much louder than a hen but maybe about the same as a rooster crow, just not as prolonged. also a goose honk is a lot harder to identify than a rooster crowing, so you might be able to pass them off as a particularly loud squeaky toy!

since i've gotten them home, however, they have been very quiet. i'm assuming that they are a tad in shock at finding themselves in a new environment because i really don't want to think i've broken them on day one!

 

[allthings'g']

How old are they? Sometimes Roman's esp. females can have a few gray feathers mixed in here and there. I have one that is almost 2 and she still has a couple of gray feathers on her neck. I think it's a good sign that they are Romans because they have the blue eyes. When ever mine were crossed with a darker breed they always have had brown eyes. Don't know if that always holds true it is just what has happened here with the three that were crossed with chinese a couple of years ago.

You'll have to keep us posted on your progress. I think you're really going to enjoy them.

 

[bibliophile birds]

allthings'g' :

How old are they?

our best guess is 2-4. their history is rather vague and i've gotten them 3rd hand, so i'm grasping at straws a bit.

i'm enjoying them so much already!

ok, a few questions:

- do they need grit? i'm assuming yes.
- is there an ideal protein content i should aim for in their supplemental feed?
- how much grass do they really need per day? at the moment, i will be cutting grass for them until i can let them out to range, so i'd like to have a decent estimate.

thanks!​

 

[mominoz]

I think your geese may be tufted Roman crosses. I had a tufted roman mate with a pilgrim and he was heavier than the tufted roman and had a smaller tuft. I have 4 Tufted Buffs and they are heavier than a roman.

 

[bibliophile birds]

the geese, which my mom has decided to call Ricky and Lucy Goose... they were her Mother's Day presents so I'm not saying anything

checking out Mom, my sister, and my precious niece.

my niece LOVES the geese, especially when they honk at her

how i got them home... in the back of a Honda Element! my Dad's Element more specifically. he was not particularly pleased. thank god for waterproof interiors!

 

[kcsunshine]

Hey bb - I told Gary your mom renamed them Ricky & Lucy and he thought about it for a long time - then he said, "Oh, Ricardo!"

They look quite content - I'm so glad I could pass them on to such a good home.

I'm glad we moved your dad's golf clubs!