should i get a goose?

[sydney13]

i was thinking of getting 1 female tufted roman gosling to love with my 6 chickens (my hens are about 10 lbs except for my bantam one?. do you think it would be ok to have the goose with the chickens if they all grew up together and if the goose was the only goose? would the goose think it was a chicken? we have close neighbors and i already had to get rid of my rooster because he was too loud so do you think a goose would be too loud? i was thinking of getting either a goose or a duck to live with my hens, so which do you think would be better? would a goose be fine with just a basin of water? and i would let the goose out free range during the day with the hens

 

[allthings'g']

Geese like to be with their own kind. I would get two...if you have one you may as well have two. You'll like them. They need to have a container of water that they can dunk their heads into and they love to bathe. Your geese will love to free range with the hens. I feed mine Purina Flock Raiser - the chickens seem to do fine on it too.
I hope you enjoy your new geese - I think you will.

 

[sydney13]

allthings'g' :

Geese like to be with their own kind. I would get two...if you have one you may as well have two. You'll like them. They need to have a container of water that they can dunk their heads into and they love to bathe. Your geese will love to free range with the hens. I feed mine Purina Flock Raiser - the chickens seem to do fine on it too.
I hope you enjoy your new geese - I think you will.

what about the noise level though?
do you think they would get louder then a bantam rooster who crows all day​

 

[allthings'g']

I have Romans and they are pretty darn quiet. They do make noise when they leave the barn stall in the morning...and overall that's about it. How close are your neighbors? Do you have a fence? I would hate for them to wander over into your neighbors yard. Did your neighbors complain about your Rooster or were you just being extra careful not to offend anyone?

 

[sydney13]

my neighbors are pretty close, but i do have a fence. the neighbors did complain a little over the roo so i had to get rid of him. and in terms of noise level, do you think it would be as loud as a person standing outside saying honk honk at a regular tone?

does it take only a few minutes for yours to quiet down, and are all romans quiet or is just some tend to be more quiet then others? would they be about as loud as ducks?

 

[allthings'g']

The ducks I've had in the past were much more noisy. All of my Roman's have been quiet. I used to have Chinese Geese - they were much, much louder and made noise more often. I'm not sure what to tell you. I live on an acreage and my neigbors are not terribly close and we are surrounded by woods and a creek so there is more of a natural barrier on three sides of us. I really like my geese and want you to have the same positive experience because I think you would like them I just don't know how your neighbors might react. Do you live in a town or out in the country?

Just re-read your post...yes, it only takes a couple of minutes for them to calm down. They leave the barn, honk and head right for the pool which I clean every night and they just jump in and start drinking and preening...and sometimes mating in the last several weeks. They free range all day and tend to stay close to the barn and in that general area. The Chinese seemed to wander further away while grazing each day...another difference - in addition to being more noisy and agressive. These guys are almost always in the same place each evening when I come home from work...sitting in the sun as it sets. They understand that when I come home it is time to go into the barn. Once I change my clothes and head out to do my evening chores, the minute the see me, they form a line and head for the barn. They are really neat creatures. BTW - they do not make any noise while I'm putting them away in the evening. This is my fourth Spring with Romans and I really enjoy them. Last year I added a pair of Sebastopols and they do make more noise than the Romans. In fact it is the Sebbie gander that makes the most noise each morning...but he tends to be the most dominate gander and he has to let everyone know. But it only takes a couple of minutes and they are quiet. Last week, I was selling goats and even though we had several different families visiting to purchase goats...the geese were all pretty quiet none of them showed any agression towards the strangers at all. They just stood off in the distance watching us and preening their feathers.

 

[Goosehaven]

I have 8 roman tufted and 1 emden and 1 toulouse and most of the time I can honestly say you wouldn't even know I have geese. They do make intermitttant noise throughout the day and like a previous poster they carry on when I first let them out of their pen in the morning but it doesn't last long at all. We live in the country on a lake but I have four fairly close neighbors and they have never told me they are annoyed by our geese. I agree that you should get two if you are going to get any at all. You shouldn't have any problem with your geese with the chickens as long as you get goslings to grow up used to the chickens. I think you would really like the geese. I love mine!

 

[Kim65]

Oh definitely get geese

They are a must have if you like poultry. All the stuff about nasty aggressive ganders can be true. Mine is very sweet but I've had the other kind too. The females are only a big agro when they have a nest with eggs, or goslings. The american buffs and pilgrims and romans are the milder breeds, but then again geese are individuals, and you can have very mild Africans or Chinese, or obnoxious buffs.

Their personalities are so colorful, their behavior is very entertaining, and they are great for "warning" and honking protection for your other birds. We have hawks and eagles all over, but I've never had an attempt much less an attack. They will keep the grass and weeds down

They are very economical as long as there are weeds and grass to eat. They are very hardy and disease resistant, more so than chickens and turkeys. If you keep your goose flock small and handle them frequently, they will be friendly yard pets and easier to manage. I pick up my adults at least twice a day. The gander just stands there, the female is more skittish but now that breeding season is closing, she is getting better about just allowing me to pick her up without a goose chase.

 

[Miizki]

Would one or two Roman geese be ok to live with my five bantam hens? Would it be safe for my hens and the geese?

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

My Roman's never ever bother my Bantam Cochins - they live in different stalls in the barn but free range together. Once in a while my Sebastopol gander will chase a chicken away and he does the same thing with my peafowl. The Roman ganders & geese do not.

Geese can get their enclousures wet...I'm not sure how that would work very well with your chickens. Is there anyway you can fix it so they have their own space?

I think you're doing the right thing by getting two geese. They really enjoy being with and talking to their own kind. Good luck and keep us posted. I think you'll love having geese! I love my Roman's!