Hello everyone! We are new to raising geese, and I need some advice. We have 3 Production Toulouse that we have had for about a year. They were adults when they came to live with us here on our homestead, so I have no idea how old they are. One is larger than the other two, but I think we have 2 males and one female by their behavior. We hope to raise some young geese (naturally brooded) to add to our family meat supply (as in roast goose for Christmas dinner, etc.).
We also have, and raise naturally, chickens, ducks, and turkeys. They are all heritage breeds. They all free range on our fenced 2 acres, and they all return to the barn at night. Everyone gets along wonderfully and we have never had any problems. We have had most of our old birds for several years- we eat the offspring they produce.
A couple of weeks ago the big goose started getting a little crabby. He seemed to want to "guard" (for lack of a better term) the area the two smaller geese were in. He (could be a she, I have no idea) started sticking his neck out and hissing at us if we came too close. This bigger goose (we dubbed it the "goose commander") is the dominate goose; he has always herded the smaller ones around and even herds them into the barn at night and brings them out in the morning when we open the barn. (They are all secured in the barn at night.)
The female (one of the smaller ones) has started laying eggs. She has laid an egg every day for the past 4 days. She has selected a corner of the barn for her nesting area. Our barn is big, and although there are chicken roosts and nest boxes in it, the barn is a communal area and everyone (meaning the animals) sleeps in it wherever they take a notion. The female goose will go into the barn and make herself comfortable on her chosen nest corner. The other smaller goose will stand next to her. The big goose stands at the barn door and acts like he would take your leg off if you dare try to enter. After the female is finished laying her egg, they all wander on out to the pasture, but it seems like every day the big goose is becoming more territorial over the barn, and now the other smaller goose (another male, maybe?) is getting into the hissing and threatening mode, too.
Obviously this chosen nesting area is not going to work out..I need to get in and out of the barn without the threat of losing a limb, LOL. I assume that eventually the geese will want to keep all of the barn inhabitants out since there is a goose nest in there. I want them to move their nest. I have other outbuildings and even a smaller barn where they could set up housekeeping and not be a threat to any "trespassers" to their nesting area.
How can I move the nest? Should I just take the eggs out of it and then pen them up in their new "home" area? We have raised plenty of ducks and chickens, but have never had to deal with territorial behavior from them.
I should say that our geese have always been quite amiable towards us until the breeding season arrived. I also have never seen the geese mating; the female goose just started laying eggs. However, it is very possible that they have been mating and I have just not seen it.
I appreciate any advice.
Susan
We also have, and raise naturally, chickens, ducks, and turkeys. They are all heritage breeds. They all free range on our fenced 2 acres, and they all return to the barn at night. Everyone gets along wonderfully and we have never had any problems. We have had most of our old birds for several years- we eat the offspring they produce.
A couple of weeks ago the big goose started getting a little crabby. He seemed to want to "guard" (for lack of a better term) the area the two smaller geese were in. He (could be a she, I have no idea) started sticking his neck out and hissing at us if we came too close. This bigger goose (we dubbed it the "goose commander") is the dominate goose; he has always herded the smaller ones around and even herds them into the barn at night and brings them out in the morning when we open the barn. (They are all secured in the barn at night.)
The female (one of the smaller ones) has started laying eggs. She has laid an egg every day for the past 4 days. She has selected a corner of the barn for her nesting area. Our barn is big, and although there are chicken roosts and nest boxes in it, the barn is a communal area and everyone (meaning the animals) sleeps in it wherever they take a notion. The female goose will go into the barn and make herself comfortable on her chosen nest corner. The other smaller goose will stand next to her. The big goose stands at the barn door and acts like he would take your leg off if you dare try to enter. After the female is finished laying her egg, they all wander on out to the pasture, but it seems like every day the big goose is becoming more territorial over the barn, and now the other smaller goose (another male, maybe?) is getting into the hissing and threatening mode, too.
Obviously this chosen nesting area is not going to work out..I need to get in and out of the barn without the threat of losing a limb, LOL. I assume that eventually the geese will want to keep all of the barn inhabitants out since there is a goose nest in there. I want them to move their nest. I have other outbuildings and even a smaller barn where they could set up housekeeping and not be a threat to any "trespassers" to their nesting area.
How can I move the nest? Should I just take the eggs out of it and then pen them up in their new "home" area? We have raised plenty of ducks and chickens, but have never had to deal with territorial behavior from them.
I should say that our geese have always been quite amiable towards us until the breeding season arrived. I also have never seen the geese mating; the female goose just started laying eggs. However, it is very possible that they have been mating and I have just not seen it.
I appreciate any advice.
Susan
