Tips for brooding geese

Clucksworth12 · Apr 27, 2018

Hello! I have a pair of white chinese goslings coming in Thursday. I have raised many ducks, chickens, and guinea fowl, but never geese! I would just like some helpful hints like what to feed goslings, allowing supervised swims, etc. Any personal experiences will be helpful!

Nodaksnakelover · Apr 27, 2018

I'll take a stab at this. Me personally, I can't get a waterfowl starter crumbles, so I use unmedicated chick starter to raise them. I haven't had any issues YET. But that doesn't mean I always won't!

I also take them outside when the temp is 60 or higher for some time in the yard to get grass, sun, and just spending time with me so they will imprint on me.

As for letting them swim, I've not done that with my geese. I figure since they are not being rubbed on by a mother goose's static charged feathers and oiled feathers to help keep them dry, I don't do it. I'm not so sure a mere heat lamp will warm them up and dry them quickly like a mother goose's down feathers would after a swim.

Another thing, me personally, when I bring them home, I don't leave them alone so that they jump at my sudden appearance later if I just, show up after they've settled in. I've read that they follow the first thing they see, and think it's Mom after hatching, and that this settles quick the first day. Well, when they ship us, in a way they can't see much if anything. So when you open the box, talk to them a lot, keep your face up near them for them to fixate on as they warm up under the lamp and get their first drink and something to eat. Then after you think they are warmed up, if it's warm outside, take them outside for that first walk and keep talking to them and get them to follow you. It doesn't take much, but it is important to get them to imprint right away. Or they'll just imprint on one another and you are out of the picture as parent. That's no fun!

I also try to mimic a mother goose sound of talking to goslings. They really do key on that over the human talking we do for them. Sounds like bub bub bub, three times fast and try a lower tone if possible. Also a good way to call for them later in the year.

It's so much fun when you get full feathered geese to come running to your call when you come to where they are kept. As I keep them in a large pen area that goes around my pigeon lofts, they are my constant companions and a visual guard against most hawks. Night time predators are still a threat however. They won't physically attack a predator to defend other birds in your flock. But I do know I've been able to keep chickens alive in my pen a lot longer when geese are around!

good luck! And enjoy! Once that initial imprinting takes place, they'll always come to talk to you! And personally, my birds would talk to all humans, just not trust them.