Should I get a goose?
- Thread starter Valhalla Acres
- Start date
Mine are Chinese or possibly Emden/Chinese .... and I adore them!
But I had Sebastopols several years ago and they were calmer and quieter... don't know about the Toulouse tho.
I figured ...stupid phone. Meant to say sounds like
Just couldn't resist funnin with ya!
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For a goose breed, maybe Toulouse? They're a more friendly breed, but of course it all depends on the individual goose, as they all have different personalities! My first geese were Canadian geese, and they were the sweetest things ever. Right now I have 2 Toulouse geese (a male and a female), and for the most part they're friendly with me. The gander is a timid, curious goose most of the time. The female is more friendly and outgoing with things. Definitely not as shy as the gander.
I keep my geese in an old duck coop I have, that is around 8ft x 10ft square, at night. In the day, they're out in our large outdoor enclosure that is roughly the size of an acre. My chickens are in there as well during the day. The bigger, the better. My geese like to roam around in there, eat grass, chew on things, swim, etc! Goose stuff.
I bought the largest kiddie pool I could find for my geese and that seems to be plenty big enough for the 2 of them. They love it very much and get upset when I take it away for the winter lol.
I would absolutely suggest getting 2 geese, as they're social and need a goose friend! Other types of birds really won't be the same, so do get 2 if you're able to! They'll be much happier with a friend!
I'm also gonna mention that geese are sort of 'one person' type of animals. Mine love me to death and will follow me around anywhere, but they don't much care for any other people or animals. They tolerate the chickens, but don't really love them I think. They also hate children, loud noises, and quick/sudden movements.
In the spring, they can get hormonal, and that can cause some issues. My gander gets a little feisty and attacks me sometimes that time of year. So that's something to keep in mind as well. You'll have to know how to stop attacks if they do ever happen. My female however is very nice, and never once tried attacking me.
This is just my own personal experience with my own geese. All geese have different personalities, so it doesn't necessarily mean that any geese you get will be exactly like how I described. But it's just something to know so there aren't any surprises! Hope this helps. Best of luck with things!
I keep my geese in an old duck coop I have, that is around 8ft x 10ft square, at night. In the day, they're out in our large outdoor enclosure that is roughly the size of an acre. My chickens are in there as well during the day. The bigger, the better. My geese like to roam around in there, eat grass, chew on things, swim, etc! Goose stuff.
I bought the largest kiddie pool I could find for my geese and that seems to be plenty big enough for the 2 of them. They love it very much and get upset when I take it away for the winter lol.
I would absolutely suggest getting 2 geese, as they're social and need a goose friend! Other types of birds really won't be the same, so do get 2 if you're able to! They'll be much happier with a friend!
I'm also gonna mention that geese are sort of 'one person' type of animals. Mine love me to death and will follow me around anywhere, but they don't much care for any other people or animals. They tolerate the chickens, but don't really love them I think. They also hate children, loud noises, and quick/sudden movements.
In the spring, they can get hormonal, and that can cause some issues. My gander gets a little feisty and attacks me sometimes that time of year. So that's something to keep in mind as well. You'll have to know how to stop attacks if they do ever happen. My female however is very nice, and never once tried attacking me.
This is just my own personal experience with my own geese. All geese have different personalities, so it doesn't necessarily mean that any geese you get will be exactly like how I described. But it's just something to know so there aren't any surprises! Hope this helps. Best of luck with things!
My starter, and so far only, geese are a pair of American Buffs. They were the only two goslings left at a local feed store last spring and are totally devoted to each other.
Gussie and Golly are gorgeous birds, and they are pretty docile. They eat out of my hand -- which I know some goose owners discourage. If Gussie decides not to walk into their house at night, I am able to scoop him up and carry him; he snuggles in and rests his head against my shoulder. Golly will accept being picked up, but I sometimes end up with a wing to the face if she panics.
They free range when I am home (which is most of the time), and their house -- which is set within an 8-foot-square pen for when I'm not home -- is about 36 inches high at the front, 30 inches high in the back and about 4 foot long. The back, bottom and door are constructed of hardware cloth; the sides are painted plywood. The top is currently painted plywood, to be replaced in the spring with a half sheet of leftover metal roofing from a garage project. The house is really just to protect them at night.
Their preferred place to hang out is in the ducks' shelter -- so they canrun off the ducks and stand in the heated water dish to "bathe." They do have their own larger water dish, and a 15-gallon black water tub for winter, as well as a kiddie pool for summer. But how would that irritate the ducks?
They get a bit loud at times, but no guest arrives at my house unannounced! Good luck with making your decision.
Gussie and Golly are gorgeous birds, and they are pretty docile. They eat out of my hand -- which I know some goose owners discourage. If Gussie decides not to walk into their house at night, I am able to scoop him up and carry him; he snuggles in and rests his head against my shoulder. Golly will accept being picked up, but I sometimes end up with a wing to the face if she panics.
They free range when I am home (which is most of the time), and their house -- which is set within an 8-foot-square pen for when I'm not home -- is about 36 inches high at the front, 30 inches high in the back and about 4 foot long. The back, bottom and door are constructed of hardware cloth; the sides are painted plywood. The top is currently painted plywood, to be replaced in the spring with a half sheet of leftover metal roofing from a garage project. The house is really just to protect them at night.
Their preferred place to hang out is in the ducks' shelter -- so they canrun off the ducks and stand in the heated water dish to "bathe." They do have their own larger water dish, and a 15-gallon black water tub for winter, as well as a kiddie pool for summer. But how would that irritate the ducks?
They get a bit loud at times, but no guest arrives at my house unannounced! Good luck with making your decision.
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