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

[jessicaagross]

I know poor little bird doesn't stand a chance for normal, does it?

 

[DanicaDream]

I would love some goose advice!!

We just purchased a house in the mountains, and the previous owners had geese, chickens, and ducks, all in the same coop. Because they could not take the birds with them when they left, they asked us if we'd keep them, since they knew we had chickens. We said yes, but said we were going to re-home the geese, because the geese are really mean.

I haven't had time to look for new homes for the geese, but today, when I went in to give them food and water inside the coop because of the snow, I realized that we have a goose sitting on a clutch of eggs. She did not like me being in there, that's for sure! I watched her take out a rooster who got too close.

Even if I wanted to, the goose won't let me near the eggs, so I figured I'd just let her go ahead and hatch them. Given the amount of mating I'm seeing in the pen, I'm wondering who else is going to end up with a clutch of eggs. Anyway, I was starting to think that maybe, if I got to know the babies, the babies might not be so mean. Plus, they're cute!! So maybe I should keep them all.

I'd love to hear other people's experiences with geese and how I can make this work, or if it's really a lost cause and I should find new homes for them. There are 6 geese, 2 ducks, and 11 chickens. I came into the situation with 3 of my own chickens, but they are in a separate coop until I figure out how best to integrate the flock. With the way I've seen the geese pick on the other chickens, I'm kind of afraid to put the geese with my chickens, because my little Salmon Faverolle will probably get the brunt of it. She's sweet, delicate, and incredibly stupid. Probably the stupidest chicken you'll ever meet, but she's so sweet and loveable, you just can't help but adore her. Not that the geese will agree with me, of course.

I'm also wondering about how to make the new flock friendlier to me... I raised my three since they were chicks, so they come right to me, and will let me pet them and pick them up. The others run as soon as I come near. So far, I can't entice them with treats. I'm also not sure if geese are like chickens where you can hold out food and they'll eat right out of your hand.

I know, that's a lot of info! Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated!

 

[MamaKitty913]

I would love some goose advice!!

We just purchased a house in the mountains, and the previous owners had geese, chickens, and ducks, all in the same coop. Because they could not take the birds with them when they left, they asked us if we'd keep them, since they knew we had chickens. We said yes, but said we were going to re-home the geese, because the geese are really mean.

I haven't had time to look for new homes for the geese, but today, when I went in to give them food and water inside the coop because of the snow, I realized that we have a goose sitting on a clutch of eggs. She did not like me being in there, that's for sure! I watched her take out a rooster who got too close.

Even if I wanted to, the goose won't let me near the eggs, so I figured I'd just let her go ahead and hatch them. Given the amount of mating I'm seeing in the pen, I'm wondering who else is going to end up with a clutch of eggs. Anyway, I was starting to think that maybe, if I got to know the babies, the babies might not be so mean. Plus, they're cute!! So maybe I should keep them all.

I'd love to hear other people's experiences with geese and how I can make this work, or if it's really a lost cause and I should find new homes for them. There are 6 geese, 2 ducks, and 11 chickens. I came into the situation with 3 of my own chickens, but they are in a separate coop until I figure out how best to integrate the flock. With the way I've seen the geese pick on the other chickens, I'm kind of afraid to put the geese with my chickens, because my little Salmon Faverolle will probably get the brunt of it. She's sweet, delicate, and incredibly stupid. Probably the stupidest chicken you'll ever meet, but she's so sweet and loveable, you just can't help but adore her. Not that the geese will agree with me, of course.

I'm also wondering about how to make the new flock friendlier to me... I raised my three since they were chicks, so they come right to me, and will let me pet them and pick them up. The others run as soon as I come near. So far, I can't entice them with treats. I'm also not sure if geese are like chickens where you can hold out food and they'll eat right out of your hand.

I know, that's a lot of info! Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated!

