Pilgrim Geese Breeding Pair: New To The Farm

[bobhoke]

Hello All,

I just bought two supposed Pilgrim geese and have introduced them to our chicken flock. The gentlemen sold them because the gander was too loud. They were living in an enclosed 6'x'8' fenced area that had a shelter. He did not let them forage in his yard. They were given to him buy a lady who did allow them to forage, so we are home #3.

I want to let them run around our house, but I also want them to come back. These are our first geese. If they were chickens I'd know what to do, but geese are another chapter. I need to know how long it takes for Pilgrim geese to realize where they live and go back to the coop each night if they will at all. We'll also get two 4 day old goslings Wednesday. I'm sure it'll be easier with them. I don't know about these two year olds though. Any ideas?

 

[Miss Lydia]

When you let your geese out around the house will they be in a fenced in area? If not they may roam looking for things to forage on. And you sure don't want them on a road where they may get run over.

Spend as much time outside with your adults not necessarily trying to pet or get close to them but just letting them get use to you. Treats mine like are whole corn [small servings] dried meal worms chopped romaine lettuce chopped kale. Water melon these are things that will get them seeing you as someone that will give them yummies. My geese don't like to be handled but they like hanging out with me when I am outside. And will eat out of my hand. Try introducing you little goslings to the adults daily with supervision they don't even have to be in the pen with them but just seeing them by 3 weeks old they will be old enough to be with the adults if the adults take to them. You'll just have to play that by ear. My adult pair took around 3 weeks to accept the gosling I brought home they go to see them every day all that time and got to spend time close by and by 3 weeks adopted them. May have done it earlier but I was very protective.

 

[bobhoke]

The two adult pilgrim geese have settled in. We have an 18'x22' hen house with 26 adult hens and 16 freedom ranger pullets and cockerels. The geese sleep inside at night - last ones in.

The 2 y/o geese laid 10-12 eggs at the sellers house for the 2nd time this year. The first clutch zero hatched. The second clutch he tested in water and he thought two were good so he took them from the momma goose and he put them in the incubator. They hatched two days ago. I picked them up today from the seller. One is lame.

I tried to let them meet their parents, but the gander wasn't having no part of it. The female acted interested, but the gander picked one up by the wing and tossed it. I separated them and integrated the goslings with the rest of my new ducks and chicks. One gosling has splay legs. The other one seems to be normal. I tied a short string between its legs keeping them under its body. I'm also adding brewers yeast to its water and giving it geese and duck feed which has trace minerals that include niacin. Splay legs are supposed to be from a niacin deficiency. I'll let the gosling try to get right for three days and if it doesn't I'll cull it, because it will never walk. I don't babysit farm animals. Hope it makes it so it can be harvested this fall.

We are keeping the adult geese as a breeding pair so we can harvest their clutches in the fall each year. Does anyone maintain a pool in the Northern States for geese during the winter on their farm/homestead? If you do, how do you do it? Thanks!