Should I get a goose?

[Hannahnic14]

I only recommend dogs to guard a flock not geese.They protect them from other dogs and alert to hawks when trained properly. They'll chase one swooping down and jump in mid air as well. Its traumatizing for a goose to live alone. Sorry for your loss!

We have a great pyrenees in training that we are going to put with them eventually as well. Our goose that is left doesn't seem bothered. She wasn't bonded with our gander, she bonded with our chickens. Thank you for your condolences!

 

[McChooky]

No, the geese have fought off no predators. Geese are prey animals. They run rather than fight. They do make a racket when they see something out of the ordinary. Of course the out of the ordinary could be something as innocent as someone walking down the road or the neighbor getting out of his car. There will be a lot of false warnings.

Edit: My neighbor was a farmer and coal miner , the hardest working men I ever met in my life! He raised chickens and kept geese with his dog .They were a formidable team. The dog also protected the geese and their alerts could wake the dead.

 

[Amelia_Lock]

Do you have roosters op?

 

[AGeese]

I've got 4 Embden females, and 1 Roman Tufted male ordered for May.

 

[McChooky]

I've got 4 Embden females, and 1 Roman Tufted male ordered for May.

Curious if your geese have ever fought a Hawk to save a chicken and if so was the goose injured? Thanks!

 

[AGeese]

Curious if your geese have ever fought a Hawk to save a chicken and if so was the goose injured? Thanks!

I don't have geese, yet. My neighbors do, I'll ask them. I don't think there's been any hawk encounters for them. We have some Red Tails out here I think, good sized too.

 

[McChooky]

I don't have geese, yet. My neighbors do, I'll ask them. I don't think there's been any hawk encounters for them. We have some Red Tails out here I think, good sized too.

Thanks! I've never known one to defend chickens but they could lol!They're big and feisty.

 

[AGeese]

Let's hope so. My neighbor's was a very protective girl of her pair of ducks.

 

[McChooky]

Let's hope so. My neighbor's was a very protective girl of her pair of ducks.

My ducks didn't get along well with my geese unfortunately and flew off.

 

[cmom]

Free ranging is a risk you take and you will loose a bird/birds sooner or later. It may not be an aerial predator but possibly a ground predator. Now is the time of year when most predators are looking for mates and having their young that they will need to keep fed. Lessons learned the hard way. Good luck...