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

[Miss Lydia]

I use old wooden packing pallets as "tree guards" until the trees are big enough that my sheep can't eat them to the ground. Has worked quite will to keep the horses off them too.

What ever resources we have makes sense to use. Sometimes we just have to use our noodle. Before we got Missy I never had anyone of my flock chew the trees bark etc. my gander being raised with ducks I guess he just never did goosey things, but first year we had Missy I learned just how chewy geese are now things I want to preserve having fencing around them. She completely chewed the bark off a Forsythia bush first winter here. My 2 new ones are chewers too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

He met them this sunday but I don't think they like it, I think it's gelous because he bite them, and only bite the goslings, the moorhen chicks don't do them anything.
He will be used to them.
Thanks

It takes time but once the goslings are older I'm sure he'll like having them for companions Geese love to nip and chew. those moorhens are so cute

 

[livininbrazil]

I use old wooden packing pallets as "tree guards" until the trees are big enough that my sheep can't eat them to the ground. Has worked quite will to keep the horses off them too.

We´re considering getting a couple of sheep here, and we´d have to do the same...fencing wouldn´t keep them off, I´m quite sure. Our neighbours all use bits of wood nailed together to try to protect their trees from the various critters..

 

[jtn42248]

OMG they can fly!!!! Early this a.m. while I was letting all my birds out of their coops and getting their food and water together I noticed that the three Toulouse were honking and pacing up and down the fence between their run and the big field. So, I thought, well they want to forage for a while and went in to let them out into the field. They took a couple of cautious steps out into the field, then started a little run flapping their wings the way geese do and then suddenly they were in the air. They flew in a big arch around pretty much the entire field, necks fully extended, honking with what I think was joy. The sun was just rising and there they were about 5 feet off the ground flying in a big circle.

One side of the field is along a highway (US84) and, though not a really busy highway, a couple of cars and a truck actually pulled over to watch the spectacle of geese flying around in West Texas. When they landed they sort of looked around with a how did we do that sort of look on their face and went running back into their run.

Now I am, of course, worried that they may decide they want to be in the yard and fly over the fence to come face to face with my dogs. Not something I want to see happen. So, maybe higher fences are in order. Or, maybe we will just have a morning flight time each day.

But I can't remember anything as beautiful as my three in flight. Of course, you never have a camera when you need one but we will from now on.

 

[livininbrazil]

OMG they can fly!!!! Early this a.m. while I was letting all my birds out of their coops and getting their food and water together I noticed that the three Toulouse were honking and pacing up and down the fence between their run and the big field. So, I thought, well they want to forage for a while and went in to let them out into the field. They took a couple of cautious steps out into the field, then started a little run flapping their wings the way geese do and then suddenly they were in the air. They flew in a big arch around pretty much the entire field, necks fully extended, honking with what I think was joy. The sun was just rising and there they were about 5 feet off the ground flying in a big circle.

One side of the field is along a highway (US84) and, though not a really busy highway, a couple of cars and a truck actually pulled over to watch the spectacle of geese flying around in West Texas. When they landed they sort of looked around with a how did we do that sort of look on their face and went running back into their run.

Now I am, of course, worried that they may decide they want to be in the yard and fly over the fence to come face to face with my dogs. Not something I want to see happen. So, maybe higher fences are in order. Or, maybe we will just have a morning flight time each day.

But I can't remember anything as beautiful as my three in flight. Of course, you never have a camera when you need one but we will from now on.

It´s a wonderful sight, isn´t it? I love it. I think your concern is a good one, though. Mine fly any time of the day, but I don´t have to worry about dogs. You could clip their wings, too, at least for this year, to keep them safe. Shame, but it´s a way of avoiding disaster.

 

[Miss Lydia]

It´s a wonderful sight, isn´t it? I love it. I think your concern is a good one, though. Mine fly any time of the day, but I don´t have to worry about dogs. You could clip their wings, too, at least for this year, to keep them safe. Shame, but it´s a way of avoiding disaster.

I agree watching geese fly is a wonderful sight but finding them inside the dogs yard injured or dead would be awful, I am for clipping when there is possibilities of them being in trouble for flying. I know Missy has gotten off the ground on our driveway and although we're way off the road we have a river down below and i don't even want to think of trying to get her home from there.

 

[jtn42248]

It´s a wonderful sight, isn´t it? I love it. I think your concern is a good one, though. Mine fly any time of the day, but I don´t have to worry about dogs. You could clip their wings, too, at least for this year, to keep them safe. Shame, but it´s a way of avoiding disaster.

I agree watching geese fly is a wonderful sight but finding them inside the dogs yard injured or dead would be awful, I am for clipping when there is possibilities of them being in trouble for flying. I know Missy has gotten off the ground on our driveway and although we're way off the road we have a river down below and i don't even want to think of trying to get her home from there.

I will avoid clipping wings if at all possible. First because I have no idea how to do it and might injure the bird and second because, at least for now, there are other solutions. I can easily raise the fence between them and the yard (where the dogs are) by another four or five feet with little effort. They don't go into the field without me there so I can manage to keep them away from the highway and they go back into their run pretty much on command. I just hold up both arms and say inside and they turn and return to the coop. I know that I have incredibly smart geese don't I. Now lets just see if I am as smart as they are.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I will avoid clipping wings if at all possible. First because I have no idea how to do it and might injure the bird and second because, at least for now, there are other solutions. I can easily raise the fence between them and the yard (where the dogs are) by another four or five feet with little effort. They don't go into the field without me there so I can manage to keep them away from the highway and they go back into their run pretty much on command. I just hold up both arms and say inside and they turn and return to the coop. I know that I have incredibly smart geese don't I. Now lets just see if I am as smart as they are.

Glad your able to work it out.

 

[seminolewind]

With my horses when they chewed the bark off the trees, I just put any kind of wire fencing around it and tacked it on.

 

[EeyoreD]

They really have no means to protect Mallards or even them selves from predators that have teeth and claws, what they may do is sound an alarm to let the flock know of danger.

I don't want to contradict MLydia because she's right - geese can fight back but a determined, large predator with no other food options will break through.

However - I have a flock of 7 American Buff geese and I have personally observed them all (not just the ganders but the whole flock) spread their wings and run off raccoons more than once. Larger predators, I don't know. But 35 feet of spread, angry goose wings will deter. UNLESS there is no better food source nearby. Geese will absolutely run predators off but if there is no other food source, they may kill your geese and/or other poultry.

As for getting along - they likely will not adopt them into the goose flock. They're only slightly less sentimental than chickens. The geese will tolerate other birds, though (likely after some jostling and the other birds realize the geese are the mafia). And if your birds are smart enough to hang around near the geese, they will at least have an alarm for danger if not an actual aggressive goose push.

When you introduce them, unless someone is in dire danger, let them sort out the hierarchy. It will look bad, but if they sort it out themselves it will be better all around.