I want to get goslings next year but don't know where to start!

[talkinboutchickens]

Hello!
Last Saturday I had to go to a livestock auction to get rid of my cockerels, and I almost ended up getting a pair of African geese! But we'd thought that we should do more research first.
The lady that was selling them told us all about geese. I didn't know that they were so simple! I thought they needed a pond!
So, my family and I were thinking about getting goslings next Spring or Summer, but we still don't know much about geese and how to prepare for them. I have multiple questions.
1. What breed is best to get if I want friendly geese?
2. What does their enclosure have to include?
3. I heard that you can get goslings at Tractor Supply but I never see them there Is there any other place that you guys recommend? I'm located in the midwest and I want a hatchery that's close to me. Preferably in-store pickup.
4. How long is the hatching process and do you have to get a special incubator for goose eggs?

Thanks!

 

[LRH97]

With animals, you are wise to do research before diving into anything new. It's always best to know what you're getting into before you take the leap! That said, geese are quite simple to raise. If they have access to good pasture, they can be almost self-sufficient. I love my geese. They're so full of personality and they're very intelligent. To touch on your initial questions:

1. It's up to you. Certain breeds have their quirks. For example, Chinese are known for being more vocal and make exceptional guard geese. I raise dewlap Toulouse and Sebastopol. My Sebs are a little more naturally stand-offish than my Toulouse, but both are really easy-going. The thing about waterfowl--especially geese--the more time you spend with them, the friendlier they will be. Start as young as possible. Goslings will imprint quickly and you'll wind up with babies as sweet as puppies. Do keep in mind, when breeding season kicks in, hormones will start to rage. That's when geese can get ill-tempered. When mine are nesting, it's chorus of hissing at feeding time when I go into their pens.

2. They don't need anything elaborate for an enclosure. Something predator proof and to get out of extreme weather (cold wind, hail, etc.). Most times, mine prefer to be out in the rain and even the snow if it's not extreme. They just need shelter from extreme cold and shade in extreme heat. If you have no pond, they do love bathing water. A kiddy pool works great. My pens are made up of dog wire and the shelter is a three-sided structure similar to a modular livestock barn.

3. You may ask your TSC if they can order some for you. Which part of the Midwest are you in? The closest major hatchery to me is Cackle (MO). You can also look around on Craigslist or hunt for a local breeder. Goslings are quite hardy and I've had good luck with them coming through the mail as well when I order them, assuming USPS cooperates. That's another soapbox though.

4. Generally, 28-35 days with lighter breeds on the shorter term and larger breeds on the longer. Not so much a special incubator, but you will need one large enough to ensure the eggs fit properly along with a larger turner. Goose eggs can be a bit more challenging to hatch artificially. There are tips and tricks people use when hatching in an incubator such as manually turning the eggs and periodic misting and cooling. For me, the best incubator is the one the good Lord provided: the goose herself. They're wonderful parents and when fertility is good, I get wonderful hatches.

Hope this helps a bit!

 

[KathiQuacks]

While they don’t need a pond, they should still get a chance to swim at least a few times a week to keep their feathers clean. A kiddie pool would work great for this.

1. This is just my personal experience, as I’m very new to geese myself - I received my first goslings back in June. 1 African, 1 Buff.

My Buff is extremely sweet, only really hissing at other animals. She is a bit stand-offish with me, but will still approach me, chew on me, etc. Not very keen on being touched / picked up.

My African is a bit louder and more likely to chase my other birds, but she is the biggest cuddle bug with me! I can approach her, pick her up, pet her no problem. She loves to sleep in my lap / on my chest

- By the way.. be prepared for geese to chew on everything.. you, your clothes, your hair, any tasty plants, etc. They will chew and eat anything they can get their bills on!

2. Enclosure isn’t very elaborate, yes. A predator proof coop and run with a wind guard, rain guard, ventilation, and bedding is enough.

3. I can’t help with goslings nearby or in-store pickup. Mine were ordered from Metzer Farms and shipped from TN to TX. They arrived on time and very healthy.

4. I agree with LRH97 about hatching.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

With animals, you are wise to do research before diving into anything new. It's always best to know what you're getting into before you take the leap! That said, geese are quite simple to raise. If they have access to good pasture, they can be almost self-sufficient. I love my geese. They're so full of personality and they're very intelligent. To touch on your initial questions:

1. It's up to you. Certain breeds have their quirks. For example, Chinese are known for being more vocal and make exceptional guard geese. I raise dewlap Toulouse and Sebastopol. My Sebs are a little more naturally stand-offish than my Toulouse, but both are really easy-going. The thing about waterfowl--especially geese--the more time you spend with them, the friendlier they will be. Start as young as possible. Goslings will imprint quickly and you'll wind up with babies as sweet as puppies. Do keep in mind, when breeding season kicks in, hormones will start to rage. That's when geese can get ill-tempered. When mine are nesting, it's chorus of hissing at feeding time when I go into their pens.

