New Goose Owner with Questions!

[CrisAnderson27]

Hello everyone!

So, five and a half weeks ago I decided I needed to get started on the chicken I'd been intending to get since I moved here. Fast forward to today....I have 20 ridiculously happy little barred rock girls (I'm 99% certain they're all females off a straight run order...craziness!), and 6 BEYOND fat Cornish X (the two biggest are over 8lbs each!). You can follow that adventure, here lol:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-ish-to-raising-chickens.1351626/

This past week, I decided I needed geese...to grow up with my chickens. So per usual, I did some deep dive research into them. I found all good things for my needs up to yesterday (I've got three acres of grass around my house. 2.2 acres in pasture, and the remainder mowed)....so I started looking for birds. Metzer had the smallest minimum...shipped in the shortest time, and met the requirement that I be able to choose the sex. So I ordered two French Toulouse geese and a gander.

I'd read quite a bit about how to handle gander. From socializing them as they grow, to how to speak their language so they aren't confused about their place. I'm the absolutely unquestioned alpha to all of my animals, gentle but firm...and have never had a problem raising pretty much anything...male or female. Today however, I'm reading a lot about 'uncontrollable' ganders...and how much damage they can do. I'm 99.99% sure I have this covered...but I absolutely like to make sure, and I take all information seriously...whether I believe/act on it or not.

So what are your experiences? I'm more than open to hearing any advice as well. My new birds should be shipping out the 20th...so I have a bit of time, but not too much!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Goosebaby]

Hello everyone!

So, five and a half weeks ago I decided I needed to get started on the chicken I'd been intending to get since I moved here. Fast forward to today....I have 20 ridiculously happy little barred rock girls (I'm 99% certain they're all females off a straight run order...craziness!), and 6 BEYOND fat Cornish X (the two biggest are over 8lbs each!). You can follow that adventure, here lol:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-ish-to-raising-chickens.1351626/

This past week, I decided I needed geese...to grow up with my chickens. So per usual, I did some deep dive research into them. I found all good things for my needs up to yesterday (I've got three acres of grass around my house. 2.2 acres in pasture, and the remainder mowed)....so I started looking for birds. Metzer had the smallest minimum...shipped in the shortest time, and met the requirement that I be able to choose the sex. So I ordered two French Toulouse geese and a gander.

I'd read quite a bit about how to handle gander. From socializing them as they grow, to how to speak their language so they aren't confused about their place. I'm the absolutely unquestioned alpha to all of my animals, gentle but firm...and have never had a problem raising pretty much anything...male or female. Today however, I'm reading a lot about 'uncontrollable' ganders...and how much damage they can do. I'm 99.99% sure I have this covered...but I absolutely like to make sure, and I take all information seriously...whether I believe/act on it or not.

So what are your experiences? I'm more than open to hearing any advice as well. My new birds should be shipping out the 20th...so I have a bit of time, but not too much!

Thanks in advance!

My French Toulouse came from Metzer too! Most of mine are ganders. They’re all individuals so it’s hard to say exactly what sort of gander you’ll get, but if you spend a lot of time with them, like you would a puppy, they’ll love you forever.
You have to spend time with the girls too, because when breeding season comes even the best gander gets affected, and if the girls aren’t socialized to you and start their high pitched rage cackle the ganders can absolutely lose their minds and go into attack mode.
As a whole it looks like you know what you’re getting into and have it covered!

 

[CrisAnderson27]

My French Toulouse came from Metzer too! Most of mine are ganders. They’re all individuals so it’s hard to say exactly what sort of gander you’ll get, but if you spend a lot of time with them, like you would a puppy, they’ll love you forever.
You have to spend time with the girls too, because when breeding season comes even the best gander gets affected, and if the girls aren’t socialized to you and start their high pitched rage cackle the ganders can absolutely lose their minds and go into attack mode.
As a whole it looks like you know what you’re getting into and have it covered!

Awesome lol!!

I spend a lot of time with my animals...and understand completely what you mean by making them love you with time lol. I call it 'socializing'. I work from home so it's a lot easier for me than many people. For example...moving the chicks all out to the coop so very early...in late winter Virginia temps (I mean...it's going to be 28°F tonight lol)...was only doable because I could monitor the heat on a consistent basis (every hour or two)...until I got the right setup nailed down.

