How do you introduce new chicks to a flock with a guard goose?

[John Burch]

I have 4 chickens and two geese. Both of those geese are formidable guards and do a great job. We plan to introduce more chicks this spring but the geese get aggressive with new birds. How do I introduce the new chicks without the geese killing them? How do I make them seem as a non-threat to the flock?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'd start by housing the chicks where the geese can see them for a good long time. Geese especially hate anything different or unfamiliar things. After that I would try supervised mingling. Locking the chicks back up when you can't watch them. Be sure to provide places the chicks can get away from the geese like pallets laid on their sides or elevated off the ground by a bit. It may take a long time for the geese to be okay with new chickens. I always provide ways for chickens to get away from my geese as I've had my geese corner and kill a few chickens.

 

[John Burch]

Okay thank you so much!

 

[judyc]

I had a duck hatch a batch of eggs last year. I put them in a chicken tractor until the geese accepted them; probably a couple of months.

 

[AGeese]

Be prepared for your geese to never accept them as well.