2. They don't need anything elaborate for an enclosure. Something predator proof and to get out of extreme weather (cold wind, hail, etc.). Most times, mine prefer to be out in the rain and even the snow if it's not extreme. They just need shelter from extreme cold and shade in extreme heat. If you have no pond, they do love bathing water. A kiddy pool works great. My pens are made up of dog wire and the shelter is a three-sided structure similar to a modular livestock barn.

3. You may ask your TSC if they can order some for you. Which part of the Midwest are you in? The closest major hatchery to me is Cackle (MO). You can also look around on Craigslist or hunt for a local breeder. Goslings are quite hardy and I've had good luck with them coming through the mail as well when I order them, assuming USPS cooperates. That's another soapbox though.

4. Generally, 28-35 days with lighter breeds on the shorter term and larger breeds on the longer. Not so much a special incubator, but you will need one large enough to ensure the eggs fit properly along with a larger turner. Goose eggs can be a bit more challenging to hatch artificially. There are tips and tricks people use when hatching in an incubator such as manually turning the eggs and periodic misting and cooling. For me, the best incubator is the one the good Lord provided: the goose herself. They're wonderful parents and when fertility is good, I get wonderful hatches.

Hope this helps a bit!

Hi! Sebastopols seem so cute but boy are they expensive!! I did not know that you can have TSC order them for you. I am pretty close to Cackle Hatchery, only 2-3 states away, which should be okay. Have you ordered from Cackle before?
So would Toulouse goose eggs be in the incubator for 35 days then since they are large?
What is periodic misting and cooling?
If you hatch, what tricks work best for you?
I would honestly let the geese sit on eggs, but I don't want them to get aggressive. I'd rather prefer for me to be able to socialize with the geese. I find that when my hens hatch chicks, the chicks turn out to be very skittish which is a bummer

Thank you!

 

[Berd Man]

1. What breed is best to get if I want friendly geese?
2. What does their enclosure have to include?
3. I heard that you can get goslings at Tractor Supply but I never see them there Is there any other place that you guys recommend? I'm located in the midwest and I want a hatchery that's close to me. Preferably in-store pickup.
4. How long is the hatching process and do you have to get a special incubator for goose eggs?

1) I think some of my friendliest are American Buff and African Geese. But don’t fall for the “all X type are aggressive” thing. I’ve had Chinese geese that were very sweet, as well as Embdens, Tolouse. Some specimens can get a bit feistier than others… these make for great holiday dinner guests.

2) Geese don’t lend themselves to cage confinement very well. The minimum for them would be maybe a small wind break like a bale of hay or perhaps a lean to. Mine prefer to sleep outside, no coops for them.

3) no idea for in store hatcheries. I see tractor supply sell either Embdens or Chinese geese in the spring. I’ve purchased geese from Meyer Hatchery and Cackle Hatchery.

4) the hatching time varies but generally it’s 29-34 days. An incubator that can hold larger eggs and turn eggs is best as they will need daily turning. You will also need to cool and mist goose eggs. I’ve had great success when I’ve followed Pete’s thread that’s stickied on the Goose forum.

Enjoy, https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/goose-incubation-hatching-guide-completed.491013/

 

[LRH97]

Hi! Sebastopols seem so cute but boy are they expensive!! I did not know that you can have TSC order them for you. I am pretty close to Cackle Hatchery, only 2-3 states away, which should be okay. Have you ordered from Cackle before?
So would Toulouse goose eggs be in the incubator for 35 days then since they are large?
What is periodic misting and cooling?
If you hatch, what tricks work best for you?
I would honestly let the geese sit on eggs, but I don't want them to get aggressive. I'd rather prefer for me to be able to socialize with the geese. I find that when my hens hatch chicks, the chicks turn out to be very skittish which is a bummer

Thank you!

I have ordered from Cackle several times and have had good results each time. I've never ordered geese from them, only chickens. My Toulouse eggs do tend to have a bit longer of an incubation time. It varies but it's normally around 32-34 days give or take.

Do bear in mind that regardless of whether or not you actually let the goose do the hatching, they will still exhibit nesting behaviors when winter breaks. Some maybe even before, but once you have a few warmer days in a row, things really start ramping up. Ganders will become more territorial and females will be looking for places to nest. It's not to say you will be running across your bird yards with an attack goose at your heals, but you will likely notice a change. You are correct. Bird-raised babies are never as friendly as human-raised babies. If that's the route you want to go, be sure to keep up with the nests and collect the eggs you want to hatch.

Berd Man's link to Pete's thread is about as good as you can get. Take a look for some good tips and tricks on hatching.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

While they don’t need a pond, they should still get a chance to swim at least a few times a week to keep their feathers clean. A kiddie pool would work great for this.

