Recommendations on geese please.

[GreenshireFarm]

We are looking at adding geese next year. We currently raise chickens and heritage turkeys, we've raised ducks in the past. I was curious about other people's experiences with raising Toulouse vs. Embden (or any other goose really).

Ideally, we'd like to find a sustainable breed for meat and goslings that has a good temperament and will survive Michigan winters.

Any recommendations or observations?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Both breeds are great breeds. Geese are very winter hardy and love to raise goslings. I think the embden is considered more of a meat breed due to the white feathers. I haven't actually had toulouse, but they are similar to the other breeds I currently have which is pilgrim, buff American, and embden. None of my gander are aggressive, although I don't handle mine.

 

[GreenshireFarm]

Both breeds are great breeds. Geese are very winter hardy and love to raise goslings. I think the embden is considered more of a meat breed due to the white feathers. I haven't actually had toulouse, but they are similar to the other breeds I currently have which is pilgrim, buff American, and embden. None of my gander are aggressive, although I don't handle mine.

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience!

I'm leaning toward an Embden gander and a few different breeds of geese- an embden, buff and toulouse- then seeing which offspring are ideal for our situation.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience!

I'm leaning toward an Embden gander and a few different breeds of geese- an embden, buff and toulouse- then seeing which offspring are ideal for our situation.

You can't go wrong with those 3 breeds in my opinion. They are fairly docile as geese go. They do get a bit rowdy during the breeding season, but the rest of the year are nice calm geese. We tried African geese, but they didn't work out. Too loud, and turned aggressive towards a pilgrim goose that had a limp, so they went in the freezer. No way I'm ever trying Chinese geese.