I Just Ordered Geese

[Poultrybonkers]

New Goosey question:

Will I need to clip their wings? They'll be kept in a covered area most of the time, but I sure as heck don't want them to fly away when I let them out!

No buffs and toulouse are a heavy breed and cant get off the ground my chinese cant and they are a lighter breed

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Nope.

 

[Aunt Angus]

It just keeps getting better!

 

[yesterDAYNE]

My 1 1/2 yr hatchery african and young Pomeranians can fly really high, our embden gander and chinese goose can fly but not as high. Even if they can fly I dont think they could keep it up long enough to really get anywhere. Ours just like to do it when we let them out in the morning and when its windy and they get excited.

 

[Aunt Angus]

You all have been so helpful!

Do you all free range your geese? I want to, but our predator load is high. The foxes, in particular, are abundant. And raccoons. Both are active at night, but we all know they aren't solely nocturnal hunters...

I'm kinda worried that they'll eat through their grass too quickly. The new yard we're building will have chicken-friendly plants and grass, but with 19 birds, I'm thinking that grass won't last long.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I just realized that I have electric poultry netting I can use to move them around the property. It puts out 8k. That should keep the foxes at bay.

What about hawks? I have 2 Coopers hawks in my woods. How much of a threat are they to a 15 lb goose? I could see them maybe killing them and eating them at the site of the kill. Their area will be covered, but a portable netting won't offer protection from hawks.

 

[yesterDAYNE]

Our geese are free ranged, though I would 100% keep them fenced in if we had the money to build another fenced in area just for their own safety. I don't think hawks are much of a threat to geese, but eagles can be from what I've read. A desperate hawk might tussle with a goose but they're so big I just can't see them really trying most of the time. I've never seen hawks try with my geese or turkeys, but of course that's not saying they won't. Geese are also pretty ferocious on their own and might be able to scare a hawk off with some wing beatings and biting, unlike a fox or coyote, though that also depends on the goose because some are just cowards who don't want any conflict haha.

 

[Baybrio]

I believe Coopers hawks are rather small and prey mostly on small birds. We have red tail hawks that will take a chicken or small duck. They don't even try with my Muscovy.

I've had eagles take my smaller ducks but leave the Muscovy alone. I'm pretty sure an eagle could take a Muscovy and maybe a goose but it would be a lot of trouble and they look for easy prey. A young eagle might give it a try and injure a goose.

I've not had trouble with coyote. The coyote in my area typically hunt at night. All my birds are in at night. That said coyote are very adaptable. Not sure how or when they hunt in your area. They could definately take a goose. I have donkeys that took care of one coyote that tried to get my birds, but it's not easy to keep birds in the same area as donkeys.

Our biggest issue has been fox. We never had a problem until last year. They seem to hunt at any time. We literally went into the shed for two minutes, the fox was waiting and took a rooster in that little time. I'm not exaggerating, two minutes.

One of the problems we've had with the fox is how fast they learn. We put up 6' welded wire fence for day grazing, the fox figured out how to dig under it very quickly. They also dig very quickly. We should have buried the wire but it was only for day grazing, we thought it would be ok.

The first time we saw the fox go for a Muscovy it didn't win the fight with my beloved Muscovy hen. But it apparently learned how to win the fight and my ducks are no longer safe.

I keep mentioning the Muscovy because they are as large as a small goose and seem to fight off predators in a similar way geese will.

I've since moved and am going to try with geese this year. i haven't had any for many years. I'm setting things up so the donkeys can be in the same pasture as the geese (when the geese are old enough). I hope this works. I'd get a livestock guardian dog but I know myself well enough to realize it would probably become a house dog.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I believe Coopers hawks are rather small and prey mostly on small birds. We have red tail hawks that will take a chicken or small duck. They don't even try with my Muscovy.

I've had eagles take my smaller ducks but leave the Muscovy alone. I'm pretty sure an eagle could take a Muscovy and maybe a goose but it would be a lot of trouble and they look for easy prey. A young eagle might give it a try and injure a goose.

I've not had trouble with coyote. The coyote in my area typically hunt at night. All my birds are in at night. That said coyote are very adaptable. Not sure how or when they hunt in your area. They could definately take a goose. I have donkeys that took care of one coyote that tried to get my birds, but it's not easy to keep birds in the same area as donkeys.

Our biggest issue has been fox. We never had a problem until last year. They seem to hunt at any time. We literally went into the shed for two minutes, the fox was waiting and took a rooster in that little time. I'm not exaggerating, two minutes.

One of the problems we've had with the fox is how fast they learn. We put up 6' welded wire fence for day grazing, the fox figured out how to dig under it very quickly. They also dig very quickly. We should have buried the wire but it was only for day grazing, we thought it would be ok.

The first time we saw the fox go for a Muscovy it didn't win the fight with my beloved Muscovy hen. But it apparently learned how to win the fight and my ducks are no longer safe.

I keep mentioning the Muscovy because they are as large as a small goose and seem to fight off predators in a similar way geese will.

I've since moved and am going to try with geese this year. i haven't had any for many years. I'm setting things up so the donkeys can be in the same pasture as the geese (when the geese are old enough). I hope this works. I'd get a livestock guardian dog but I know myself well enough to realize it would probably become a house dog.

This is great info! We definitely have fox, but I have only seen them out very late/very early in the morning, but they are notorious...

The birds are currently penned and surrounded by electric netting. I let them out when I am home. "Out" consists of a yard surrounded by electric netting and covered with aviary netting.

HOWEVER.... We are building a new coop and yard for them in spring. Then, "out" will be in a 1640 sq ft yard surrounded by electric netting and covered with aviary netting. That yard will be inside of the goat paddock, which is surrounded by electric fencing. That means they will be surrounded by 2 electric fences and 4 goats. I'm hoping that will deter foxes. I might be able to add a donkey, too. Maybe.

Maybe I will take the geese on walks, so that they are supervised. I used to take my chickens out. When I say supervised, I mean that I walk with them, giving them 100% of my attention.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I just realized that I have electric poultry netting I can use to move them around the property. It puts out 8k. That should keep the foxes at bay.

What about hawks? I have 2 Coopers hawks in my woods. How much of a threat are they to a 15 lb goose? I could see them maybe killing them and eating them at the site of the kill. Their area will be covered, but a portable netting won't offer protection from hawks.

I have electrified poultry netting, too, but choose to use it non-electrified because of the entanglement risk (and I have had younger geese get themselves trapped in it - fortunately, they survived). We also have fox, coyotes, and various raptors, though not eagles. Despite the non-electrified netting, we've lost none of the geese to predators to date. They range in their fenced area during daylight hours and are cooped at night.

The hawks (including Red-Tailed and Cooper's), which have killed chickens and even Muscovy ducks, don't seem interested in the geese...am guessing it's a combination of size and numbers that deter. Foxes also steer clear, and coyotes are mostly active at night around here.