gosling + goose =?

[SQContrary]

Hello there,

We had a pair or African Geese (not 100% sure of the genders as they were straight run) but one had a more "Roman nose" and was more aggressive, so we thought he was the boy and the other a girl. We got them at about 3 days old and they have been so much fun and such good companions. Recently the one we thought of as the male died. I feel sad watching our friend "Roughnut" go it alone. I am wondering ... can we add another younger gosling? If we got another day old how long should we keep them separate? Should we get a male if we think this one is a female? Would she bond with it? Or would they fight? Could I get another breed (like maybe a Toulouse since African can be aggressive)? Will they become a "gaggle"?

Can anyone share a good website about geese? I am not finding a lot of what I want to know from the library and my own efforts.

Thanks for your help!

with Roughnut on Flickr.

 

[goosedragon]

This link will take you an online copy of "The Book of Geese" rather long 222 pages but it is free and I think it is the best Goose book out there anywhere. (It is posted as a pubic service to third world people since geese can be cheap to feed.
http://www.fastonline.org/CD3WD_40/JF/414/05-234.pdf

 

[SQContrary]

thanks for the link, Goosedragon.

Will a young goose likely attack a younger gosling? I don't want to add another gosling unless they wlll be 'friends'.

 

[larkflying]

I would think they would do fine together -- geese love company! The hatchery was unable to ship our goslings all at once, so we got a batch of 3 and then a batch of 4 more two weeks later. The only reason I separated them for awhile was so the smaller goslings could have the heat lamp. Every morning I'd come in to check on them, and the 4 little goslings would be all lined up along the fence between them and the big geese. When I finally put them together, there was very minimal picking before they accepted each other - nothing like chickens. I'd think since you only have one gosling that it would be so happy for company that they would get along fine. We also got a pair of grown geese that immediately adopted all the goslings and took care of them, so I really think that it would go fine.

And to answer your other questions -- geese like other geese . . . they won't care about breed. I have seen some half grown goslings on craigslist, so you might have some luck finding some slightly larger birds that could go in with yours more easily, since she is mostly grown. Temperament is partially breed, and partially how you take care of them. If you spend a lot of time with them they will be friendly with you but not necessarily with people you bring over to meet them. Our American Buff geese will come up to the people in our house, but they stay farther away from strangers, however, they will talk to the strangers and visit. Our Toulouse pair will come up to us also, but they hiss at strangers and be very watchful. We got the Toulouse as adults though, so I'm not sure how much is personality and how much is them getting used to things, but right now I have never seen my Buff geese hiss or act protective. They are still young though.

As far as introducing the new gosling - you would have to decide whether you wanted to quarantine or not. Quarantine involves a 30 day separation from other birds. It would also depend on the age of the gosling -- if it was a day old, it would need at least a couple weeks in a protected place with heat at night maybe, depending on the temperatures there. Even if the goslings were about the same size, I'd still separate them with some kind of see through barrier so they could visit and get to know each other first.

 

[SQContrary]

thanks Larkflying, you've been very helpful!

 

[larkflying]

You are welcome! Enjoy your geese!

 

[n4zty]

i can personally tell u by experience thats what i did here

the 2 older ones were my first two i bought this summer and the lil ones i bought maybe 2 months ago in order to get a goose to to get along with a young gosling u will have to walk them out to your yard where your older gander is at he will approach u closely and try to inteminate your younger chick so watch him closely and gently shove his head away when he reaches for the baby goose eventually he will give up and learn to like him, ofcourse theres always a pecking order but they will figure it out eventually.

 

[TennesseeTruly]

Geese are very social, the more the merrier! I don't think you'll have any problem whatsoever! We frequently add youngsters to our adult geese and we have no problem. We add various ages together and have never had a problem. They are the most social of all poultry in my opinion! If I had started out with geese instead of chickens, I would have only had geese!

Good luck!

Laurie

 

[SQContrary]

Thanks Laurie and N4zty! We may add another goose or two yet.