Raising Geese 101

[Miss Lydia]

the last picture looks like breakfast gone wrong...
instead of the traditional X and O, I decided to draw faces on them happy one side and sad the other. this one hatched perfectly for what I wanted, a screamy face with a chick popping out the top. the others hatched in odd places so the effect didn't work so well.

I love that last pic with gosling coming out looks like an egg with hair. They are adorable, think you might try and find a female for your one gander so you have 2 pairs?

 

[capper2013]

I would like to. I was hoping to get a final set of eggs to incubate for the end of the season, but I think it will be prudent just to get a female gosling this year and incubate more next year, it would be more of a task right now if I ended up with another clutch of males to fight over one girl. poor thing would end up worn out!
problem is that locally to me there seems to be a lack of breeders, the eggs I got came via post from a couple of hundred miles away.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I would like to. I was hoping to get a final set of eggs to incubate for the end of the season, but I think it will be prudent just to get a female gosling this year and incubate more next year, it would be more of a task right now if I ended up with another clutch of males to fight over one girl. poor thing would end up worn out!
problem is that locally to me there seems to be a lack of breeders, the eggs I got came via post from a couple of hundred miles away.

Aww that's too bad. Maybe if you can post a wanted female Embden someone would know someone you know how that goes. Plus we have a new buy sell trade thread here for ya'll in different parts of the globe check it out.

Here ya go..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/16190/outside-of-u-s-other-countries-should-list-bst-items-here well not many on there yet but maybe go to where am I where are you thread find Wales UK and talk to the folks there someone just may know someone

 

[capper2013]

Aww that's too bad. Maybe if you can post a wanted female Embden someone would know someone you know how that goes. Plus we have a new buy sell trade thread here for ya'll in different parts of the globe check it out.

Here ya go..
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/16190/outside-of-u-s-other-countries-should-list-bst-items-here

thank you, I shall take a look...

 

[jtn42248]

hello, my geese arrived at last just over a week ago.
I had 5 hatch out of 8. one partially hatched, got it's head free then decided never to complete her hatching process, she died sitting in her shell just looking out of the hole she made.
another hatched and lived a week then died for no apparent reason. he did look quite weak, was the smallest of the group and struggled to get to grips with walking. he did go outside for a while and got to have a swim, so although his life was short he did do some goosey stuff.
so to the three I have left, I have Ronnie (the only girl) who is sleek sweet and very petite. she is pretty quiet but very active.
then there is Reggie, a huge ball of fur who is fairly placid right now.
last of all is the biggest Mr Nebbercracker. he is huge, already too big to fit in one hand. the boys are very inquisitive and will bump chests at times. they have done since a day old, but moments later will snuggle up with each other.
bathing is fun, they swim under water quite a lot, I started them off in warm water, now their fur seems waterproof I am getting them used to cooler water slowly.
they mix with our chicken, her name is bully and she lives up to her name quite well. she is often remonstrating with the geese, however Mr Nebbercracker does like to pull on her feathers; which she takes in her stride. if she considers them to be misbehaving she gives them a little peck, I guess just to show them who is boss. she is not very old herself, having hatched easter time.
the only critical point I could make about these lovely little goosey morsels is that they are so **** messy! I really had no idea how much fertiliser these little beasts would produce.
they eat loads, drink loads and get rid of it just as quickly.
I have a stream running through my land, I sunk a pond into the waterway so that it has continuous flow through it but gives them a fairly deep pool to play in. I have not introduced them to it yet, I figured that can wait until they have feathers, the bath tub will suffice until then.

In and out in 20 minutes. That is about how long it takes what goes in the goose to come out of the goose. And, if you are grazing them (or when you do) you will find it to be very much like cow poop. Half digested grass. Great fertilizer but a lot of it since they do spend the entire day grazing.

 

[capper2013]

In and out in 20 minutes. That is about how long it takes what goes in the goose to come out of the goose. And, if you are grazing them (or when you do) you will find it to be very much like cow poop. Half digested grass. Great fertilizer but a lot of it since they do spend the entire day grazing.

you ain't kidding!
they already go out grazing, it's just like some nasty pesto sauce; and it's everywhere. lucky enough we have enough acreage to not have a problem with build up.
I take them out a few times per day for a couple of hours, they still need a little nap now and then, so it gives me a chance to get on with other stuff.
they are too small to be left alone just yet, the buzzards and other birds of prey would pick them off in an instant.

 

[capper2013]

ok, it's a few weeks on, the geese are getting massive. they are just so funny right now, much cuter than chickens I think.
the biggest one, Mr Nebbercracker, has such a brilliant temperament, he loves hugs and snuggles, however, if you laugh at him he chews your lip, even if you pretend to laugh he grabs hold and gives the ol' lip a good yank. I guess he thinks it's disrespectful. so as long as no-one laughs at him he is fine. the girl, Ronnie, is very vocal. she leans forward and has a good old chirp. she controls the other two without a doubt. she spends most of her time in between them with her neck out having a good old shout.
reggie, the final one, is probably the most feisty one, he is a bit smaller than Mr Nebbercracker but makes up for it in attitude. he has just started to stand up to the chicken that bullies them, he puts himself between the chicken and his goosie buddies and cheeps with meaning. mind you, if the chicken retaliates they all just run away. it wont be long now and the geese will overtake the chicken in size; Mr Nebbercracker is already from my elbow to my fingertips without his neck and head in the equation.
they love their daily bath, often swimming under water, they zoom around for about 20 mins then take about ten mins to have a good wash before cheeping to get out. Ronnie is normally the first to start shouting to be dried.
the yellow and grey fluff is disappearing quite fast, much of their body has white coming through underneath the fluff, just the wing elbows and tips that look bald when they are wet.
I have always wanted geese since being a child, now I have them I feel like they live up to everything I want.
roll on chasing the postman... =8-D

 

[Miss Lydia]

ok, it's a few weeks on, the geese are getting massive. they are just so funny right now, much cuter than chickens I think.
the biggest one, Mr Nebbercracker, has such a brilliant temperament, he loves hugs and snuggles, however, if you laugh at him he chews your lip, even if you pretend to laugh he grabs hold and gives the ol' lip a good yank. I guess he thinks it's disrespectful. so as long as no-one laughs at him he is fine. the girl, Ronnie, is very vocal. she leans forward and has a good old chirp. she controls the other two without a doubt. she spends most of her time in between them with her neck out having a good old shout.
reggie, the final one, is probably the most feisty one, he is a bit smaller than Mr Nebbercracker but makes up for it in attitude. he has just started to stand up to the chicken that bullies them, he puts himself between the chicken and his goosie buddies and cheeps with meaning. mind you, if the chicken retaliates they all just run away. it wont be long now and the geese will overtake the chicken in size; Mr Nebbercracker is already from my elbow to my fingertips without his neck and head in the equation.
they love their daily bath, often swimming under water, they zoom around for about 20 mins then take about ten mins to have a good wash before cheeping to get out. Ronnie is normally the first to start shouting to be dried.
the yellow and grey fluff is disappearing quite fast, much of their body has white coming through underneath the fluff, just the wing elbows and tips that look bald when they are wet.
I have always wanted geese since being a child, now I have them I feel like they live up to everything I want.
roll on chasing the postman... =8-D

Aww we need some pics of these cuties.

 

[capper2013]

Aww we need some pics of these cuties.

I will get some tomorrow, I have not taken any since they hatched.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I will get some tomorrow, I have not taken any since they hatched.

You haven't?? why I have more pics of my flock than the grand kids[but don't tell any one]

They sound adorable and love the names