I must be out of my mind

[kodiakchicken]

So, we've got 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 rabbits, five hens, 3 ducks and 9 blue barred rock eggs in the bator due to hatch this Friday. All that in addition to an 8 year old daughter and a 16 year old Danish exchange student. Not so bad you say? Here's the straw that just might break the camel's back:

My husband went on hotline (our buy, sell, trade radio show) today to see if anyone had any medicated chick starter they wanted to sell b/c our feed store is out and we need it for the soon to hatch chicks. No one had chick starter but a lady called who's house we had just happened to drive past over the weekend. I think she just wanted to talk birds. Anyway, we had been wondering who she was b/c she had geese, chickens, turkeys, etc. She and DH got to talking and turns out she's looking to give away 2 of the geese - african browns (?). And I'm actually considering taking them!!! DH wasn't even going to tell me - too bad he's such an honest guy!

But winter is here and I don't have housing for them, although I'm sure something could be put together. I wonder, since they are already around tons of other birds, if they would get along with the chickens and ducks.

Someone stop me! Tell me I'm crazy!

 

[redhead83402]

well...... if you have the room.... who are we to cease the enabling? ;-D
~Red

 

[kodiakchicken]

When do you not have the room is the question. We live on a half acre outside town. The other birds free range during the day and sleep in their coop/bedrooms at night. We keep everything very clean, composting all the straw and manure. It doesn't seem crowded, but I have no idea what the stocking rate for poultry and fowl is!

My neighbors would hate me adding geese. But maybe that's not such a bad idea. If they move out then I could buy their house, turn it into a barn and have lots more animals! Bwaahahaha!

 

[jhm47]

So, we've got 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 rabbits, five hens, 3 ducks and 9 blue barred rock eggs in the bator due to hatch this Friday. All that in addition to an 8 year old daughter and a 6 year old Danish exchange student.

My God! All that in just one incubator? It must be huge!

Geese can stand lots of cold weather. They are covered with "goose down" outerwear. They can also eat snow for their water supply for a short time. I'd get them a shelter out of the wind, and go for it.

 

[2manyhats]

Uh oh! You're sinking fast. We had to stay away from animal auctions and put away the bators. We just couldn't stop.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

We started with 30 from the "chick days" at hirsch feed. We raised them in the basement. After all was said and done, we ended up with about 22 in the "nursery" (a portable building designed for poultry). We discovered auctions and made an old barn into a chicken barn. We have been told we are sick, dimented and obseseed. We have 25 in the house in a container (like we did with the "chick days") under a light. These were incubated from the eggs we got from the barn. Silly us. The nursery has a few (I wont disclose, becuase I am in denial ). And the bantams (in the barn) have gone broody. We have 6 more in the house now. This is good therapy to type about this. I have given away chicks (a few weeks old) to others who also seem to be in denial. I give away the bantams because I know they are potential trouble (they go broody). We have stopped buying now. We have stopped incubating eggs. We are selling off a few. I figure if I spread them around I wont realize how sick I am. Oh, I have to stop, its one day at a time and I am losing. I did not buy any at the sale this last weekend. It is a start. I need a meeting. Hi, I am rimshoes and I a have too many chickens. Oh, I guess I better come clean. We took a bunch of eggs from a red jungle fowl hen and incubated them. I have a pretty roo and 4 hens from this. One has gone broody and is sitting on 6 eggs. When does the madness stop !?

 

[MissPrissy]

Geese are messy but not as messy as ducks. They poop big - like a dog - so you have that to contend with. They are herbivors and do best pasture grazing when possible. If you can get waterfowl feed it is best for them otherwise try Purina Flock Raiser - no medicated feeds and lots of water.

I find geese to be far more personable than other fowl. Also, if they don't like you or choose not to like a family member - there will be no peace when that person(s) are in the area with them.

In your area they will need a shelter. Temp quarters with the other birds is okay but you will find it is best they have their own place. Geese, like ducks, do not go to roost. They are very active at night and will cause some disturbance in the chickens lives - i.e. lack of sleep and possibly a slow down in productivity.

 

[kodiakchicken]

Thanks for enabling, everyone! haha!

MissPrissy, thanks so much for the great info on geese. I hadn't had much of an opportunity to research their general behaviour yet. I'm still debating anyway. It's one more responsibility right in the dead of winter. If I can't provide exactly what they need then I won't do it. I figured they would need their own "bedroom". I would have to add on to the existing facility to create another room for them. I've noticed the ducks move around more at night too.

I've actually had my heart set on Sebastopol geese, but the more I read it sounds like they are simply pretty yard ornaments if you aren't going to eat them. Their egg laying appears very limited.

Thanks again, everyone!

 

[MissPrissy]

My giant buff dewlap toulouse have earned my favoritism - far above my Sebbie.

 

[kodiakchicken]

Quote:
For what reasons?