In Search of Geese

[SmithsCoop41]

Okay y'all! So I have decided I LOVE ducks, but even more love getting their eggs! And, although they are MESSY, they are also so adorable and good to have. It was a learning experience when I first transitioned them from my porch brooder to outside to the chicken coop....Yeah, I know now that ducks ARE MESSY and they do NOT belong in my chicken coop. I have since then let them be free to roam outside, even though they just continuously making laps all day around the chicken's coop. I do bring them inside the chicken coop at night though away from possible predators. So....I have decided that I also want GEESE! I have decided to try my luck and see if anyone on here knows of anyone/anywhere south eastern Ga that would have any GEESE for sale or some that they may want to just give away to a good home. I know ducks and geese are not exactly the same, but they're close enough for me. I would really love some African gay geese, or even just one to start out with. I have read that they can be very beneficial to a farm, and although I wouldn't consider myself to have a "farm" (right now anyway ),my husband would probably say otherwise. , I would really love to get some/one. Also, I know I mentioned the African Gray Geese, but I would be open to other breeds as well. Also, I would prefer to get a female (eggs) but a male and female would be great too.

On a side note....does anyone on here have any geese to where they can offer some tips/advise to having them? Pros? Cons? Best breeds to have? Are they ridiculously noisy, or about the same as ducks?

Let me know if y'all know of anywhere/anybody that may have some, that wouldn't be too far from me...like maybe say 60 miles from Valdosta, Ga.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Jenbirdee]

I have Pilgrim geese which are considered one of the less noisy breeds, however, geese are much louder then ducks

Pilgrim geese only lay eggs for 3 months a year (mating season late winter into spring) they normally lay one every other day
so I get about 45 eggs a year from my goose

I am not 100% sure if any other geese breeds lay more eggs than that. but if eggs are what you are after stick with ducks

 

[JRies]

There are 2 different africans. One that the hatchery's call Africans which are a production African Goose not a true African Goose but a goose that all the traits were bread out of to get more production there still a nice goose. Metzers Farms is still taking orders for day olds for thous If your looking for a backyard goose you may still have time to get your order in. https://www.metzerfarms.com/african-geese.html
I raise the true Africans if you have more questions about them just ask.

 

[Jenbirdee]

There are 2 different africans. One that the hatchery's call Africans which are a production African Goose not a true African Goose but a goose that all the traits were bread out of to get more production there still a nice goose. Metzers Farms is still taking orders for day olds for thous If your looking for a backyard goose you may still have time to get your order in. https://www.metzerfarms.com/african-geese.html
I raise the true Africans if you have more questions about them just ask.

So now I am curious, what traits did they breed out of them ? the very loud noisiness trait? The “only lay eggs for three months a year” trait? anything else?

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have a goose, he is wonderful, his name is Goosetav, it was, Blue, but mostly I call him Goosage. I got him from a county fair.

 

[JRies]

So now I am curious, what traits did they breed out of them ? the very loud noisiness trait? The “only lay eggs for three months a year” trait? anything else?

All good, they bread out the heavyweight, the Dewlap. the huge bone structure, But if your looking for backyard geese and egg production they did good. As for noise , the productions win hands down.
I started with 7 geese (6 girls-1 boy) from Metzers I really enjoyed them but really enjoyed hatching there eggs and the babies. I took a long look and decided I wanted to hatch the true bread geese and help to continue there availability and future. So I have rehomed all of them the last one who I called MaMa and my grandson named daisy duck got her forever home this year. Anyway.
True Dewlap Africans sometimes called Super Africans the boys are around 20-22 pounds by the age of 2. Productions are around 15 pounds. Really there just different birds. Productions are lighter weight with no dewlap but still nice birds.

 

[JRies]

True African goose and little MaMa production african with some dewlap babies (thus how she got here name) She raised most of the babies for 2 years she is a great little goose.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I have just one goose and she is very quiet
Only time I hear her is when I have treats then she lets the neighbours know mom is giving treats
I got mine at a month old and she was very spoiled
Unlike ducks she didn’t get scared in her teens and at 6 months old she still loves to be held , pet , cuddled and gives hugs !
She has claimed a crew of 4 ducks as her little flock but will mingle and hang with all 19 of them
I do plan to get her a mate later on
As they do much better in hormone season with a mate
Mine mows the lawn for me
If you get a few verse a bunch it will be much more quiet

 

[Jenbirdee]

True African goose and little MaMa production african with some dewlap babies (thus how she got here name) She raised most of the babies for 2 years she is a great little goose.

they are beautiful. so how many eggs a year does one ‘production’ african goose lay?

 

[JRies]

Lots

they are beautiful. so how many eggs a year does one ‘production’ african goose lay?

Lots of eggs my girls would go through 2 seasons one in the spring that lasted till early summer (here it would get hot so they stopped) As soon as it cooled down they did another laying season. There closer to chinese in production for eggs. My dewlaps lay huge eggs starting in Feb and are done late May.