Keeping a single Gander?

[LittleDinosaur]

I currently have 2 cocks and 29 hens, 1 guinea cock and 1 guinea hen. The guineas are great at keeping the aerial predators away, haven't lost a chicken to a hawk since getting guineas, however I do have trouble with foxes and weasels. I've heard that large breed geese are good at warding off small ground predators and just make for an extra security measure. My birds free range the open yard (about 1-1/2 acres) and the woods and wetlands surrounding (10 acres, though they don't go far). Is keeping just one gander among the chickens and guineas unreasonable? I've read that for him to be protective of the flock he can't have other geese to bond with, rather he has to be raised among the chickens and bond with them. I'm interested in a brown African gander since they are large, friendly and quite pretty.

 

[R2elk]

I currently have 2 cocks and 29 hens, 1 guinea cock and 1 guinea hen. The guineas are great at keeping the aerial predators away, haven't lost a chicken to a hawk since getting guineas, however I do have trouble with foxes and weasels. I've heard that large breed geese are good at warding off small ground predators and just make for an extra security measure. My birds free range the open yard (about 1-1/2 acres) and the woods and wetlands surrounding (10 acres, though they don't go far). Is keeping just one gander among the chickens and guineas unreasonable? I've read that for him to be protective of the flock he can't have other geese to bond with, rather he has to be raised among the chickens and bond with them. I'm interested in a brown African gander since they are large, friendly and quite pretty.

Reasons Why You Shouldn't Keep Just One Goose

 

[LittleDinosaur]

Reasons Why You Shouldn't Keep Just One Goose

See, this is why I love BYC. Have a question you get some very good answers! Thank you for this. I was concerned about the social aspect, but had read so much about keeping just one. If I can work out how to make a self-sustaining pond (I'm off-grid, so no pond pump for me) I'll get a pair or more.

 

[JedJackson]

See, this is why I love BYC. Have a question you get some very good answers! Thank you for this. I was concerned about the social aspect, but had read so much about keeping just one. If I can work out how to make a self-sustaining pond (I'm off-grid, so no pond pump for me) I'll get a pair or more.

Geese are fun to have but they are in all honesty not much good against predators other than sounding the alarm if they spot one, like guinea fowl. Just about any predator that can take out a chicken can take out a goose, including foxes, raccoons, weasels, coyotes and more.

 

[LittleDinosaur]

Geese are fun to have but they are in all honesty not much good against predators other than sounding the alarm if they spot one, like guinea fowl. Just about any predator that can take out a chicken can take out a goose, including foxes, raccoons, weasels, coyotes and more.

I use the excuse of predator alarm to convince my housemates that keeping geese is a good idea, but in all honesty I just want some haha I like the idea of having long-lived animals around.

 

[JedJackson]

I use the excuse of predator alarm to convince my housemates that keeping geese is a good idea, but in all honesty I just want some haha I like the idea of having long-lived animals around.

They're fun and pretty intelligent in some ways. If you get them as goslings you can train them to eat weeds, too, which is very helpful.

 

[gander007]

Geese are a community animal a duck or goose would be the best thing for him ....

 

[Miss Lydia]

I use the excuse of predator alarm to convince my housemates that keeping geese is a good idea, but in all honesty I just want some haha I like the idea of having long-lived animals around.

Long lived like 40 yrs or more. lol