Now...on your birds....I want to see! How long have you had them?

 

[Goosebaby]

That sounds wonderful!
My first two French Toulouse, Leo and Lavender are the parents of the rest of my Toulouse, and Leo is also the dad of my cross who’s half Buff also. Of the geese I still have now there is Leo “10” and his children Parsnip, “8” Darby (the cross) “6”, Strawberry “6” and Friday”6” I’ve also added a Buff “Apricot” and a Classic Roman “Delphi” also from Metzer. They just turned a year old.
Leo and Parsnip, my baby that’s dealing with health issues that’s causing his beak to be pale are in the first pic.
Darby, Strawberry and Friday are in the second pic, Friday’s my only girl Toulouse, she has the neck poof. Someone nipped her or she got caught on something that tore her neck skin when she was 3 days old. It healed perfectly smooth, but it must have healed backwards because her feathers are swirled in that spot.
Last two pics have Delphi and Apricot with Leo, Parsnip, and their big brother boerboel Tuck who looks out for them.

 

[CrisAnderson27]

That sounds wonderful!
My first two French Toulouse, Leo and Lavender are the parents of the rest of my Toulouse, and Leo is also the dad of my cross who’s half Buff also. Of the geese I still have now there is Leo “10” and his children Parsnip, “8” Darby (the cross) “6”, Strawberry “6” and Friday”6” I’ve also added a Buff “Apricot” and a Classic Roman “Delphi” also from Metzer. They just turned a year old.
Leo and Parsnip, my baby that’s dealing with health issues that’s causing his beak to be pale are in the first pic.
Darby, Strawberry and Friday are in the second pic, Friday’s my only girl Toulouse, she has the neck poof. Someone nipped her or she got caught on something that tore her neck skin when she was 3 days old. It healed perfectly smooth, but it must have healed backwards because her feathers are swirled in that spot.
Last two pics have Delphi and Apricot with Leo, Parsnip, and their big brother boerboel Tuck who looks out for them.

Heeeyyy!! Look at them! I can't wait to see what my three grow into. I think the orange/grey of the French Toulouse is pretty striking, and all of the video I've seen shows a lot of personality in them as well. Should be a ton of fun lol.

 

[DiYMama540]

So excited you decided on getting some geese!! You won't be disappointed and they are going to love roaming your property and mowing the grass for you!

I have both a female and male...the female is a perfect angel, and the reason I'm head over heels for geese. The gander is being very difficult at the moment. We've had a couple showdowns where I've had to remind him that I'm the boss of the yard! Can't wait for mating season to calm down around here and I can get my sweet boy back!

This is Chance, my gander... he's currently adopted my flock of teen ducks, which has made him even crazier!!

Chance and his wife BB!

 

[Goosebaby]

Heeeyyy!! Look at them! I can't wait to see what my three grow into. I think the orange/grey of the French Toulouse is pretty striking, and all of the video I've seen shows a lot of personality in them as well. Should be a ton of fun lol.

Fun is an understatement! Welcome to the goose flock!

 

[Goosebaby]

So excited you decided on getting some geese!! You won't be disappointed and they are going to love roaming your property and mowing the grass for you!

I have both a female and male...the female is a perfect angel, and the reason I'm head over heels for geese. The gander is being very difficult at the moment. We've had a couple showdowns where I've had to remind him that I'm the boss of the yard! Can't wait for mating season to calm down around here and I can get my sweet boy back!
View attachment 2092114
This is Chance, my gander... he's currently adopted my flock of teen ducks, which has made him even crazier!!
View attachment 2092118
Chance and his wife BB!

Beautiful!!!

 

[des7598]

Thank you for sharing your stories. I fostered 15 geese last year, while all of them were rehomed, I kept two (Gander was the only hatchling from the batch of fostered eggs. and Goosy was one of the small goslings from the original flock). I just recently figured out which was which after catching her sit on her nest. She is up to 6 eggs. I look forward to when she sets it. My Goose is a Canadian / Toulouse and my Gander is a Tuft Roman. They have a large pen they are in during the day. but I let them wander the acres after I get home at night.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Here is some added information for when needed. Congrats on your choice of goslings look forward to seeing them when they arrive! https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/geese-training.561849/