If you get goslings in spring and raise them for the meat (and yes, they have to be butchered for the meat, too
) they're easy and cheap animals to keep. They prefer foraging over pellets, so if you have enough grass, they only need the pellets as a supplement.
When they molt, you should theoretically be able to pluck the loose down and craft your own pillows and comforters. I'd say it takes a very human imprinted goose to be able to pluck from it without hurting it or scaring the wits out of it. I know they pluck live geese in Poland, but the footage I've seen from the process makes it look very much like they harm the geese both physically and mentally. I think it's animal cruelty.
It really depends on
your personality. As Katy says, you can't be too fussy about the poop - they really do poop
a lot. If you're the kind of person who likes animals to do what you want them to, don't get geese. They tend to do anything but.
But if you enjoy watching animals, and if you're curious about their behaviour, you should definitely get geese. They're so much fun to watch.
They're really hard not to get attached to, because unlike other poultry they interact with you all the time. Especially when they're young, they'll tend to walk in your footsteps and talk to you incessantly - and cry when you leave them. As Jrooster says, there's a humongous cute factor to them.
They don't eat fish - or bugs - they're vegetarian. They'll chew anything they can catch or reach, though. They investigate everything with their bills.
If you have predators in the area, you should keep them locked up at night. A flock of 200 geese may chase away most predators, but the small flocks most of us keep can't fend for themselves - even though they'll try.
When they grow up, they'll seem very aggressive to people they don't know
very well. You probably won't succeed teaching them to be nice - in my opinion you can't teach geese anything; instead you can teach yourself and other people how to act around them.
Uh, and they do taste very good!
). I've heard that in olden days they'd use goose down for pillows and stuff (but I think you need to butcher a goose to get the down, right?). What about housing? Are they big enough and smart enough to fend for themselves? We do have a one acre pond in front of the house. Would they eat small fish out of it? Please share all the reasons to get and not to get geese.
