Got Goose; now unsure- help!

[RebinNH]

Is it a bad idea to want a buff goose (female) without a gander? I have three muscovy 2 hens and a drake who are all very sweet. I don't think I want 2 geese. Thanks for replying to this old thread.

 

[Callender Girl]

I would strongly recommend getting two females. My Buff girls are practically inseparable; they call to each other if one gets out of the other's sight. They sleep together, eat together, walk around together.

Maybe because there's no gander, they also fiercely defend each other's nests and both will hiss equally when I try to take eggs, whether their own or their sister's.

A single goose MIGHT befriend the ducks; mine aren't friends. My girls generally don't pay attention to the runner ducks, except to "herd" them or scare them off when the geese want the kiddie pool.

I think a single Buff girl would be lonely. Maybe that's just me?

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

Is it a bad idea to want a buff goose (female) without a gander? I have three muscovy 2 hens and a drake who are all very sweet. I don't think I want 2 geese. Thanks for replying to this old thread.

I do not suggest it. As others have stated also; geese need another of their kind.

Since this thread, this year we got two different kind of geese. Two Embdens. So far we love them & have had only minor issues. (Bullying of the animals at feed times & hogging the pool or mud pit from the ducks. lol)

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

I would strongly recommend getting two females. My Buff girls are practically inseparable; they call to each other if one gets out of the other's sight. They sleep together, eat together, walk around together.

Maybe because there's no gander, they also fiercely defend each other's nests and both will hiss equally when I try to take eggs, whether their own or their sister's.

A single goose MIGHT befriend the ducks; mine aren't friends. My girls generally don't pay attention to the runner ducks, except to "herd" them or scare them off when the geese want the kiddie pool.

I think a single Buff girl would be lonely. Maybe that's just me?

Yours too, ehh?! Lol
That’s what mine do to our runners & other ducks. Lol two little brats at times. I thought it was because we had a male & female.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I started with one goose ( gosling 4 weeks old )
I knew eventually I would get her a mate
But when she went into her hormone cycle she thought the ducks she grew up with would be her mates
She would lay down for them in the pool or try climbing on top of them
So her gander came faster then I wanted
They are side by side at all times
He immediately loved her and she took about 4 days till she let him even stand beside her
Now they are very bonded
They also decide who and when and how long anyone can be in the pool
There is no duck mating that doesn’t get stopped by the goose patrol
I hand raised her and to this day she stills climbs on my lap for cuddles
Her gander who is a year older then her and got him as an adult doesn’t get upset when she gets mom cuddles
Even in full mate and egg laying
I can touch her eggs under her in a nest and never gets upset with me
She is and always will be my big baby

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

I started with one goose ( gosling 4 weeks old )
I knew eventually I would get her a mate
But when she went into her hormone cycle she thought the ducks she grew up with would be her mates
She would lay down for them in the pool or try climbing on top of them
So her gander came faster then I wanted
They are side by side at all times
He immediately loved her and she took about 4 days till she let him even stand beside her
Now they are very bonded
They also decide who and when and how long anyone can be in the pool
There is no duck mating that doesn’t get stopped by the goose patrol
I hand raised her and to this day she stills climbs on my lap for cuddles
Her gander who is a year older then her and got him as an adult doesn’t get upset when she gets mom cuddles
Even in full mate and egg laying
I can touch her eggs under her in a nest and never gets upset with me
She is and always will be my big baby

Yeah we’ve been having to correct ours on the pool issue. Theyre getting too mean with it, slightly injured one of our juvenile ducks because it couldn’t get out in a panic mode.
Today they were actually chasing one of the older females. Have no idea what happened but the male got put in time out by daddy holding him a few.

 

[Jenbirdee]

ookk geese can be mean to ducks oh yes. this is why i keep my geese separated from my ducks and chickens. also because ducks and chickens destroy all the grass that the geese like to eat so only the goose area has grass. If I let all the birds together, there would be no grass at all for the geese.

 

[Callender Girl]

While my Buffs are sure they are higher in the pecking order than mere runner ducks, the smallest hen chicken can send them running!

 

[RebinNH]

Interesting. My muscovy only help the grass! They are free range and their poops only grow denser and healthier grass. I think perhaps the drake and a buff female would be about the same size, the only ones to be intimidated would be my 2 muscovy hens who are no slouches. One of the hens needs company in the brook and the other two can't be bothered. I think a good size buff (coming obviously as a gosling) would enjoy time there with her. Additionally the hens are not laying (did earlier and I took all of their eggs) but are a bit broody, so might like to help raise a little one.

 

[BlessedChaosHomestead]

ookk geese can be mean to ducks oh yes. this is why i keep my geese separated from my ducks and chickens. also because ducks and chickens destroy all the grass that the geese like to eat so only the goose area has grass. If I let all the birds together, there would be no grass at all for the geese.

Interesting. All of mine are together. Even had the turkeys too.
Geese so far the the onlys that truly graze te grass. So much that I’m going to have to weed whack the taller stuff because chickens & ducks aren’t eating enough. Lolol