I want to order a pair of geese, new to geese here

[jynxster]

I have three ducks, the duck run is 20 feet by about 55 feet long, two small wading ponds for the ducks. brought filtered sand in so the ducks have sand around the pind areas (good grit for them and keeps the ponds cleaner) I have a one yr old male pekin very friendly towards people hand raised, and two three month old pekin / cuyaga mix females, rather standoffish sisters rescued completely unseperable. I want a pair of geese, but I want to be smart about what breed to choose. They will all need to get along and live in teh same area. I do not want agressive geese. I will order them as babies now and get them in late February so.....suggestions on what breed to order and why?? Thanks in advance.

 

[gryeyes]

Toulouse. Docile, friendly,fairly quiet over-all. Mine get along with my ducks and chickens just fine. (Well, they do not like conflict, so they wade into mating pairs of chickens when the pullets or hens squawk about it. If mounting is accomplished without noise, the geese don't care.)

I love my Kate and Angus!

 

[Suzie]

I too would recommend Toulouse - they are very gentle BUT as with any adult or juvenile geese the Spring can be difficult ... hormones are rampant with the males and they can give the impression that they are aggressive - this is not true for the majority of the time - they are normally very passive as are my Embden geese!

Good luck in whatever breed you choose!

Suzie

 

[Rosebud 18]

Toulouse, but they do tend to fly out of their 6 ft tall fenced pen. I have to watch them thorough out the day. Sometimes they fly around overhead and occassinally misjudge their landing and land outside the pen. I open the gate and they calmly walk back in. This morning the one that landed outside suddenly took flight and flew back in the pen. Mine will be 7 months old the first of Feb. and are very gentle and sweet.

 

[poultry09]

i would get Dewlap Toulouse, american,african(can be noisy but great gard animals) or sebbies. the americans are fairly calm great parents they are avaible in buff, blue or lavender. african are a large goose and make great parents as well but are great watch dogs and will defend and chase away any unwanted preadotors but they can also be noisy!!! they are avaible in buff,brown and if you are lucky white. sebbies are a great goose to have around and have great personalitys and are a very preaty, exotic goose and come in many many colors mainly white. i dont have dewlap toulouse but they are a coolo looking goose and are huge! supoes to be great parents and are a laidback type of goose
if i where you i would order your geese from http://www.holderreadfarm.com/index.htm they are the best to deal with. prices are high but are top quality birds!!!
good luck find the right breed

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

I guess I will always say Cotton Patch . . . I have not once regretted getting them, even with the average 50$ a gosling. They are friendly, not aggressive towards each other or me, get an "A" for growing or living on almost entirely grass over the summer, and are an endangered heritage breed. Again, they are pricey to get into but once you have them their care is just like other geese. If I just wanted some geese as weeders or "pets" I would definitely go with the Cotton Patch - although maybe your budget won't allow it, in which case the more common breeds might be your only option like the Toulouse or Embden. (Just remember, it doesn't matter the breed, sex, age, any goose can be mean - like an old lady I know has a really mean Embden - whereas someone else I know used to have Embden's which he said were good as gold).
Good luck!

 

[RHRanch]

Cotton Patch! They are safe with kids, other animals, small birds, etc. I have mine penned with my layer flock and 2 dozen bantam cochins - they have never touched ANY of them! They never act aggressively with me, even when they have babies.

 

[gryeyes]

Toulouse, but they do tend to fly out of their 6 ft tall fenced pen. I have to watch them thorough out the day. Sometimes they fly around overhead and occassinally misjudge their landing and land outside the pen. I open the gate and they calmly walk back in. This morning the one that landed outside suddenly took flight and flew back in the pen. Mine will be 7 months old the first of Feb. and are very gentle and sweet.

Your Toulouse FLY???!?!?! I am AMAZED at this. Mine cannot get more than six inches off the ground, and that's when they have just gotten The Zoomies and run with wings a'flapping! These are big geese. The breed specs I have read say they're not flyers.

 

[jynxster]

I thought about the cotton patch, the price is irrelevent actually and in reality thinking more about this, would really like only a single female. If I bought a pair, as soon as they could be sexed I could let the male go, oh and by the way RH Ranch I live in Alpine so maybe you would want the male, I see you are in san diego area as well COOL....absolutley no agression allowed on my little farm, sign over my entrance gate reads "Sanctuary" home is where I go to get away from the crazy world we live and work in so thats kinda a rule with me. I love my animals and they will have homes forever but, have to be polite. Cannot have geese that can fly out because the pen butts up against the dirt road. Also I will have them behind my house, my bedroom and living room are at the back of the house. I love the fact that I can look out the living room or bedroom window and see what they are up to. My fencing is 7 feet tall small mesh cant stick their heads throught and does have electric wire around the top and along the bottom outside about 8 inches off the ground on the outside of the pen. There are ferral cats bobcats coyote and occasionally the run away dogs pitbulls german shepard big dogs out here. Electric fence is the best protection but, no animals that can fly out. No flying birds and not too loud. Tonight i opened the liv room window and threw out the carrots and lettuce was sooo fun watching them. They have learned if the stand below my living room window and squawk i will come to the window. Ducks are really smart and learn behavioral response really fast, I think a goose will be a great addition.

Thanks everyone for their input here, I really want a goose but am still contemplating the appropriate bird. RH Ranch hey what part of san diego? ok fellow feathered friends again thanks for your assistance.

 

[louzianachicken]

I have pilgrim geese, and love them. Good temperament, mid sized and the best thing is you can tell the gender when they hatch (males are white, female grey). I previously owned african geese and they were a little more aggressive. I've had these since late spring. Took me a little while to find them but worth it.