The African and Chinese goose thread!!

[Patriciaallison]

More my male goose is such a cool goose I have no idea how old he is but I am wondering how long geese live. Does anyone have any idea how long Chinese gees live?
Thanks
P

 

[NathanZee]

I have always heard geese are mean mean mean! I went to a farm and bought pigs and came home with a goose. He is the best thing! He watches my ducklings and is always telling me if anything comes near my coops at night. I am hoping to add female geese to his flock this week I would love to have more of these birds around.

Geese are definitely not always mean! My gander is the friendliest, sweetest member of my flock. He is a little harsh to the ducks, but he loves us.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

More my male goose is such a cool goose I have no idea how old he is but I am wondering how long geese live. Does anyone have any idea how long Chinese gees live?
Thanks
P

https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/chinese
and
http://www.ashtonwaterfowl.net/keeping_geese.htm
appears around 20 years.

 

[Sarkchick]

First, welcome to BYC!
I grew up with them, and adore them so much. We keep a lot of different species. Geese are my pets, and I adore them. Just need human socializing like any other animal you plan to keep. Its the geese that have not had human love and interaction that can become a problem. Even those geese can be taught "whats ok" from you as the flock leader.
One good example.. my oldest gander at 4, Gee was a total stinker as a teenager. He now insists he walks me through all my daily chores, talking to me the whole time. I have 3 ganders, and all 3 know the rules and respect me. Of course i give him a rub to the chest and a handful of chick feed too. He has fathered a few hundred goslings, many not his. Gee is social and just a good guy. So many folks are missing out because of wrong information. Geese are a very productive affectionate species IF raised properly, like any other living being. They are not guardians but will deter hawks, and warn your other birds if there is a threat also.

Love the picture. I have 4 adult geese. My avatar. The smaller is mom. But not dad. They were given to me in January this year. The owners never touched or fed even. The female was running with several Brown Chinese and Africans. I also have ducks. Am concerned if both of these are male, then I will have to separate from the ducks. They have been raised with 6 ducklings.
Thanks. Linda

 

[Sarkchick]

Do not count on a knob for judging sexes. They are so beautiful! Gander will have longer thicker necks, bigger, longer legs. Voices will be more of a higher pitch in gander as they mature. a bit young to tell, but the last pic is a goose for sure.

That would be so awsome. Even though my 3 ganders are better protectors of all the babies ( goose or duck). The goose was vicious when broody. But with the flooding here they did not hatch. I brood incubated ducklings in the building with the geese. They treat each batch as their own.

Thanks again. Linda

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Adult geese no matter the gender will put aggressive drakes in their place. Just watch your flock activity for an issue.

Quote: My Chinese are protective of nests. I do not have near the issue dealing with Chinese as with the Embden.
Goose hens are super aggressive about eggs. Ganders are even more so! Big Boy (Embden Gander) and I have had attitude adjustments this week. I took 23 eggs from one hen that were either rotten or infertile from his oldest goose hen. She was stealing from the other nests. So many eggs, one hatched and lost because the hen was still brooding..Closed off her access and disposed of the eggs, several were rotten. She started sitting early February, obviously infertile or quit. He actually started to flog me, needless to say he got pinned to the ground. His hen didn't do more than a hiss.
I feel the chinese are better moms as long as she has a separate space to brood and raise her goslings.

 

[Sarkchick]

Adult geese no matter the gender will put aggressive drakes in their place. Just watch your flock activity for an issue.

My Chinese are protective of nests. I do not have near the issue dealing with Chinese as with the Embden.
Goose hens are super aggressive about eggs. Ganders are even more so! Big Boy (Embden Gander) and I have had attitude adjustments this week. I took 23 eggs from one hen that were either rotten or infertile from his oldest goose hen. She was stealing from the other nests. So many eggs, one hatched and lost because the hen was still brooding..Closed off her access and disposed of the eggs, several were rotten. She started sitting early February, obviously infertile or quit. He actually started to flog me, needless to say he got pinned to the ground. His hen didn't do more than a hiss.
I feel the chinese are better moms as long as she has a separate space to brood and raise her goslings.

Thank you for all the information. That is the way I have found things with mine. I do not have a problem the the adult geese. They HATE my adult ducks, so are kept separate. I only needed to see if anyone could identify the sex of the two 7 week olds because they were raised with and would like to stay with the ducks. But I have heard that male geese may try to mate a duck if no female goose.

Thank you again for the information. Linda

 

[Sarkchick]

Can anyone tell me how old the geese are when they start getting the knob??
I have 2 goslings which are 7 weeks old. Their mom is a
Toulouse/Brown Chinese mix, dad is either Brown Chinese or African.
And I know it's asking ALOT - but can anyone tell their sex??
Pictures at a couple days old and 7 weeks

Thanks. Linda

@servpolice

 

[NathanZee]

Elizabeth is on day 12 of incubation, and at least 6 of the eggs are doing great! I am a little worried about her though, she has always been a light flying goose but now she seems even more thin. It might be just because she lost her egg pouch, I'm not sure. We are giving her all the food and water she wants, and bring her out once a day. She deposits a huge broody poop everyday, then we take her to the swamp which is a little less than 1/4 of a mile away. She bathes energetically, eats a few aquatic plants then she and James her mate fly back. She is a very strong flier still, so she definitely is not weak at all, but is it okay that she is thin?

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Elizabeth is on day 12 of incubation, and at least 6 of the eggs are doing great! I am a little worried about her though, she has always been a light flying goose but now she seems even more thin. It might be just because she lost her egg pouch, I'm not sure. We are giving her all the food and water she wants, and bring her out once a day. She deposits a huge broody poop everyday, then we take her to the swamp which is a little less than 1/4 of a mile away. She bathes energetically, eats a few aquatic plants then she and James her mate fly back. She is a very strong flier still, so she definitely is not weak at all, but is it okay that she is thin?

If you feel any concern follow your gut, hand feed her chick feed, or make sure feed and water is close. Chinese are very dedicated broodies. Make sure she has a water bucket to dunk and preen also.