Goose questions!

[DUCKGIRL89]

Im gonna be getting some pilgrim hatching eggs from a friend of mine in spring, and I was wondering if I should keep two females, or a pair

(that is if I get this many goslings) I dont really plan on hatching eggs, maybe eating and freezeing them since there so dang big. Would it be worth while keeping a pair if no hatching is going on? I cant have a aggresive gander chasing people around when breeding season comes either... Would a female chase people?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Kevin565]

If you don't plan on hatching anytime soon you could have two females and just add a gander later. Yes a female goose can be just as aggressive as a gander. It just depends on the individual

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Quote:
Im more into hatching duck eggs. And my limit on geese is two, so I have to pick the genders right away! Lol.

 

[RAREROO]

What about keeping a pair and just let them hatch their own goslings and sell them young, or if you don't want the, to hatch at all you could take the eggs and eat them or sell them as hatching eggs. I would keep a pair if it was my choice.

 

[EmAbTo48]

I would say a pair also just because they really bond so well to each other. Otherwise I would go for to 2 females over 2 males specially since you do have ducks you don't need two nasty ganders trying to mate your ducks!

And for aggression honestly as long as you handle them from birth they will be just fine with you! and you will have to teach them who's boss when it comes to other people and animals!

I am planning on getting a pair this spring also. We did have 3 embdens , they were raised for Christmas birds. My gander was a nasty thing, but we got them as almost a year old so they weren't really raised by hand!

 

[sourland]

Hand raised or not, geese tend to become somewhat aggressive during the breeding season - both females and males. Just a natural response to increased hormones that gives them courage to protect their nest.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Ok, if they EVER go broody I will have them in their OWN pen. (i have a small coop I use for broodies)

 

[JulieNKC]

Just in case my geese I order develop attitudes and need to be isolated, what size pen would a pair of geese need? How long and when is breeding season generally?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
My gander gets pretty nasty during breeding season, but i don't pen him up. i just stay out of his way and carry the broom with me when I go around him. I don't have to hit him with the broom just hold it in my hand between us. He just can't help being a stinker . It starts in Feb. and usually goes through early summer. Right now he is the best behaved he will be, I can even touch him.

He is a meanie with everyone including the other ducks especially the drakes but we've all been around him for so long now we just know to keep our distance. I wouldn't let him be around children though.

 

[r4eboxer]

Pilgrim Geese are not very aggressive, only during breeding season so as long as you let them know you are alpha you are not going to have problems with them. You are not going to want to breed Pilgrim geese that are related, the eggs you get will be marked as to what pair they came from. So keep this in mind when choosing your keepers. Also if they are related when they hatch you are not going to want to breed any of them.