1. This is just my personal experience, as I’m very new to geese myself - I received my first goslings back in June. 1 African, 1 Buff.

My Buff is extremely sweet, only really hissing at other animals. She is a bit stand-offish with me, but will still approach me, chew on me, etc. Not very keen on being touched / picked up.

My African is a bit louder and more likely to chase my other birds, but she is the biggest cuddle bug with me! I can approach her, pick her up, pet her no problem. She loves to sleep in my lap / on my chest

- By the way.. be prepared for geese to chew on everything.. you, your clothes, your hair, any tasty plants, etc. They will chew and eat anything they can get their bills on!

2. Enclosure isn’t very elaborate, yes. A predator proof coop and run with a wind guard, rain guard, ventilation, and bedding is enough.

3. I can’t help with goslings nearby or in-store pickup. Mine were ordered from Metzer Farms and shipped from TN to TX. They arrived on time and very healthy.

4. I agree with LRH97 about hatching.

My duck did that....She loved "vibrating" and chewing with her bill on everything. She was so funny!
I guess it's kinda like dogs, they explore with their mouths
Do geese need a run like chickens?
Just wondering, if you want to leave to go on a vacation, how do you take care of them? Do you have someone look after them? I want to keep geese, but I also want the ability to leave a few times a year to go camping or whatever. With my chickens, we have family come and give them food and water and let them out while we're away, but it would definitely be too much for them to take care of additional animals.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

2) Geese don’t lend themselves to cage confinement very well. The minimum for them would be maybe a small wind break like a bale of hay or perhaps a lean to. Mine prefer to sleep outside, no coops for them.

Dang. I was hoping that they would be, because my family and I would like to be able to go on vacation and keep them in their run the whole time. Like I was asking KathiQuacks, how do you leave for a while on vacation without having family look after them? It's probably already too much to take care of the chickens for some of my relative when we go away. Then they would have to take care of the geese on top of taking care of my 13 chickens. Are there any breeds that do better in periodic confinement than others?

3) no idea for in store hatcheries. I see tractor supply sell either Embdens or Chinese geese in the spring. I’ve purchased geese from Meyer Hatchery and Cackle Hatchery.

How was your luck with Meyer? I've been looking at their website for baby chicks but I never knew they had goslings for sale. I've NEVER ordered any poultry online because of the shipping fee and the minimums, and I'm scared of the possibility of some dying! But luckily Meyer Hatchery is pretty close to me so that probably won't happen

I read a tiny bit of that article. Thanks for attaching it! Is there any easier way rather than to weigh the eggs though? Hatching goose eggs sounds almost too scientific for meI hope it's only the article that made it seem like that and I hope it's not like that in real life

Thank you!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

I have ordered from Cackle several times and have had good results each time. I've never ordered geese from them, only chickens. My Toulouse eggs do tend to have a bit longer of an incubation time. It varies but it's normally around 32-34 days give or take.

Do bear in mind that regardless of whether or not you actually let the goose do the hatching, they will still exhibit nesting behaviors when winter breaks. Some maybe even before, but once you have a few warmer days in a row, things really start ramping up. Ganders will become more territorial and females will be looking for places to nest. It's not to say you will be running across your bird yards with an attack goose at your heals, but you will likely notice a change. You are correct. Bird-raised babies are never as friendly as human-raised babies. If that's the route you want to go, be sure to keep up with the nests and collect the eggs you want to hatch.

Berd Man's link to Pete's thread is about as good as you can get. Take a look for some good tips and tricks on hatching.

Thanks for all the tips and info!
Random question, but are female geese or male geese typically nicer?

 

[KathiQuacks]

My duck did that....She loved "vibrating" and chewing with her bill on everything. She was so funny!
I guess it's kinda like dogs, they explore with their mouths

Yes! Geese, however, take chewing up a notch. It’s wayyy different than duck chewing. My Buff especially chews non-stop and can be quite destructive.

Do geese need a run like chickens?

I think it’s best for any birds to have a run so they can be safe without having to be squashed in a coop all day.

Just wondering, if you want to leave to go on a vacation, how do you take care of them? Do you have someone look after them? I want to keep geese, but I also want the ability to leave a few times a year to go camping or whatever. With my chickens, we have family come and give them food and water and let them out while we're away, but it would definitely be too much for them to take care of additional animals.

I have family over to help out too. That goose run would probably help a lot as well when you go on vacation, so anyone caring for them doesn’t have to wrangle them as much.

By the way, I don’t agree with not having geese cooped up at night.. Geese are big, strong birds, but they can still succumb to predators pretty easily.
My geese are only 8 weeks old, and I’m sure their behavior could change, but at the moment, they follow me and walk right into their coop every single night.