Sweet! What breeds are they?I got these from big r today!!!!!!!!!
Haha That's a clever (but slow) way to get rid of snow. My niece lives in Boston and as they've reported in the news, there is no place to put the snow. She has snow half way up her windows of the first story of her house.
[COLOR=8B4513]Sweet! What breeds are they? [/COLOR][rule][COLOR=8B4513]Poopy Eggs Discussion[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]I don't have enough hens to sell eggs, but I give eggs away when they lay more than we can eat. Like any chicken topic, there many different recommended methods about washing them. I've always followed this version: If there's poop on an egg, I wash it with warm water and a little dish detergent, rinse with warm water, dry with paper towel, and rub a light coating of oil as a protectant since the bloom was washed off. [/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]For personal use, I don't wash them before using unless there's poop on the shell.[/COLOR] [COLOR=8B4513]Most of the time, I can give away a carton of clean, unwashed eggs. For safety, I put a small paper with directions in the carton. (24 copies can be printed on one sheet of letter sized paper). I've never gotten sick from my hens' eggs, and I'd feel horrible if someone did, so the note indicates that they require washing. [/COLOR]
[rule][COLOR=8B4513]Haha That's a clever (but slow) way to get rid of snow. My niece lives in Boston and as they've reported in the news, there is no place to put the snow. She has snow half way up her windows of the first story of her house. [/COLOR]
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YES, and totally true, but you can have more than one and they still do their job quite well.. I currently have 13, or 14 geese.This is one of many reasons why I always have kept them, my parents and grandparents. Last year, my entire years hatch went to a Vet in Mooreland, IN. He raises several hundred meat birds for market annually. He uses electric netting, pasture rotation, and his only issue was hawks, other flying predators. Not since he bought all my young adults! He has called me several times since, thanking me for teaching him about my geese. I raise started goslings that are from the beginning imprinted with other species and people. Ferocious against any flying predator. Bear in mind, geese are no match for a dog, or coyote. Goslings are also in danger until they are mature enough to handle a hawk.
@jchny2000
I'm not concerned about night predators as I keep my chickens locked in at night.....Aerial protection is my main goal here.
So here are some more questions for you:
If I got geese I'd probably get females.....
Thats perfectly fine, females guard flocks almost as well and you get some eggs as an extra benefit! an incoming flying intruder is swiftly attacked and flogged. And they know who is ok too, my geese do not attack my Muscovies.
-Would the roosters get along with them okay?
Yes, geese will hold a different type of leadership role, once mature there will not be disputes between them unless the rooster attacks you, or fights between themselves. I have only seen one rooster attack a goose. (my old roo, Red, GLW) He was promptly pinned, flogged and never did it again!
-Where/how do they sleep? Do they sleep on roost or on floor? Could they share the same housing with the chickens?
Mine nest/roost on the floor, they love a car tire stuffed with hay. Just a quiet spot. Hay piles are fine and they build a nest. Mine prefer to roost in or right outside the main coop area, its what you teach them to be home.
-What would be a good breed that won't be people aggressive but might scare someone enough that they wouldn't come on the property?
American buffs are docile but still watch their flocks close. Large breed, as big as my Embden. My neighbor keeps them. They visit my pond and flock, but will not come near me. The gander corrals his goose, and the ducks and makes them travel where he feels is safe.
Chinese are my personal favorite. This is Gee, my oldest fella. Yes, his face shows how sweet he is, to me. We are discussing his dinner and FF and he listens to me when I talk lol..
He will march right up a stranger to discuss WHY are you here, and DO I know you? I have only seen him actually attack an animal or person acting aggressively towards me or our flock. He isn't child aggressive, we only have children visit here on a rare occasion. Rooster fights for example stop immediately, Gee grabs & flogs the attacker. Rooster attacks me, oboy! thats a big no-no! Gee will run across the yard, head down and body slam the rooster, pinning it until it stops fighting him, or I intervene.
He did attack my silly brother for stomping towards us, trying to scare Gee! He had shorts and flip flops on... that was a painful lesson for my brother. Gee grabbed and pinched the inside of his leg and left a nice bruiseI warned him to stop, duh. Sudden fast actions make a goose go "on guard", and if they think its a risk they will attack.
They tolerate the turkeys, guinea, ducks, chickens, and I even had an incident last fall where a quail got out of its cage. I didn't latch the swing door and the lil fella got out. Gee was interested in what kind of weird thing it was but didn't hurt it, just keep saying hey! hey! what is this! Fortunately, my quail are tame and it was following me back to the house, lol.
-Will you have some for sale this spring?
-If I purchased a couple, How can I integrate them with my existing flock of chickens without having WW3?
I will have White and Brown Chinese, and White Embden. Embden are a little more challenging, and I am finding the hens are flighty. None of my embden goose are outwardly human social, and my gander has bit/pinched me when I was collecting eggs last summer. They are very aggressive to anything out of place. More of a large farm setting goose IMO. I keep them for the size and predator aggression.
The catch is knowing male or female, its hard to really tell before 6 months old. I have 2 adult Embden/Chinese cross females that need rehomed, they were a surprise hatch. My smallest embden hen can fly over a 6 foot fence if she likes the fella next doorWhen her clutch hatched 2 goslings had brown feetwhoopsie!?!
My feed has animal protein so I know it's not suitable for the vegetarian geese. But I'm guessing that they could eat the same feed as the chickens MINUS the fish meal?
Absolutely, geese do need some meat proteins. They do eat worms, slugs etc and love snails. also really like fish so no worries there. They just prefer tall grass seeds and clover, that type greenery. Summer months my geese don't touch the feeders. One of their favorite weeds is ragweed. They tear off the leaves! I raise duckweed in the summer outdoors for my ducks and geese to nibble, its very high protein. I have the pond and I think they get most of the algea, other beneficial plant life from it too. I know many say geese don't need protein, I completely disagree. I follow what my grandmother taught me.
I answered in red hope it helps!
I do unless that person asked I don't. Drop of dawn dish soap, cold water, and I use one of the shower loofa plastic scrubby things. Cut it so I use small sections and run my hand into it. cold rinse and dry on cheesecloth.Those of you that sell eating eggs... Do you wash them before you sell them? I haven't before now but I'm feeling self conscious about them. For some reason my hens have been getting them extra poopy lately
I do not wash our eggs we use ourselves until we use them.
Quote: Well written! Thanks for clarifying.
Congrats on the new babies!!!
It may still be NN but recessive if I understand correctly. I am just learning all the stuff with genetics and its not my best subject!Well sure enough it hatched while at work! My 15 yr old DS called to tell me there was a baby chick chirping up a storm!
It's awful sticky..hmm.. Egg marked Blue hatched appears it's black and a non NN. Drats!
Oops pic!
Winter does seem to bring on more of the picking and pecking problems. So far I am not seeing it aside from the bantam roo vs turkey tom fight, hopefully that's the worst of it.
It may still be NN but recessive if I understand correctly. I am just learning all the stuff with genetics and its not my best subject! Quote]
