Newbie at owning goslings, taking any advice on how to raise them

[The goose girl]

Remember, geese and goslings need to be able to rinse their bills and eyes in water. So your water level shouldn't be too shallow.

Also, they love bathing and they're good swimmers. As long as they're able to get out of the pool, the water level isn't important. On warm days you can let your goslings play, bathe and swim in the water, you just have to make sure they're able to dry off afterwards without getting too cold. Goslings raised by their parents will be almost waterproof from the static of rubbing against their parents' feathers, and they'll keep warm under their parents. Your goslings are not that waterproof and can get cold when all their downs are wet.

One of the problems with keeping chickens and geese together is that geese love and need plenty of water, whereas chickens tend to drown in it.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

I have 1 thing to benefit


DONT LET THEM EAT PLASTIC!

we had a trio of geese, first time they found plastic they ate it, and ever since they tried to eat plastic! dont worry, we ran as fast as a we could if we saw them find some, well they would swalllow it too fast!

 

[Iain Utah]

I tried to introduce my goslings to swimming in the bathtub on day 3, as I do with my ducklings. However, without sticky solid footing, their legs slid apart which scared me and the goslings.... so instead I set up a 9x13 baking dish in pen and placed bar drain plastic mats (like you see in restaurants) on bottom so the footing is excellent (they also have a regular poultry waterer for drinking). They don't play in the water the way my ducklings do, but they LOVE to lay in their baking dish!

One other tip... my goslings also love small stuffed animals. They will play for hours with their toys, just like puppies.

 

[smw18]

Thanks guys. I took a kiddy pool we use to use for the dogs, and put it at a slant. There was dry spot they could come one and only a inch was the deepest part. I will give them a little bit deeper water today. They flipped out when standing in the water.
Another question, my goslings havent gotten their primarys yet, around what ate should I see this?

 

[grannyh]

I just started reading this thread...and I am bummed!! I have an order in for chicks and a pair of chinese goslings (my first geese)...to arrive the first of May. I thought I'd read that they could be raised together...now it appears not? At what age should they be separated? My hubby isn't going to be happy if he has to build separate quarters!!! I have one coop and one fenced yard. I do hope to free range all of them...if the predators aren't a big problem. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[arherp]

Metzer's "Super African" is not a standard dewlap African. They are over sized Chinese with some neck pudge.

Some hatcheries sell an "African" goose that is not the enormous goose with a dewlap, and neither is it a chinese with a long skinny neck. Metzer calls the standard dewlap african the "super african" and the regular african they sell is a different breed with distinct lines seperate from the dewlap african and chinese.

Unless your buff goslings get super long skinny necks, most people won't batt an eye at your "africans".

My main takeaway in raising geese from experienced goose owners is to raise a gosling the same way you would raise a puppy of an aggressive dog breed. Don't snuggle it up to your face. Don't teach it to eat out of your hand. Don't blur the lines between your position as the "alpha" of the flock essentially. If I'm around to see it, I don't let my goslings act aggressive towards my other birds.

Unmedicated starter is great beginner foods with lots of dark greens. If you want your geese to eat weeds in your yard and garden make cuttings of your common weeds (non toxic of course) and feed them those, they will develop a taste for those plants and eradicate them when they graze. I've had great luck with this.