thinking of adding a gosling

[Ariesmom]

I have never had a goose before but I am considering getting a toulouse gosling today from a lady selling them. I currently hatched 5 ducklings last thrs and was wondering if I can raise them together? I would like to eventually get another to breed and don't want 2 from the same batch. I planned on getting this one and when I find out what it is get the other sex for a pair. Until then can this lone goose live among my ducks??? And do they free range well or will they wander off?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Geese are social by nature. Yes they can be buddies with ducks, but would better with their own kind. They grow incredibly fast, need lots of open green space to graise on grass in. Like ducklings they need protection while young and not yet feathered out.

Fences are your friend when raising livestock. It is your responsibility as the owner to keep them safe and contained and not permit them to roam freely off your property.

I would suggest reading up on the needs of geese before buying, and when you do buy get 2-3 so they have their own kind to grow up with.they will quickly tower over the ducks and it would be better to get them and raise them together than to try and introduce two adult geese to each other.

 

[Ariesmom]

we live on 15 acres that is surrounded by woods....I can get 2 but what if they turn out to be the same sex...will they fight? I currently have one swedish blue drake and 2 rouen females...both are producing offspring hence the 5 ducklings. And I have another enclosure for my rooster and hens. The drake is not allowed to free range because he will end up getting killed by the rooster not to mention he attacks our German shepherd to no end! I was only going to get one so I could sex it before getting another of an opposite sex and bloodline. Is it that terrible to get just one and raise it in the brooder with the ducklings??

 

[Ariesmom]

Also...I only free range the birds by day. At nite they are enclosed with bottom, top and sides of the pens reinforced with chicken wire. Never lost a bird to predators yet!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Chicken wire won't stop a predator that really wants in. Dogs, raccoons, ect can break through it.

A gosling in 1 month will tower over the ducks, just because you have makes and females of a species doesn't mean you have to have hatchlings. So to have ducklings from mixed breeding is by choice not because you have a drake and two ducks.

Cruel? No. Unfair to the gosling who will be bigger, stronger and have different needs from a duck, yes.

Yes two ganders or two geese can live together. If there is never a goose introduced the boys would be fine. Our ganders share pasture when it is not breeding season just fine. We seperate the Sebastopols for color selection for breeding season.