How about a Thread for Embdens?

[Chicken creek]

Hmmm... good to know. I think I might get the 2 pairs and then sell one of the males and just keep a trio. What else should I know about these beauties?

 

[Chicken creek]

Oh, question... can these guys live with other waterfowl? I was wanting to get some pomeranian geese and was hoping they would live together. Also I am getting some ducks, but am thinking that they will go in a different area due to flying, but am curious if they could live with ducks if I chose to do that. Please note that the area I am thinking about for these guys is a large field that is about an acre plus of grass with trees and a man made pool/pond so we are not talking about a small pen here. I could separate them for breeding season, but just wanted to know if they could live together the rest of the time.

Also when is breeding season?

 

[Chicken creek]

I thought of some more basic questions. Do they need heat and for how long? What kind of shelter do they need? Do they need a water pool right away? What do I feed them? Is there anything else I should know. I am trying to read all I can, but haven't found all the most basic answers yet. Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh, question... can these guys live with other waterfowl? I was wanting to get some pomeranian geese and was hoping they would live together. Also I am getting some ducks, but am thinking that they will go in a different area due to flying, but am curious if they could live with ducks if I chose to do that. Please note that the area I am thinking about for these guys is a large field that is about an acre plus of grass with trees and a man made pool/pond so we are not talking about a small pen here. I could separate them for breeding season, but just wanted to know if they could live together the rest of the time.

Also when is breeding season?

Yes they can live with other water fowl mine live with Muscovy's and also chickens, sounds like you have an ideal place for them all and they should all live relatively peaceful during most of the year, breeding starts differently in all parts of the country I'm in the next state over from you NC. and breeding season stated here in Jan. she laid her first egg Jan 31st. and they are still breeding, but even though breeding is still going on they haven't been hard on the other flock members but I don't have but the pair of geese too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I thought of some more basic questions. Do they need heat and for how long? What kind of shelter do they need? Do they need a water pool right away? What do I feed them? Is there anything else I should know. I am trying to read all I can, but haven't found all the most basic answers yet. Thanks!

If you buy gosling then they will need supplemental heat just like chicks or ducklings, but not as high of heat as chicks I started my ducklings out at 85 and I would think goslings would be the same. then drop 5* each week there after. Even now since it's warming up your goslings can be outside during the day when sun is out and it's warm just give them some shelter from wind and rain, most on here put their goslings out for forage time when just a few days old. I have a complete building for all my flock we are covered over with predators the biggest being Bears, so I put mine up at dusk for their own safety, I don't think many would advocate leaving any water fowl out over night with out some kind of protection from preds, even on a pond they can still become dinner for someone who is willing to swim,. Swimming is fun for gosling and ducklings but till they are completely feathered in should only be allowed to swim under supervision because they can get water logged and drown easily. when you do give them a plastic kiddy pool make sure they can access it both in and out so they don't tire out. And speaking of ponds they are awesome and I always enjoy seeing water fowl on them but they can be a hazard unto them selves for young gosling and ducklings, snapping turtles eat their weight in young birds yearly and also Mame adult ducks and geese so if your pond harbors these and large mouth bass you may want to consider getting rid of them before letting your water fowl onto it. Feed is either chick starter supplemented with niacin or brewers yeast because it doesn't contain the amt of niacin they need for strong healthy legs, or goose/duckling starter, and lots of greens but no spinach, but kale broccoli Romaine lettuce cabbage all chopped plus foraging on your property since geese are mostly foragers. and grit for chewing anything other than their starter. Also when your babies are small I would have a safe pen for them to be in when outside because there are just too many critters out there that would snatch up a baby in a second. I hope I have scared you out of even thinking about geese that was not my intentions at all, but felt I should give you all the details especially about safety. There is a couple of books that I think anyone thinking about getting water fowl should have one is Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks By Dave Holderread and the other is The Book of Geese by the same author to me the best advise out there. All the best to you and let us know when you get them. Oh and if you can't get duckling/gosling starter, then maybe consider Flock Raiser that way they can start right out on it and you don't have to buy different feeds as they grow.

 

[Chicken creek]

Thank you so much for the info. You didn't scare me and I appreciate the details. So should I put them in the brooder when they come or set them up outside with a heat lamp? My brooder has a wire floor is that ok? I have a creek that runs on three sides of my property, but its not readily accessible from the grassy area that I want for them. I was going to either do a kiddy pool or a dug in little koi type pond pool that they sell at Lowes, minus the koi. Any suggestions or input is helpful.

 

[psue]

Thank you so much for the info. You didn't scare me and I appreciate the details. So should I put them in the brooder when they come or set them up outside with a heat lamp? My brooder has a wire floor is that ok? I have a creek that runs on three sides of my property, but its not readily accessible from the grassy area that I want for them. I was going to either do a kiddy pool or a dug in little koi type pond pool that they sell at Lowes, minus the koi. Any suggestions or input is helpful.

even though geese do not on average dirty their water as bad as ducks... they do tend to put all kinds of rocks, sticks and whatever else they can find in it. I personally love kiddie pools, easy to dump and clean without wasting alot of water.

I keep my new hatchlings inside for 2 or 3 days to insure they are eating and drinking well, unless I have an older gosling to teach the little ones. Then I put them in a brooder at night with a heat light and let them spend the days (good weather) outside on the grass in a protective pen that can be moved around as they soil or eat the grass down. I also have a dish pan that holds about 2 inches of water that the babies get to use freely outside... I cut one side so they can just walk in and out and if they sit down the water level is still very low on the body.

Remember they need to clean out their little beaks with water at least once a day (just deep enough to cover the bill).

Remember this is what I do , you might because of your schedule / set up have to change or modify some things.

 

[JEB NC 10]

I got the call this morning from the hatchery - the chicks, poults, and yes GEESE, are in the mail and on their way. Talked to the local post office and I'm scheduled to pick everybody up at 7:00 AM Wednesday. Very excited for obvious reasons, but even more so for my 6-year old daughter. We've been building a coop for a "friend" and she has no idea that we're the ones actually getting the birds. We had a few chickens at our previous house. Just been waiting for the right time to get more since we moved last October. Can't wait to take my daughter to the post office Wednesday morning!

This will be my first time raising turkeys and geese - so I'm a bit nervous too. If the turkeys don't work out, I've already made arrangements for them to be re-homed to a friend's farm, but I'm committed to getting it right when it comes to the geese - 2 embdens.

Wish us luck, and if anybody has any pointers, please feel free to share!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I got the call this morning from the hatchery - the chicks, poults, and yes GEESE, are in the mail and on their way. Talked to the local post office and I'm scheduled to pick everybody up at 7:00 AM Wednesday. Very excited for obvious reasons, but even more so for my 6-year old daughter. We've been building a coop for a "friend" and she has no idea that we're the ones actually getting the birds. We had a few chickens at our previous house. Just been waiting for the right time to get more since we moved last October. Can't wait to take my daughter to the post office Wednesday morning!

This will be my first time raising turkeys and geese - so I'm a bit nervous too. If the turkeys don't work out, I've already made arrangements for them to be re-homed to a friend's farm, but I'm committed to getting it right when it comes to the geese - 2 embdens.

Wish us luck, and if anybody has any pointers, please feel free to share!

All the best with your new goslings and take lots of pics. we look forward to seeing them.

 

[JEB NC 10]

Got the call from the Post Office just after 11:00 this morning - they're here (a full day early)!!! Heading to the Post Office now to pick them up. Kind of throws off my plans for the day, but so be it. Here we go........