Just the goose?

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Poop machines!

I should probably remember that and not get too many this time. It killed my back to clean the swimming pool brooder every day, and they spent half the day outside on the lawn too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I had 4 geese once they grew up they became thugs going after the chickens and Muscovy so I had to make the painful decision to find a new home for the two youngest. No one would want my gander he is too hateful and at his age too tough to eat.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mine have remained mostly respectful. A few gooses on a chicken here and there, but they mostly leave everyone else alone. We will see how it goes after the snow stays here and everyone is confined to the shed more. If I'm gonna have troubles it will be during the long cold winter here.

My husband is willing to eat any trouble makers here, no matter how tough.

I'm definitely sticking with females.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds like a plan I look forward to seeing your little ones in the spring!

 

[blackandtan]

I too am hoping for surrogate motherhood from mine, that was the whole reason I kept a trio this year - I’ll let them raise the babies so I don’t have to bond with them!

I’m also coming to love their goose alarm, they reliably honk at all strangers, and loudly too! This has been super useful cause my lab is just a lover and when customers drive in he greets them with smiles and a wagging tail, but not a peep....unless the dog across the lake is barking, then he gets all puffed up and booms at that. If the geese are sounding off, I can hear them wherever I am and I know someone’s here.

 

[Miss Lydia]

And it’s amazing how many people are terrified of geese. I was one at a time in my life because of an encounter at a marina. Now I know them having them for 12 yrs.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I should probably remember that and not get too many this time. It killed my back to clean the swimming pool brooder every day, and they spent half the day outside on the lawn too.

Puppy pee pads in the brooder help with that. Just roll up the dirty ones and put out fresh. Takes about two minutes.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Good one I used them works great!

 

[ColtHandorf]

My geese were actually really well-behaved during breeding season with me this past spring. Georgia would yell and holler and get upset if I was in the hen house near her nest before she'd gone broody, but she wouldn't do anything. Golly on the other hand, would follow me in to be sure I wasn't doing anything I shouldn't. The only time I had an issue with him truly was when I had to move her nest. The ground was staying too wet so I bought a jumbo cat litter pan, filled it with pine shaving and hay and just relocated the whole nest into that. He was absolutely furious. I had blocked the door with chicken nest boxes but he came over them and just went to town. I scooped him up, one hand at the base of the neck, one supporting his body and launched him across the pen. He came right back screaming and hissing but wouldn't pinch after that.

Other people were completely different. Golly would chase and pinch as they ran across the yard while Georgia cheered him on from the sidelines. Oddly my standard poodles just got indignant honking, but the miniature dachshunds were met with open-beaked hissing. And that was on the other side of the fence. The chickens were relentlessly tortured once she went broody, which is why Golly wound up in his own private pen while Georgia remained on the nest. She was a complete doll. I could stroke her back and talk to her while she sat on the eggs.

Sadly I had a really bad issue with rat snakes this spring and summer and she lost her entire clutch to snakes. The eggs were constantly getting rolled out from under her in the scuffles or she'd break them. She sat really well until the end, and then she just gave up.

I know all geese can be individuals, but I'm certainly glad I've got my pair, and I cannot wait to see them with goslings this next spring.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My geese were actually really well-behaved during breeding season with me this past spring. Georgia would yell and holler and get upset if I was in the hen house near her nest before she'd gone broody, but she wouldn't do anything. Golly on the other hand, would follow me in to be sure I wasn't doing anything I shouldn't. The only time I had an issue with him truly was when I had to move her nest. The ground was staying too wet so I bought a jumbo cat litter pan, filled it with pine shaving and hay and just relocated the whole nest into that. He was absolutely furious. I had blocked the door with chicken nest boxes but he came over them and just went to town. I scooped him up, one hand at the base of the neck, one supporting his body and launched him across the pen. He came right back screaming and hissing but wouldn't pinch after that.

Other people were completely different. Golly would chase and pinch as they ran across the yard while Georgia cheered him on from the sidelines. Oddly my standard poodles just got indignant honking, but the miniature dachshunds were met with open-beaked hissing. And that was on the other side of the fence. The chickens were relentlessly tortured once she went broody, which is why Golly wound up in his own private pen while Georgia remained on the nest. She was a complete doll. I could stroke her back and talk to her while she sat on the eggs.

Sadly I had a really bad issue with rat snakes this spring and summer and she lost her entire clutch to snakes. The eggs were constantly getting rolled out from under her in the scuffles or she'd break them. She sat really well until the end, and then she just gave up.

I know all geese can be individuals, but I'm certainly glad I've got my pair, and I cannot wait to see them with goslings this next spring.

You explained exactly what I thought having a gander would be like. I wish I had discovered the joy of keeping a few geese years ago when I was more agile. I had a lifelong fear of them, and i can see how silly it has been.

I don't want to breed, so breaking up a nesting pair would be heartbreaking for all involved it sounds like. You never know, though, they do make sexing errors at times, and I am prone to changing my mind. Thank you for sharing your experiences with your geese.

My geese grabbed my little Chihuahua rat terrier mix through the fence once, pulling her hair. Boy was she spitting mad, snapping at them and trying to get them, while they made a great noise about it which I swear was laughing. Otherwise they run from my dogs thankfully.