Help! I'm new to geese!

[2chicks poultry]

Hi everyone!

We were thinking about getting a guard dog, but we thought about it some more and we decided that that wasn't such a good idea because we have chickens and we don't want to get a dog that turns out to be a chicken killer!

So we started thinking about maybe getting a donkey, and I was like no way! Those things bray all the time and it's LOUD! So then I thought DA! We should get some geese! I mean I'm a geek when it comes to chickens, so why not get some geese to be our watch dog?!

They're poultry! So I don't know that much about geese so I was just wondering if maybe you guys could answer some questions for me about geese, you know share all your wonderful stories and personal experiences.

1. My first question is, Is goose poop that messy? I'm asking because several people have told that goose poop is nasty and hard to clean up. Is it?
2. My second question is, What is the loudest breed of goose, I need them to be loud because they are going to act as an alert system.
3. Are gooses diets extremely different from chickens?
4. Do geese need water to swim in all the time?
5. Do geese need waterers and feeders that are different from chicken's?
6. Is Purina flock raiser a good feed fro geese?
7. Do they need oyster shell for their eggs?
8. Can I make a chicken tractor for them and just modify it to fit them, would that be good housing?
9. They need a heat lamp in the winter right?
10. What kinds of treats do geese like to eat, (what's good for them?
    
    )
11. What do they need to prevent parasites and disease?
12. Do they need grit?
13. I have 2 breeds that I was thinking about getting so tell me if they are loud but yet nice geese breeds, Gray, and Pilgrim.
14. Also are these two breeds good mothers?
15. Also, do geese mate for life in captivity?

I know that this is a lot of questions, but I'm very new to geese, so thanks for any help that you can give me!

Please reply! THANKS!

 

[RURU]

Hi everyone!

We were thinking about getting a guard dog, but we thought about it some more and we decided that that wasn't such a good idea because we have chickens and we don't want to get a dog that turns out to be a chicken killer!

So we started thinking about maybe getting a donkey, and I was like no way! Those things bray all the time and it's LOUD! So then I thought DA! We should get some geese! I mean I'm a geek when it comes to chickens, so why not get some geese to be our watch dog?!

They're poultry! So I don't know that much about geese so I was just wondering if maybe you guys could answer some questions for me about geese, you know share all your wonderful stories and personal experiences.

1. My first question is, Is goose poop that messy? I'm asking because several people have told that goose poop is nasty and hard to clean up. Is it? They do poo a lot but no more than ducks do.
2. My second question is, What is the loudest breed of goose, I need them to be loud because they are going to act as an alert system. All geese can make noise when startled or someone comes on the area,
3. Are gooses diets extremely different from chickens? Waterfowl feed is best for geese.
4. Do geese need water to swim in all the time? Yes, to help keep clean a kiddy pool will do.
5. Do geese need waterers and feeders that are different from chicken's? You can use one of those black rubber bowls but the need a bucket of water to clean their nares out and always fresh clean water to drink and bathe in.
6. Is Purina flock raiser a good feed fro geese? I feed Blue Seal finisher.
7. Do they need oyster shell for their eggs? Yes.
8. Can I make a chicken tractor for them and just modify it to fit them, would that be good housing? They need space.
9. They need a heat lamp in the winter right? NO
10. What kinds of treats do geese like to eat, (what's good for them?
    
    ) Grapes cut in half red or green, apples, carrots, tomatoes cut up, watermelon, cantaloupe, peas, corn, kale, turnip greens, romaine lettuce, berries, NO spinach too much iron. Others will join in of what I forgot.
11. What do they need to prevent parasites and disease? They need to be wormed in the Fall and in the Spring. Ivermectin (sp?) There are others as well but I just put this one.
12. Do they need grit? Yes, but if they free range they will get their own but you can offer it to them for their own pickings.
    
13. I have 3 breeds that I was thinking about getting so tell me if they are loud but yet nice geese breeds, Embden, Gray, and Pilgrim. I only have Sebastopol's so only know what they are like.

I know that this is a lot of questions, but I'm very new to geese, so thanks for any help that you can give me!

Please reply! THANKS!

 

[2chicks poultry]

Thanks! Also what are Sebastopol's like Ruru?

 

[RURU]

Sebastopol's are a mild natured geese. If you get them as day olds or even older if the person has worked with them and handled them a lot they bond so well to human's. They honk if someone comes and chase my Great Dane it I so funny. They do not talk all the time but do honk when they are afraid or if someone is coming.

 

[2chicks poultry]

I have a cat do you think that they would chase him while they are out, he likes poultry he won't try to hurt them. Also what is the best type of housing for geese? Please reply! Thanks!

 

[RURU]

I do not own any cats but if they are raise by the cat will not pay attention to it. There are cats going through our yard all the time and my geese pay no attention to her. They watch her but have not chased her that I have seen.
I myself have big dog kennels that we put hardware cloth on top of to keep predators out. Put wood to make a tent top with tarp and put tarp around 3 side of it to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Plus they are all by trees to keep the shade on them. Also put hardware cloth around the whole bottom of the kennel to keep raccoon finger out!!!!!!

 

[2chicks poultry]

Wow! Taking care of geese sounds so much easier than taking care of chickens! Anything else that I should know about geese before I get some?

Please reply! Thanks!