Newbie in many ways!

[jtn42248]

Brilliant! :-D so sounds like i have to be careful where i site my new geese if the ground is liable to get a bit messy, will they damage olive trees do you think? I had read that romans are small so not too keen, Toulouse seem pricey, I'm only going on the ebay ads though, a trio of romans are €140 while a pair of laying Toulouse are €400, all irrelevant really as we'd like goslings, if we've got to spend 20 years with them we'd rather they weren't angry little blighters with attitude problems.

400 euros for a pair of Toulouse geese. Is inflation that bad in Europe? That works out, according to Google and depending on the current exchange rate, to between 500 and 600 dollars US. For that much money I will get a pair here in the US and ship them to you postage paid and still make a profit. I paid 16 dollars US each for my three and I just checked, they are going for 26 dollars US each this late in the season.

 

[Suzie]

Maybe a trip to France would benefit you...Toulouse geese ( adults here ) are about 40 euro's...a gosling is between 8 10 euro's...seems very expensive for them in Italy...you will have to wait until Spring 2015 for goslings though...as Miss Lydia says....hatchlings are normally available in the Spring to early Summer...depending on local weather conditions as to when the geese lay their eggs and hatch them.

I am English too...moved here six years ago and love it!

 

[Numero182]

Does seem expensive doesn't it! Hadn't considered a drive to France although i suspect people on ebay are trying their luck with foreigners who find it hard to find real priced fowl, I've been given a lead for some here only about 30km away so will investigate that next once I've got the place sorted. After more discussion we think the geese need to be in a spot where they will be permanently fenced in so rearing goslings to be tame pets isn't a worry, we need them to be instant guard dogs on arrival so we can just go and buy two or three juveniles/adults ready to honk! Sound sensible? Our land plot is steep and terraced so it's taken a lot of thinking through and making sure they don't see our holidaying guest often enough to torment them is a big concern, which in the site we're consiering now means they will only do so as they leave the house and return.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Does seem expensive doesn't it! Hadn't considered a drive to France although i suspect people on ebay are trying their luck with foreigners who find it hard to find real priced fowl, I've been given a lead for some here only about 30km away so will investigate that next once I've got the place sorted. After more discussion we think the geese need to be in a spot where they will be permanently fenced in so rearing goslings to be tame pets isn't a worry, we need them to be instant guard dogs on arrival so we can just go and buy two or three juveniles/adults ready to honk! Sound sensible? Our land plot is steep and terraced so it's taken a lot of thinking through and making sure they don't see our holidaying guest often enough to torment them is a big concern, which in the site we're consiering now means they will only do so as they leave the house and return.

Even juvies or adults can be half way tame you want to be able to go into their property to feed and water and clean up so that can be accomplished by spending time with them making sure to never let them intimidate you.They will see you as their care takers others will be trespassers. Let us know how it goes with the lead.

 

[Suzie]

I agree with Miss Lydia...

Some adult geese are very friendly...my first one was about a year old when I purchased him...he looked after the baby goslings I purchased too...

 

[Miss Lydia]

I agree with Miss Lydia...

Some adult geese are very friendly...my first one was about a year old when I purchased him...he looked after the baby goslings I purchased too...

Hi Suzie I remember Boss, good to see you on the goose thread.

 

[Suzie]

Hi Miss Lydia!

I haven't posted on the duck nor goose thread for some time...still have my huge flock...

I had a sole hatch this year...of nine eggs only one gosling...Georgie is learning to associate with the other geese and ducks but prefers to sleep in a cage...also I suspect angel wing...Georgie is strapped up at the moment...sad but we were given an incorrect feed for the gosling...I am so annoyed as I was told it was specifically for goslings and it turned out to be adult feed...I did argue the point but was told that the supply chain changed and there was only the one feed available for adults and goslings...I am utterly convinced that is the reason for the suspect angel wing...none of my other Toulouse has any wing deformities...arrgghhhh....

