The African and Chinese goose thread!!

[grannyh]

I'm in Southern NM and we don't get a lot of very cold weather but the animal water does freeze in the winter. I use the heated water buckets also for drinking water. I believe I got that tip from Miss Lydia. I keep a kiddie pool and a stock tank (kinda like rubber or maybe a composite) that has been buried to ground level for them to bathe in. I break the ice every morning but the sun is strong here at 6,000 feet so a lot will then melt. Many mornings there will be a 'goose-shaped' hole in the ice where I assume the Chinese gander has been while the ice formed around him! I have a 3-1/2 sided shed facing East where storms seldom come in and a separate coop with an automatic door (that I LOVE) for the chickens. 6' fence around the enclosure for both chickens and geese. I've only had them a little over 4 years but it has worked well for me. I let them free range a lot and have lost some hens ... and this year lost my Chinese gander's mate. Replaced her a couple of months ago with 2 Toulouse. They have been a calming influence on the gander! I love their chuckle/chortle!

I'd like to get 1 or 2 miniature donkeys to protect them while they free range. We have coyotes and dogs that roam. Has anyone tried this?

 

[holm25]

Well, I would like to get them to fly better actually. I have three mallards and one khaki campbell that fly around my yard. I think I might keep them inside during duck hunting season, its a pretty big deal in minnesota.

U should join us at the MN thread!!!

 

[Goosegrrl]

I just got home from a couple weeks of vacation to southwest NC to find that young geese sure do GROW in that time! LOL

My son and dil stayed here and cared for our animals so it was no problem. But I was a little shocked when I saw them the first morning home. So big. But still doing some peeping and talking to me.
Also came home to a mess in the garage thanks to what is likely a family of flying squirrels chewing through the walls in a couple of places. Now, I ADORE flying squirrels. LOVE them. And will tolerate them raiding my bird feeders nightly. But this is just too much. Going to see if I can live trap them and move them to some national park land where there is an abandoned house(from when they created the park) they can take up in, and add a good dose of grain/seed near it to settle them into the area. If husband wants them dead he'll have to play those games without me. They are just too cute. Even though if it were a regular squirrel I'd just as soon make a skillet of biscuits and gravy with it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just got home from a couple weeks of vacation to southwest NC to find that young geese sure do GROW in that time! LOL

My son and dil stayed here and cared for our animals so it was no problem. But I was a little shocked when I saw them the first morning home. So big. But still doing some peeping and talking to me.
Also came home to a mess in the garage thanks to what is likely a family of flying squirrels chewing through the walls in a couple of places. Now, I ADORE flying squirrels. LOVE them. And will tolerate them raiding my bird feeders nightly. But this is just too much. Going to see if I can live trap them and move them to some national park land where there is an abandoned house(from when they created the park) they can take up in, and add a good dose of grain/seed near it to settle them into the area. If husband wants them dead he'll have to play those games without me. They are just too cute. Even though if it were a regular squirrel I'd just as soon make a skillet of biscuits and gravy with it.

Sorry about the damage the flying squirrels did but that was funny about the biscuits and gravy and some squirrel thrown in.

 

[NathanZee]

U should join us at the MN thread!!!

I am on it but a little too busy to post much. ):

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

My gander and goose

Beautiful faces!

I am thinking about getting a couple geese. I was just wondering how difficult it is to keep them in winter.

not at all. We had sub zero here last 2 years and my guys did fine. I have 2 simple goose houses, one is a 3 sided 8x8 metal building, the other is a about the same. Dry draft free sleeping area is important. They have to have water to dunk and preen, so they do need a bucket a foot deep about of water. most folks use heated buckets or just change them during the day if they are freezing up.
Some of my flock...Pekin think they are geese too lol.

 

[Debs Flock]

Hi there! Please pardon this small interruption...

Please don't forget...deadline for "other poultry" picture submissions is tomorrow. I know I've seen some wonderful pics on these threads that haven't been submitted yet...

 

[Stormy Cashmere]

I recently noticed my gander's knob is growing and it's really soft. He's a little over a year old. Will the knob continue to grow? And is there anything I should do?

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I recently noticed my gander's knob is growing and it's really soft. He's a little over a year old. Will the knob continue to grow? And is there anything I should do?

Nothing needed to do, it may or may not get larger. My white chinese stayed pretty much the same and he is about 3 1/2 years old, my brown african/chinese, his knob seems to have gotten bigger and he is 2 1/2.

 

[NathanZee]

Flight training for my African geese is going WONDERFUL!!! Here are some pictures of my females biggest flight ever.