Sebastopol geese, how is their personality?

[amenfarm]

Someone is selling a pair in my area and they are very pretty. However, not to offend anyone, but all I have heard of geese is that they are mean. They will be sharing the pasture with my donkey,Jay-Jay-pasture protector, he's had pigs, cows and chickens in with him before i got him 6 weeks ago. I have a hard plastic kids pool, No pond. Will this work? I need a little advice, ok alot,lol.

 

[animaladdictions]

Of all the goose breeds out there, Sebastopols are possibly the sweetest! Mine just love a good rub on the head and neck and they follow me around like puppy dogs. The only warning I would give is that just like all geese, the pair, (especially the gander), will become very protective of their nest, their young, and each other during the breeding season. Sebbies usually just hiss and fuss, but can provide the occasional pinch if they feel overly threatened. Geese make extremely good parents and will defend their young against even the fiercest predators. Once breeding season is over, they go back to being sweet and loving.
As far as the donkey goes, they shouldnt bother each other.

Hope this helps!

Lisa

 

[Denninmi]

With my apologies to the original poster for kidnapping this thread just a bit, I'd like to ask if Sebastopols have any special issues or concerns due to the fancy plumage? Are the feathers more prone to begin damaged, broken, or becoming soiled?

 

[Diamond Wire Farms]

My sebbies are also the sweetest geese on the farm. Like all geese they can be testy during breeding season, but it is usually limited to hissing.

Sebbies should be provided with a covered area during stormy weather, because their plumage becomes soaked more quickly in the rain. I also have to watch them more closely for angel wing. Other than that they are very easy keeping geese, who stay amazing clean considering their color.

 

[KMHunter]

Quote:
What is angel wing? I am looking at getting a couple and am gathering info.

Also sorry for hijacking this thread!

 

[Denninmi]

Quote:
Angel wing is a physiological or perhaps better to say developmental disorder of the wing tip, the outer segment, that happens when the primary feathers start to grow in at around 4 to 5 weeks. The feathers become too heavy for the underlying bone and/or tendons to support it, and the wing tip droops and turns outward at a funny angle.

If untreated, the wing becomes permanently set at the weird position, rendering the bird completely flightless and also cosmetically undesirable. It generally does not impact quality of life. Because it MIGHT have a genetic component, probably better NOT to breed these birds.

It also MIGHT have a nutritional component. It may be linked to a high protein diet, and/or a lack of green plant matter or carbohydrates (grain).

No one is really sure.

The treatment is pretty straight forward -- as soon as the wing tips are seen twisting, the wings should be bound into the normal position with medical tape or similar.

I just corrected this on my Pilgrim ganderling. It was easy to do in the sense that he is extremely tame, but I had problems the first week, was trying to use the medical tape that sticks to itself and not the feathers, and it just would NOT stay on. Finally in frustration and feeling that time to correct it was growing short, I used duct tape. Had to cut it off, but wasn't as bad as I feared, and it worked -- today, he was untapped since yesterday, and the wings are PERFECT!