Help with a goose start

[wistlindixie]

I am interested in getting some geese and ducks. I have been chased by black swans and mean geese before so I want to avoid that! Can anyone recommend a good goose situation to begin with? breed, number, sex? Do geese and ducks coexist well together? Any hatcheries suggested? Thanks in advance!

 

[ultasol]

If you want to guarantee you won't get chased during breeding season, better to not get geese. If you want to limit the possibility of being chased, get two females. They're geese- they protect their nest and their family, esp during breeding season. They're just doing their job.

 

[wistlindixie]

If all I have is females, will they be calmer?

 

[jack & mommy's duckies]

I have African geese...I have a quad (3 girls and a boy) and it is breeding season right now (I have fertile eggs in the bator to prove it) I take every egg I find. and my kids are just as friendly as the day I got them. The girls eat from my hand, my male loves to be petted (but won't eat from my hand and to this point never has....) no one has even hissed at me. Nothing. I brooded them in my dinning room and spent lots of time touching and talking to them...I've always fed treats from my hands. And all has been well. Even strangers can feed them if I'm there. Haven't tested the water if I wasn't there. Don't want to wreck a good thing. Also, my girls get right up close and personal...I give them kisses on their knobs, and they like to taste my hair. So I've never worried and would recomend them to anyone one.

Now for the duck with geese question......I brooded mine all together and they did well when they were moved outside together....when they were about 5 months old I noticed the girls would give the ducks a little pinch in the bum (never any aggression, never chased them...just a little pinch) And since I have some smaller ducks along with some larger ones....I just felt it safe to move the geese to their own pen...they can see each other...they free range together....no problems there other then just the odd butt pinch. So I'd say go for it and just keep an eye on them.

Where to buy......... Well I'd say Metzer Farms.....I have a large order coming on Mach 28/29 and I can't wait. I ordered both geese (Super African and Sebbies....Sebbies are suspose to be very docile) and 21 ducks. I'm going to do it the same way I always have...brood them in the house and touch them every day. As for Metzer farms they have the best customer service I've ever seen (and I"m not just talking in the fowl world). I'm going to 100% say to buy from them. And if you have any questions just ask them or us and everyone here will do their best to steer you in the right direction.

Hope this helped