thinking of getting some geese need some suggestions

[sirchrisd]

This year, I started with some ducks (Kaki Campbells and Rouens) to raise for eggs and meat. I also got some Canada geese to let roam free around the pond and yard. Everything is going well but this past week while Christmas shoping, I priced a goose for Christmas dinner at Krogers. $54. Wow. So I bought a turkey for $8 at Walmart. Now I'm thinking of raising geese for meat. I've been reading threads about the best, but haven't narrowed my choices. Pilgrim sound good because I can sex them easy. Any ideas about what a good goose is for meat? Space is not a problem. I also haven't found how long it takes geese to lay eggs and how long before they can have goslings. I found my Canada geese are about two years! is that the same for all geese? I hope this doesn't sound like a repeat of other threads, but I've got questions and don't want to hijack someone's thread.

 

[asmfshr]

We have chinese and Africans.Their the best layers.Heres the thread for meat Index/geese/best goose meat? Pce herb

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

Quote:
Most geese lay in their first spring (hatched say 2012, they will lay 2013), but they reach full maturity and best fertility at 2 years of age. Doesn't mean any 1'st-year eggs won't hatch, just a lot less in most cases.

I only have kept light geese, but a friend used to have Embden's (I may have mentioned this in an earlier post) and I think he said the males had a dark spot on their head at hatch. The sexes grew up looking like eachother though. (they were a high-quality line, not sure if all are like this or maybe there is some info on the web or not).

Anyway, many people love pilgrims, I have never had them but know several people who do or have. But let me point out, if you are raising them for meat, do they need to be auto-sexing? Usually it is 1-3 geese per gander, so if you were wanting to get rid of extra ganders it would be great. It is also a lot easier to be able to sex them by looking at them. But BE CAREFUL! I know someone who bought pilgrims from a large mail-order hatchery, and they did not truly auto-sex. (the two he kept, one brown and one white, were both males. Make sure you buy from a reputable hatchery or breeder

Hope this helps. Once I multiply my geese a little more I intend to also start raising them for meat. Good luck!

 

[dickhorstman]

I have raised most breeds of geese and currently have Embdens. None of these were hatchery geese so that may make a difference. The Africans were the best in my opinion. They grew faster, and were easier to butcher than others.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

my dad is gonna be raiseing Pilgrims for meat. Im gonna be raiseing mine as lawn mowers though

 

[Oregon Blues]

For meat for your own table? Or meat to sell?

$54 for a dressed goose is very cheap. The lowest price one I've ever seen in the store was a bit over $60. I've seen them as much as $175.

If you want to sell geese, then you first need to find out what the law is in your state about selling dressed birds. Maybe you can, maybe you will have to use a licensed slaughter house.

You might get goslings from yearling stock. Maybe. But geese aren't mature until the age of 2 years.

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

Quote:
How much per pound, or how much did those geese weigh?

 

[clucksbc]

we live in a very small town...and not too much in the stores...but my hubby loves goose...couldn't stop raving the last christmas we got it...
saw it the other day...and thought i would get it for him...PAYED...Way Too Much...$6.88 a pound...was just over $80...am already looking forward to it...
though my walets a little lighter...lol

 

[Oregon Blues]

One of the local stores that claims to be bargain priced had geese on sale for $6 a pound. That's the cheapest I've ever seen them. They weighed 10-11 pounds in the market and seemed slim built to me. I had to go in and look at them after I saw the ad, just to see what geese were selling for.

There isn't anywhere near the meat on a goose as you will have on a turkey. The meat is much richer and a smaller serving is satisfying, so at least there is that.

My home grown fatsos dressed out 11-12 pounds and looked a lot rounder than the store geese. Mine were fat. I will no longer be giving any corn to geese.

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

That is a lot per pound . . . I find it hard to believe many people buy it, at least typical americans who aren't used to it? I plan on eventually raising geese for meat, but never though goose anywhere sold for that much!