 

[livininbrazil]

Maybe a trip to France would benefit you...Toulouse geese ( adults here ) are about 40 euro's...a gosling is between 8 10 euro's...seems very expensive for them in Italy...you will have to wait until Spring 2015 for goslings though...as Miss Lydia says....hatchlings are normally available in the Spring to early Summer...depending on local weather conditions as to when the geese lay their eggs and hatch them.

I am English too...moved here six years ago and love it!

So many English escaping England! When we decided to move away, we also considered the S of France... more to the Camargue area, but Brazil won. For the time being, at least....

Does seem expensive doesn't it! Hadn't considered a drive to France although i suspect people on ebay are trying their luck with foreigners who find it hard to find real priced fowl, I've been given a lead for some here only about 30km away so will investigate that next once I've got the place sorted. After more discussion we think the geese need to be in a spot where they will be permanently fenced in so rearing goslings to be tame pets isn't a worry, we need them to be instant guard dogs on arrival so we can just go and buy two or three juveniles/adults ready to honk! Sound sensible? Our land plot is steep and terraced so it's taken a lot of thinking through and making sure they don't see our holidaying guest often enough to torment them is a big concern, which in the site we're consiering now means they will only do so as they leave the house and return.

We get the same here, we have to be a bit smart, by getting our friends to find out things for us, or people will charge a lot. I´ve paid from 50 reais a pair of geese (15 pounds, about) to about 15 pounds for one, but other places I´ve seen them for much more money.
You should be able to get some youngsters easily enough, I should think. Doesn´t really matter if they´re hugely tame or not, as they´ll learn who you are. You can always enjoy closer interaction with goslings at a later date, anyway... One thing I´d suggest, is that when you get them, just pop them in a small temporary pen for a few days or a week, so they can get to know you, and also have their place that´s home, then let them out to wander, then they´ll be more settled.
I´m sure your geese will be fine as long as they don´t make physical contact (a goose pinch can hurt!), so a fence in between the geese and the visitors will be fine.
I give English lessons here in my house, and the students come in, even with the geese wandering around the place, which they do, at times. ( Word gets around that we have guard-geese...it gets mentioned among the local town population, it´s good.) The geese sometimes make a noise, but tend to keep their distance anyway, and the students just scoot into the classroom a bit quick!
Hope you have success with the ones nearby.

I agree with Miss Lydia...

Some adult geese are very friendly...my first one was about a year old when I purchased him...he looked after the baby goslings I purchased too...

I bought 3 adult geese from a farm, they were totally free-range. The geese were really spooked at first, but now they eat out of the food bowl in my hand, and let me pick up their goslings.

 

[Numero182]

We seem to be leaving like flocks of geese!

Made a start clearing the patch of land today, lot of bramble and acacia tree but we can see the ground/grass now, another half day at it tomorrow and it should be looking pretty good, just gotta decide how many terraces to go up, we think we only need a pair? Or should we be considering two geese to one gander?

The more you dig the more complicated it seems, i'm sure a lot of folk just dive in but we want to do this properly.

Thanks again all, nice to see a busy thread

 

[Miss Lydia]

We seem to be leaving like flocks of geese!

Made a start clearing the patch of land today, lot of bramble and acacia tree but we can see the ground/grass now, another half day at it tomorrow and it should be looking pretty good, just gotta decide how many terraces to go up, we think we only need a pair? Or should we be considering two geese to one gander?

The more you dig the more complicated it seems, i'm sure a lot of folk just dive in but we want to do this properly.

Thanks again all, nice to see a busy thread

A pair is good, and some even keep trios but sometimes one of the geese will get left out if the gander decides he only wants one mate then you have the decision of getting another gander for the lone goose which isn't always bad if you have the property for it. and of course you may even be blessed with lil gosling down the line too. And goose eggs are very tasty.
I think ya'll thinking this through and getting prepared is a thumbs up.