Isa's Homestead Happenings and Hangout

[troyer]

Cause we drunk what?

Because of too much onion whiskey!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Hey, ya'll! I don't know where else to turn. Can anyone here help me out?

I have a friend who will potentially give us a rooster and / or a goose. Like, this weekend. We just lost our drake but we still have three female ducks that I'm hoping the goose could shack up with and potentially help us feel better about ranging them again? Also, our chickens, 9 hens, ...never had a rooster. It would be a Sasso rooster, which is not something I had normally thought I'd be breeding with, but kind of an interesting opportunity, if nothing else to help protect the flock. I'm a little nervous about what I might be getting myself into though... I hear so many horror stories about obnoxious geese and unmanageable roosters, but I also feel like it could be great! Thoughts?

Has your friend had any problems with the rooster? Roosters, from what I understand, integrate well when he is the only rooster

And geese are awesome! I've only had mine a couple of weeks, but they are super social. Mine are separated from my ducks and chickens because one of them is a gander, and breeding season is fast approaching. He's already gearing up. I don't think I will ever house the geese with the chickens, but I hope to put them with the ducks after breeding season is over. If it's a goose (female), it should be easy to integrate her with your ducks.

Be sure to quarantine them for a good long while (at least 4 weeks) before Integrating. Then I'd do the "look don't touch" method for a couple of weeks before Integrating.

Edit: Just saw that she's a goose.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Is the goose a girl or a boy?

Oh - much easier! I'm sure it'll be fine. Geese are very social. I got my trio (two geese and a gander) so recently, but the girls already love me and run up for treats and pets whenever they see me.

Wish I'd gotten geese years ago. They're fantastic.

 

[tripletfeb]

You all seem a little strange tonight.

Yes, yes, I know. You are all strange all the time. But tonight seems a bit stranger.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Has your friend had any problems with the rooster? Roosters, from what I understand, integrate well when he is the only rooster

And geese are awesome! I've only had mine a couple of weeks, but they are super social. Mine are separated from my ducks and chickens because one of them is a gander, and breeding season is fast approaching. He's already gearing up. I don't think I will ever house the geese with the chickens, but I hope to put them with the ducks after breeding season is over. If it's a goose (female), it should be easy to integrate her with your ducks.

Be sure to quarantine them for a good long while (at least 4 weeks) before Integrating. Then I'd do the "look don't touch" method for a couple of weeks before Integrating.

Edit: Just saw that she's a goose.

Right so, no, no problems I don't think. They were meat birds that were too small when they did the main slaughter, but now they have like eight roosters which is about 4-6 too many. Right now since we are down to all females, my three ducks and nine chickens are all in a 10x10 enclosure together, and then their own respective coop and hut at night. Getting these new birds would mean keeping them separate like you said, (in the basement basically), and not getting any chicks until they are integrated. I'm wondering how I am going to hut-train the goose. Because like, once I let her go, I feel like good luck getting her back! And the ducks already sleep there, so once the new birds are outside, I don't know where else the goose would sleep, unless I get her own dog house separate from the duck coop? which seems kind of silly if ultimately they would be sharing the same hut at night. Currently I am hand carrying the ducks from their hut to the enclosure each morning, and then moving them back in a carrier at night. Same with the rooster. How do I do an extended look but don't touch? I can bring his crate outside for the day, but it's too cold to leave him outside and not super feasible to move these giant dog crates in and out of the basement more than like - once. The logistics are what I'm not sure about. I want to let the ducks range again, but DH is not fully sold on getting like, poultry netting or something around the hut. I feel like that could cost a fortune, but the best I can come up with is electrified netting around the hut and the coop areas. So I could keep the new birds on the outside perimeter that way, maybe just carry them out for the day and let them keep sleeping in their crates. It seems crazy to keep these big birds alone in a crate for 5-6 weeks, and a colossal pain to have to clean all that out, too! Good grief.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Oh - much easier! I'm sure it'll be fine. Geese are very social. I got my trio (two geese and a gander) so recently, but the girls already love me and run up for treats and pets whenever they see me.

Wish I'd gotten geese years ago. They're fantastic.

Wow! Congratulations! I hope if we go for it, we may have such a great experience, too!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Wow! Congratulations! I hope if we go for it, we may have such a great experience, too!

I hope so, too. Be sure to ask about the rooste's personality. Bad roosters will make your life miserable, and they can be dangerous.

My rooster is teeny (he weighs just over 1 lb) and he's terrible. He can really only flap against my ankles. It's not a huge problem for me. Large roosters, however, can do serious physical harm, esp if you have small children.

 

[azurbanclucker]

Oh - much easier! I'm sure it'll be fine. Geese are very social. I got my trio (two geese and a gander) so recently, but the girls already love me and run up for treats and pets whenever they see me.

Wish I'd gotten geese years ago. They're fantastic.

They're lulling you into a false sense of security. Cobra Chickens are sneaky, like ninja!

 

[Brooks_]

Cobra Chickens

 

[Aunt Angus]

Right so, no, no problems I don't think. They were meat birds that were too small when they did the main slaughter, but now they have like eight roosters which is about 4-6 too many. Right now since we are down to all females, my three ducks and nine chickens are all in a 10x10 enclosure together, and then their own respective coop and hut at night. Getting these new birds would mean keeping them separate like you said, (in the basement basically), and not getting any chicks until they are integrated. I'm wondering how I am going to hut-train the goose. Because like, once I let her go, I feel like good luck getting her back! And the ducks already sleep there, so once the new birds are outside, I don't know where else the goose would sleep, unless I get her own dog house separate from the duck coop? which seems kind of silly if ultimately they would be sharing the same hut at night. Currently I am hand carrying the ducks from their hut to the enclosure each morning, and then moving them back in a carrier at night. Same with the rooster. How do I do an extended look but don't touch? I can bring his crate outside for the day, but it's too cold to leave him outside and not super feasible to move these giant dog crates in and out of the basement more than like - once. The logistics are what I'm not sure about. I want to let the ducks range again, but DH is not fully sold on getting like, poultry netting or something around the hut. I feel like that could cost a fortune, but the best I can come up with is electrified netting around the hut and the coop areas. So I could keep the new birds on the outside perimeter that way, maybe just carry them out for the day and let them keep sleeping in their crates. It seems crazy to keep these big birds alone in a crate for 5-6 weeks, and a colossal pain to have to clean all that out, too! Good grief.

Took me 3 nights of very slowly herding the geese into the barn before they got it and go on their own now. She will likely follow the ducks in (or vice versa).

I love my electric netting so much. It was the best investment for me. I use it for my birds and my goats, and we can move it all over the property. It keeps out predators, too. It isn't cheap, but it's been great. They make non-electric nets, too, which are much less expensive. Cattle panels work well, too. And if you aren't worried about predators, flexible garden netting (the thicker green stuff that looks like honeycomb) with step-in posts is very inexpensive.