GOOSE BREEDING THREAD - for breeding, incubating, hatching and rearing.

[SolarPoweredMe]

Got started raising Blue Geese by accident. Bought an excellent SEARS 600 egg incubator at a garage sale for cheap. My Mom's friend had some Blue Geese that were never successful hatching their eggs, and she gave me several eggs to try and hatch for her. The incubator did what it was supposed to do, and before long she had lots of goslings. I got paid with more eggs. My daughter took up with the hatchlings and became their step mama.

Here's a twist. Mom said big farm geese like these can't fly. Well my geese grew and grew, and became very messy around the barn yard, so I sack them all up one night, and the next morning, took them to our quarter mile long 'Strip Pit' full of water. I'd feed them every afternoon, and if they were way across the water when I showed up, they'd swim as fast as they could to me, fluttering their wings in all the excitement. Eventually they could fly just above the water for a little ways.

Now the kicker: One morning, while in the barn yard doing my chores, I hear this honking, like a gaggle of geese do in the fall when they migrate, but this was summertime. The honking made me look up, and lo - and - behold all 10 of my Blue Geese were high overhead circling the barnyard, then swooping to touchdown right in front of me. From then on, they went and done as they pleased, but their nights would be spent inside the hallway of the barn.

This is so great! I had to look up blue geese to know what you were talking about, but man are they gorgeous! This is the sweetest picture btw.

 

[gander007]

Awesome! What kind of geese do you have?

Aww! That is the cutest thing. EVER!

Just brought in my 4th egg. It's bigger than all the rest. I found it buried in one of the stalls. Silly geese, or maybe not so silly, when they bury the eggs it helps keep them from getting frozen.

~ Aspen

Well here I will show you

See they can get along












The Gander closest in the photo hurt his wing at week 2 of
age and I was unable to catch him for another 3 weeks so
his feathers bother him at molt so he bights them off....



Momma just over 10 years I have had her and no none
of the others are her offspring

Them my seven geese

gander007

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for telling me! I reset it on youtube. Bath time is sooooo much fun for everyone, I can't wait to be able to do it in the big pool outside. That's what we though, was brown Chinese or African, but the guy we got the eggs from doesn't have African and only white Chinese. Was thinking she's some kind of cross then? He's got Pilgrim, Sebastepol, Chinese, and Embden. Thanks, she's my little baby <3 It should be noted that she's notably bigger than the 2 born on the same day as her. I dunno, it's going to be a surprise after the molt that brings on her full fledged look!

That's right I forgot all white except for Pilgrim well it will be interesting .

 

[Iain Utah]

Got started raising Blue Geese by accident. Bought an excellent SEARS 600 egg incubator at a garage sale for cheap. My Mom's friend had some Blue Geese that were never successful hatching their eggs, and she gave me several eggs to try and hatch for her. The incubator did what it was supposed to do, and before long she had lots of goslings. I got paid with more eggs. My daughter took up with the hatchlings and became their step mama.

Here's a twist. Mom said big farm geese like these can't fly. Well my geese grew and grew, and became very messy around the barn yard, so I sack them all up one night, and the next morning, took them to our quarter mile long 'Strip Pit' full of water. I'd feed them every afternoon, and if they were way across the water when I showed up, they'd swim as fast as they could to me, fluttering their wings in all the excitement. Eventually they could fly just above the water for a little ways.

Now the kicker: One morning, while in the barn yard doing my chores, I hear this honking, like a gaggle of geese do in the fall when they migrate, but this was summertime. The honking made me look up, and lo - and - behold all 10 of my Blue Geese were high overhead circling the barnyard, then swooping to touchdown right in front of me. From then on, they went and done as they pleased, but their nights would be spent inside the hallway of the barn.

Precious picture!

 

[Iain Utah]

I went through the link, it's truly incredible to see! The rods through his little legs.. ARG! made me cringe. It's so beautiful to know there are people out there willing to go to these lengths to take care of animals!

Thank you. It's very nice of you to say. Not all geese have the disposition to go through what Spirit has gone through, which has greatly determined the path we have gone down with the medical procedures. But he reminded me so much of the Disney movie character Spirit before he was even out of the shell that it has all been worth it.

 

[SolarPoweredMe]

I've looked around, but can't find definitive answers. Is 20% protein good for newborns or is that too high? I'm picking up threads and articles about angel wing, and slipped wing and it's freaking me out. Wish there was an age chart that mapped out what levels are good for when.. Also, I picked up some different grass seeds to grow patches of goodies here and there. Is there a list somewhere that tells safe and often favorite greens for geese? My people garden is fenced from the rest of the yard so I'm not worried about them getting a taste for whatever they want. Veggies, flowers.. What is candy for geese?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I've looked around, but can't find definitive answers. Is 20% protein good for newborns or is that too high? I'm picking up threads and articles about angel wing, and slipped wing and it's freaking me out. Wish there was an age chart that mapped out what levels are good for when.. Also, I picked up some different grass seeds to grow patches of goodies here and there. Is there a list somewhere that tells safe and often favorite greens for geese? My people garden is fenced from the rest of the yard so I'm not worried about them getting a taste for whatever they want. Veggies, flowers.. What is candy for geese?

