Raising Geese?

[LarissaBuffMom]

My Koi pond is fair in size but as I was reading your post it made me think... perhaps I need to change some of my ideas about letting them have free roam of the yard during the day due to the pond getting too dirty from the geese. I am open to any good ideas if you have some to share..

 

[larkflying]

Well, geese aren't quite as bad as ducks, but they do like to play in the water . . . mine seem to feel like they need to drag grass into their kiddie pools (bath with a snack), and I could imagine that any decorative plantings and what not would suffer. Plus, they are . . . prolific . . . in their droppings . . .

I keep my geese inside a moveable electric fence so I can move them where I want them, and keep them off the road, and away from the neighbors, and also out of the garden. It is expensive though, and you have to move it often or it will get overgrown.

If you don't have a predator issue, or your yard is already fenced, you could try some poultry netting (they sell it at hardware stores) to divide your yard. The geese might chew it to bits though - they tend to chew on things like puppies, even when they won't necessarily eat it. They try doing that to the electric fence when I forget to put the charger on.

Or you could fence the pond area and let them in the rest of the yard -- they do love eating the grass. And the grass grows so plush after goose fertilizer it looks like you spent thousands on the grass. You can also use the wire fencing - the geese can't destroy it, but they will eat all the grass in their enclosure eventually.

People on here have lots of great ideas -- maybe there's some kind of decorative fence that will keep them out of the pond . . .

 

[jynxster]

Today my little cotton patch female is 3 days old. Got her last night from my friend. She is sooo cute. She is rather greenish yellow in color and will love her a life time. I have three toulouse babies to be delivered on the 11th, my question is; she seems so lonely rite now. I pick her up she calms pretty quick, put her back in her pen, she starts crying, there is no one else to keep her company. So my local feed store has little chicks. I was thinking to run get a pair of chicks to keep her compnay until the other little gooses arive on the 11th. I do work 10 hour days so.....what do people think? At the feed store I know they keep all their new chicks and ducklings in the same pen. I am feeding her non medicated chick starter and fresh grass and spinich in there. Of course she seems so tiny. not eating much; I want her tobe happy have company more than imprint on me. If she imprints on me cool but mostly want her to be healthy and happy.

 

[LarissaBuffMom]

I have heard that geese get along fairly well with ducks , there are so many different ideas on what you should and should not put with your geese and some people have said that as they get older you should not keep them with your chickens.. If it was me I would probably get a duckling for her because they are so much alike .. I have not raised any geese as of yet mine are on there way soon but I have spent countless hours reading all about them on this site so that I can raise happy geese.. I wish you so much luck do tell me what you go with as a friend for your little one..

 

[larkflying]

I'd also pick ducklings -- and not just because ducklings are so cute! They love water just like geese, and are hardy and quick to mature -- chicks take longer and need warmer temperatures.

She'll be happy when the other goslings come though! Have fun with her -- sounds like you re feeding her just right . . . You could try giving her an old stuffed animal till she has some friends . . . don't know if that would help or not .. .

 

[lovesgliders]

A stuffed animal will help. A mirror might, too. I agree that a duckling would be a better friend choice than a chick; we had a lonely gosling here and she just trampled the chicks while continuing to scream for us. That is how she ended up a housegoose... which was fine with me, but not for everyone.

 

[LarissaBuffMom]

how well dose your house goose work out for you, there hasnt been to many people who talk of having there geese house trained ?