Hi Danica, I'm not really experience but since I was on here - here's some things I've learned about from people on BYC and some personal experience. First I'd really want to keep some kind of quarentine on my birds for 30 days and then gradually introduce them with some fencing or netting so they can't see each other. Next since I think you really wanted help with the geese - Be patient they are nesting and supposed to guard the nest your a stranger to them and they don't know or trust you yet. Jokingly you bought the property and they own it. If they learn to trust you it probably won't be until after they raise the babies. Same with the chickens give it time feed your girls from your hand where they can see you and before you feed them, maybe the little greedy guts will learn faster. LOL! Some folks on here suggest not feeding geese from your hand as they might assosicate you giving them food with being dominante to you. I was having problems with my male goose he has no other geese to love and was lonely so we fed him by hand from day 1 well.. 5 months later he adopted a Big Wheel as his mate and defends her from all. As long as we stay away from the bike, It's all good! He's a hoot! When we stopped feeding him by hand it did get better and when I want to catch him I just go over by the bike

Good luck search around and seek others advice and do what YOU think is best for your flock

 

[Miss Lydia]

DanicaDream, first off you need to get the chickens and ducks out of the same pen and house your geese are in, they will get very protective when the goslings are hatched and your going to have some dead birds. I'm surprised you haven't already. it's just the nature of geese they are very protective of home nest and babies, it's not that they are mean.

If your not set up to move your new chickens and ducks then I'd take those eggs away from your goose. it will be a fight but I can tell you it isn't going to be nice in there if you let gosling hatch. You cannot be afraid of your geese they are in your care now and need to know you are in charge, but no matter the life of the ducks and chickens are at stake now.

Give the chicken and ducks time they will become less afraid of you but it's patience on your part there. And once breeding and hatching season is over the geese will calm down some too but i would never house that many geese in with other fowl it's just asking for trouble.

 

[goosegal]

Miss Lydia,
I have some basic questions that seem simple but I cannot find answers to them in these forums. Being fairly new to this I need goose advice. I have several chickens (20) and 3 geese (2 females, 1 gander all brown Chinese). This is their first year laying. We had several but not a ton of eggs. Knowing they will sit when they have a number of them, I kept the eggs available but they never sat. I took 3 eggs and put them under 2 broody hens.

Then 2 goslings hatched from the geese (somehow, somewhere she sat on a few eggs but I only saw this for 8 days before they hatched) but one died after 4 days. The single gosling is doing well with the 3 protective geese and is about 15 days old. Now, 2 new goslings hatched under the hen 3 days ago. She is a proven good mother and very protective, but I am able to handle these goslings and they seem very healthy. The other egg hatched under the other hen last night and she is an average mother but a bit scattered. I don't believe this single gosling has a good chance with her.

I have the hen and 2 goslings in a small but protected pen so that they have room and safety before I let them free range. The 3 geese are free range and stand around this pen intimidating the hen looking menacingly at the 2 goslings. I have space to put the hen and babies in a grassy area the geese do not normally go, which will be more secure for them.

My questions are:
Can my good hen raise the 3rd gosling? Can I slip it under her tonight so that she can raise it?
Will the geese ever accept these 3 babies as their own or are they really out to eat them? Should they be separated for months until the geese are stronger and can be part of the goose flock at an older age?
Should I just let the hen(s) raise the 3 new goslings or should I be more active for these adoptees? (to keep them healthy and safe from the big geese)

Thanks in advance for any help and insight.
Amy

 

[Miss Lydia]

Miss Lydia,
I have some basic questions that seem simple but I cannot find answers to them in these forums. Being fairly new to this I need goose advice. I have several chickens (20) and 3 geese (2 females, 1 gander all brown Chinese). This is their first year laying. We had several but not a ton of eggs. Knowing they will sit when they have a number of them, I kept the eggs available but they never sat. I took 3 eggs and put them under 2 broody hens.

Then 2 goslings hatched from the geese (somehow, somewhere she sat on a few eggs but I only saw this for 8 days before they hatched) but one died after 4 days. The single gosling is doing well with the 3 protective geese and is about 15 days old. Now, 2 new goslings hatched under the hen 3 days ago. She is a proven good mother and very protective, but I am able to handle these goslings and they seem very healthy. The other egg hatched under the other hen last night and she is an average mother but a bit scattered. I don't believe this single gosling has a good chance with her.

I have the hen and 2 goslings in a small but protected pen so that they have room and safety before I let them free range. The 3 geese are free range and stand around this pen intimidating the hen looking menacingly at the 2 goslings. I have space to put the hen and babies in a grassy area the geese do not normally go, which will be more secure for them.

