Sebastopol help, please!?!

[happyhenpecked]

This spring, my wife got her first chicks. We thought it would be nice to have fresh eggs of our own to eat and share in our own backyard... Chicks don't come with a warning label and nobody told us that our modest hobby was more addictive than crack, only with chickens your quality of life improves with daily use. If you are reading this, I don't have to tell you how much our birds have improved life for my wife and me, you probably already know.

My wife has been talking non-stop about how much she wants to get Sebastopol geese for the last few months and her birthday is coming up next month and I thought a breeding pair would be the perfect gift.

I built our chicken coop and run, and I plan to buy or build a coop/ run for the geese, but I dont want to tip her off about what I plan to do for her birthday by asking her what Geese need to live.

If I could get some advise on building a run/ coop for a pair of Sebastopols I would really appreciate it.

Also if anybody knows where I could get some Sebastopol eggs, or a breeding pair that would be great also.

Thank you,
happyhenpecked

 

[happyhenpecked]

Where can I get some Sebastopol eggs with good heritage for my wife's birthday?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

You won't find any eggs this time of the year, geese are seasonal layers. Finding juveniles or adults right now you will have to look locally. No one can ship birds right now because the temperatures are too high. In Sept/Oct many will release this years hatched birds as fall juveniles they don't select for breeding for 2013.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Now as far as housing, there is a thread that shows some goose houses on here. For just two birds you would want 4' high, 4' deep, 5' wide to give them space to move around inside. Geese don't live in runs, they graze all day long and a run wouldn't be capable of growing grass fast enough to keep up with them.

 

[happyhenpecked]

I am looking for Sebastopol's as a gift for my wife, I really don't know much about them but my wife is quite informed. She has been talking about how much she wants them for some time. Her birthday is next month and if I could arrange for her to get some eggs from a quality line when they are laying it would make her year. Would you possibly sell eggs to us when they are in season?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We sell a limited number of eggs normally in March, the rest get set in the incubators to be hatched. Again I will warn you that if you aren't experienced with hatching you could get nothing to hatch at all because they require attention and knowledge to have a successful hatch. Also you may or may not hatch a pair, or geese who are worth breeding. Even the best bloodlines will have various degrees of quality hatch out.

 

[happyhenpecked]

My wife has been running her incubater non-stop since she got it. She has a pretty good hatch rate with chickens, I think she has a good feel for it. Right now she has 24 quail eggs, I think due for lock down this weekend. If It would be possible to pre-order some eggs I would be very interested. I am aware that there is no way to know exactly what you will get.

Let me know if this would be a possibility we could maybe arrange?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Geese, are nothing like chickens. Anyone can successfully hatch chickens, quail pop like popcorn. Geese require hand turning, humidity monitoring ect. It's not that come March I wouldn't sell you eggs, but warn all buyers of the risk with hatching eggs. Shipping is very hard on goose eggs, shipping alone can cause no eggs to hatch if they are handled too roughly.

I won't pre sell anything sorry. We run the risk of low laying count (very doubtful) a hurricane could hit us causing us to change how we house everyone.

As I said you will be able to find birds for sale this fall. If all she is wanting the, for is to be pretty pets you won't have any trouble locating some to be shipped when the temperatures are lower. You also don't have to have a male/female pair for pets. You can just as easily have two ganders together with little to no issues as long as you add a single goose to them they would be content.

They deffinetly aren't a minor investment no matter how you get them. Spring babies normally start at $50 each plus shipping (and most require you to buy 4-6 newly hatched goslings). Fall juveniles can start at $100 and go up plus shipping related expenses. High quality adults can start at $200 or more each plus shipping with many running 300-400.

I would advise you to read and become very informed yourself so you can make a decision as well informed as possible.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Also I kow a breeder out your direction who would gladly sell you a couple of ganders, as she has had a large number hatch this year, and will have many extra that she has already said she will be selling. Might be close enough to drive to pick up if she has some she already knows will be sold this fall.

 

[happyhenpecked]

Thank you, I am still learning and your advise is very helpfull. I would love the contact information of the breeder in my area, I want to do this right. thank you for your help, I appreciate your input.