Goslings or Juveniles?

[CanadianSkeptic]

Hi folks!
Last spring I picked up 3 of the absolute cutest American Buff goslings you've ever seen in your life. *I may be biased* Anyway, I've ended up with one goose and 2 ganders. As of right now they are living with my ducks and chickens and are getting along fine. Problem is, once breeding season kicks in I may have issues, or so I hear. I am able to separate the geese from the other birds if I need to but I'm worried about having 2 ganders and only one goose. I recently came across someone not far from me who has juvenile AB geese, so I figured I'd get 2 more females. What I'm wondering is if integrating the new girls will be somewhat easy (statistically speaking that is), or if I'm better off getting goslings? Another way of putting it is, will my original 3 eventually bond just as strongly with 2 juvenile girls, or am I better off getting goslings? Unfortunately, goslings are unsexed where I live so I could potentially end up in a similar situation, which is why I'm keen on getting the juveniles that are definitely girls.

Lord, I hope this makes sense, lol!

 

[jtn42248]

You are making perfect sense to me. I can share my experience with you. We have 9 geese (had 11 but two were taken). They are currently 4 males and 5 females. As things turned out we had one male and one female that bonded, two males that have paired up and one male with 4 females...at least that was last season. This season the one male that bonded with a single female has asserted himself as alpha and thrown his original female to the dire while absconding with the four females the original alpha male had. So, it turns out to be a lot more unpredictable than you read about them.

My suggestion would be for you to go the juvenile route. That will assure you have females and if you are lucky they will not be too difficult to introduce to your existing group. Just put them where they can see one another until they can be safe with the older birds.

Also, my experience is that geese do not get on well with chickens and ducks after they establish their territory. So watch them.

 

[CanadianSkeptic]

Yes, I think getting the juveniles is the way to go.
As for watching them with chickens and ducks, I have a coop that I will be moving the ducks and geese into fairly soon. I had already planned to have separate areas in this coop for the ducks and geese during the spring and summer. Winter too if needed. Same with the yard, I'll be separating them when needed.