My questions are:
Can my good hen raise the 3rd gosling? Can I slip it under her tonight so that she can raise it?
Will the geese ever accept these 3 babies as their own or are they really out to eat them? Should they be separated for months until the geese are stronger and can be part of the goose flock at an older age?
Should I just let the hen(s) raise the 3 new goslings or should I be more active for these adoptees? (to keep them healthy and safe from the big geese)

Thanks in advance for any help and insight.
Amy

I'd take the gosling by itself and slip it under your good hen tonight she will most likely accept it without batty an eye. I think if you want the geese to accept the goslings you will need to remove mama hen from the picture and begin taking the goslings out supervised to hang with the geese. Or leave them with mama hen until older but they may not see themselves as geese and may have a harder time accepting the geese as their family, going on experience here since my Muscovy hatched a lone Embden gosling and he imprinted on the ducks and really had a hard time accepting a goose as his mate[Family] . Maybe the geese recognize these lil ones as goslings and that is why they are being so intimidating to mama hen. I don't think they would hurt the goslings but that is why you let them all get use to each other with you being there to interfere if necessary.All you can do is try. Let me know what you decide to do and how it is going.

 

[KWSRetMSgt]

Hello Goosegal, i know you didnt direct your questions my way, but i figured id add my two cents to the mix. Ive had geese now for two and ahalf years, so im by no means an expert but this how i have been doing it. When i have young goslings or even ducks i keep them seperated until they can handle the temps with a heat lamp, once that comes around i place then into the run with the adults but keep them seperated by a see through brooder or even just some wire. That way the adults can see and hear and talk to the little ones. That continues usually at least two weeks but every situation is different. Once it seems like the adults are excepting of the young, i allow the young out during the daytime hours but with some supervision, just to see if the adults really are excepting them. At night i keep them seperated until i know for sure they will not pick on them. When im sure that is the case, the barrier comes down and all seem happy. Now its alot of extra work but so far i havent had any young harmed, geese in general are VERY maternial and usually will take young under their wings and care for them even if their not their own. This year i bought 4 new ducks and used that technic and now all my ducks (18) and my geese (9) all share the same run at night. Good luck KWS.

 

[DanicaDream]

Thanks Mama Kitty! They're kept in separate pens right now, since we had our own coop and brought it with us. I've kept our girls in their coop, and the other birds in their coop. They take turns getting to free range.

Thanks for the advice Miss Lydia! Maybe I'll see if I can divide the pen somehow to keep the geese separate from the other birds. This is the set up I inherited from the previous owners, and they said they've always had all the birds together. But I have no idea if they ever had goslings either. The interior of the coop (where the goose is with the eggs) is kind of a mess. The previous owners converted an old greenhouse into the coop, but they didn't do much as far as creating good space for the birds. So I'll see what I can do for them.

 

[goosegal]

That is terrific information. Thank you!
Tonight I will add baby 3 to Good Mama of 2. I think its the best solution as new mama is really not good and abandons chicks at 5 weeks. I will do the supervising goose gathering but I have to admit, I'd prefer these new babies to be away from the gaggle as they have become aggressive (even 15 day old guy). And the new ones are so playful and peaceful. Many decisions. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is terrific information. Thank you!
Tonight I will add baby 3 to Good Mama of 2. I think its the best solution as new mama is really not good and abandons chicks at 5 weeks. I will do the supervising goose gathering but I have to admit, I'd prefer these new babies to be away from the gaggle as they have become aggressive (even 15 day old guy). And the new ones are so playful and peaceful. Many decisions. I'll keep you posted.

Yes many and it's hard to know what is best, if you plan on keeping the goslings then maybe to keep them people friendly you best keep them separate, if you want them to be accepted into the gaggle and act like geese then you have that option. My goslings were 3 weeks old before I gave them to the pair of adults I took them out daily and let them interact with me there to supervise it took a while for the female to accept the goslings because she lost her only gosling during hatch but once she accepted them the gander did too, you'd never know those goslings weren't hatched by them. And yes they are ornery typical goose behavior but those of us who love geese take it with a grain of salt and realize once breeding hatching and raising is done for the year things do calm down a bit. I miss not being able to love on my 2 who will be a year old end of May but to see the family all together make me feel proud of my 2 for taking them in.