I use an all flock by Purina and it's 20% I also give lots of greens you can chop real fine Romaine lettuce and start putting it in their water, just be sure to always have a bowl of fine chick grit any time you feed any thing but their crumble. Grass should be fine as long as it's not the long thick blades they can get impacted from eating long blades of grass,I'm growing fodder for my flock and using wheat for it. also rye would be good to use or barley. Corn is candy to geese but in cold months mine get some daily since it generates heat. Geese like kale, collards, I buy bunches of collards and hang the up and my geese and ducks and chickens love to tear off bits to eat usually by end of second day there is nothing left. Since yours can't be out side yet I'd get some Brewers yeast to add to the feed sprinkle some on top daily. At the age your babies are I'd just start by offering them very shredded lettuce in their water. or tub. I've never had a problem with angel wing since i have had ducks going on 10 yrs, but all of mine are hatched by their mamas and are on the ground by day 2 or 3 It does make a difference, they get them out their eating various things to supplement their diets. But Brewers yeast will help with any weak legs issues and you can add some chopped oatmeal to their feed to cut the protein a bit since they think angel wing might be caused by too high protein.

 

[SolarPoweredMe]

I use an all flock by Purina and it's 20% I also give lots of greens you can chop real fine Romaine lettuce and start putting it in their water, just be sure to always have a bowl of fine chick grit any time you feed any thing but their crumble. Grass should be fine as long as it's not the long thick blades they can get impacted from eating long blades of grass,I'm growing fodder for my flock and using wheat for it. also rye would be good to use or barley. Corn is candy to geese but in cold months mine get some daily since it generates heat. Geese like kale, collards, I buy bunches of collards and hang the up and my geese and ducks and chickens love to tear off bits to eat usually by end of second day there is nothing left. Since yours can't be out side yet I'd get some Brewers yeast to add to the feed sprinkle some on top daily. At the age your babies are I'd just start by offering them very shredded lettuce in their water. or tub. I've never had a problem with angel wing since i have had ducks going on 10 yrs, but all of mine are hatched by their mamas and are on the ground by day 2 or 3 It does make a difference, they get them out their eating various things to supplement their diets. But Brewers yeast will help with any weak legs issues and you can add some chopped oatmeal to their feed to cut the protein a bit since they think angel wing might be caused by too high protein.

Awesome! Will order various seeds to try tonight. Ran to the grocery just a minute ago and got some romaine and turnip tops, since they didn't have kale or collards that looked fresh. Ripped a tiny bit and she went CRAZY for it. Actually jumped into the air to get it out of my hand. Talk about a training tool! I'm going to toss a little buffet into the tub tonight and start using her favorites to teach her to respond to her name and such. Was looking at the best grass types, and read that bluegrass, and orchard grass are great. Any advice on high nutrient grasses to seed throughout the back? There are bare spots all over that I can put whatever in to grow.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Awesome! Will order various seeds to try tonight. Ran to the grocery just a minute ago and got some romaine and turnip tops, since they didn't have kale or collards that looked fresh. Ripped a tiny bit and she went CRAZY for it. Actually jumped into the air to get it out of my hand. Talk about a training tool! I'm going to toss a little buffet into the tub tonight and start using her favorites to teach her to respond to her name and such. Was looking at the best grass types, and read that bluegrass, and orchard grass are great. Any advice on high nutrient grasses to seed throughout the back? There are bare spots all over that I can put whatever in to grow.

Be sure to offer grit when you start introducing greens or anything other than their crumble. Don't know about Blue grass but orchard is part of the bale of hay I bought for my flock for winter it also has timothy in it.

 

[SolarPoweredMe]

Ok, got a couple of questions please. First, the babies have a very audible grinding noise coming from their bellies... I assume this is the grit working right? Normal for it to be so loud? Kinda freaked us out. Ok, it really freaked us out. Next, I thought "true colors" came in with real feathers, but their fluff is turning colors, is this normal, or some kind of deficiency in diet I need to correct? Lastly, I'm trying to understand their language, and I've figured out a few sounds thus far. There is a quick and low chip chip chip chip chip she does when eating, it seems that our 2 are telling each other they're chomping cause when one starts with that noise the other comes running. There is the LOUD spaced out high pitch panicked CHEEEEP CHEEEEP when I go out of sight. She responds to my voice if I talk but won't stop until I come back. That's her mommy call. It's the same one she does when she's following me around. There is a quick high pitched neck extended and held low chirp that she does when I come back into the room or in sight after a minute. When showering she's in a clear plastic tub in the bathroom so I can peek out and talk to her, but she still freaks. When I get her out it's like she's yelling at me but not being mean, biting, or aggressive. The one that's got me stumped is this high pitched squeal that goes up and down like her voice is trembling. I can't figure out if she's mad, annoyed, or happy. She's only doing it when I'm holding her in my lap or she's got her head curled up around my neck so I'd like to think it's a good one. They're awesome, and growing so friggin FAST it's incredible. We've been walking them up and down the hall and all around the house with different greens as treats and repeating their names.. Xylo has hers down and perks up and runs when she hears it.