Getting a goose to protect chickens...good or bad??

[Guitartists]

Ok, so while I was internet surfing, I came acroos this "tip" on how to protect your chickens from predators in the pens. They said to put a goose in the pen/coop with them.

Now, I know many of you are stern believers in not mixing birds like that. However..... would it be so bad if it was a female goose? Would the roosters bother her? Would she pick on the chickens? Has anyone actually tried this or currently has this setup? Will a goose deter predators???

 

[Guitartists]

No opinions on this one????

 

[love-my-wolves]

Sorry, I have no clue.

Hope someone comes along soon.

 

[redoak]

We have seasonal wild geese on our ponds that help alert our chickens about danger. I notice the geese are always alert and loud. We've lived here 3 years and the geese have never lost a chick, and we have alot of predators. No idea how tame geese are at keeping "watch".

 

[greyfields]

Geese are susceptible to most predators that chickens are. The only difference is they stay alert during the night and will make a lot of noise.

I however would never recommend anyone raise a single goose. You need a pair or ideally a trio. They won't bond with chickens and tend to do their own thing. Leaving a goose locked in a chicken run also just doesn't seem right. They need to be allowed to range during the day, then should be locked away at night for their own protection.

 

[chickn]

my father raised 2 geese with his chickens, a turkey and some pigeons all together happily with no sickness,,,however the male got very mean so he sold it, geese in my opinion, and we have tried them several times,,arent very nice for children or adults. the lone goose lived very well she bonded with the turkey, they were best buddies,

 

[chickenannie]

My friends have geese, ducks, turkeys, and chickens all living in the same area. The geese are great protectors. However, they live in an acre or two of pasture, so they each have their space to do their own thing. Even though they sometimes hang together, they're usually in their same species group when they do. I don't know if it would work to have them in a small enclosed coop together.

Personally, I'm scared of those geese. They hiss and make mean goose noises when you get close to them.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Yes! Get a goose! We are enablers here. LOL

I imagine that if you obtained the goose young or hatched it yourself and raised it with the chickens(with chicks if you got them). That the goose would bond to the chickens. They bond to us humans and we are a far cry from any goose, chickens are much closer. Do not buy an adult goose and expect it to be happy living with chickens.

-Kim

 

[Guitartists]

Thanks for all of the input

I think I will probably pass on geese until we have more room and their own space set up for them. I figured it was worth asking though

 

[Miltonchix]

Depends on what kind of goose. I HAD a chinese that was so !@#&# noisy and MEAN that we finally had to eat it.

Have some hillarious stories, like the time my wife heard it alarming. She runs to door with the shotgun (usually meant an unwanted dog was around) in time to see the goose, wings spread, running full tilt chasing a cat out of the yard.

The only problem with the goose was she was MEAN. No one could come visit without being attacked, wife couldn't be near me without being attacked. Evidently goose imprinted with me as she would follow me everywhere. Sounds cute, but it wasn't. At times it was very annoying having the constant honk honk at my heals.

She had 3 duck buddies that when it came to "predators", they were on their own. All 3 ducks were taken by either neighbors dogs or fox.