Topic of the Week - Getting Started, Keeping Geese

[christmas goose]

I am interested in either miniature geese or Sebastopol Geese. I only have 3/4 of an acre. I don't want to breed so I was thinking 2 males or 2 females. If I get them young can I raise them with chicks?

it depends weather or not you want them to be as pets? or just farm animals, males are hilarious, show offs, always checking out whatever your doing, and loving your company. where as geese, just kinda go off and do more of their own thing, eat..graze... and dont seem to demand you to watch them carrying their dish around lol... If you get a breeding pair, you have to be a little more careful as he will become very protective of her and goslings...

 

[Berd Man]

If I get them young can I raise them with chicks?

I think geese and chickens tend to get along fine so long as there’s some space for them to avoid each other if they choose. I added goslings to an already existing chicken flock and that has worked out well.

 

[Marieaa70]

I raised a goose from new born on my acre he passed away at 19 1/2 years Never hurt a child , Now I have a pair of Chinese I hatched and I love them, I do lock them up in a wire pen at night due to many raccons , but they roam free all day keeps the grass cut , I don t own dogs or cats, and my geese keep every one out of the yard, Most people are scared of geese, You always know when some one comes around as they sure do honk, great warning bell for sure ,

 

[Egg Snatcher]

I have a gaggle of geese. White Chinese gander, African dame and two African Chinese dames (recessive white).
How much space do geese need?
-it’s best to free range or put in a garden that’s full of weeds and grass. I wouldn’t put them with you vegetables. Ours ate our vegetables.

What breed(s) are good for beginners?
-African females are very friendly and liked to be petted.
Are geese easy or hard to keep?
-they are very easy to care for. The worst part is changing the dirty pool water and breeding season! Man George gets mean. He likes to bit the back of my legs or my arms. And hit me with his heavy wings.
Getting started with goslings or mature birds, which is better?
- I would recommend getting goslings. They seem to imprint on people better.

Here are some pictures of my geese

George(front white), Gloria (left with a gosling) Greta (right, she’s African Chinese mix) the two babies in the back one I got rid of.

Greta an her babies. She hatched 13 babies last season. Finally got white babies!

Idk if it just our goose, l have found that if the goose was raised by a chicken or mother goose they raise the babies better. Gloria we bought at a feed store and she’s terrible at raising babies. Where Greta was raised by a chicken and she’s way better at keeping babies.

My bantam and goslings. My little hens can sit on 3 goose eggs.

 

[NevadaEmma]

it depends weather or not you want them to be as pets? or just farm animals, males are hilarious, show offs, always checking out whatever your doing, and loving your company. where as geese, just kinda go off and do more of their own thing, eat..graze... and dont seem to demand you to watch them carrying their dish around lol... If you get a breeding pair, you have to be a little more careful as he will become very protective of her and goslings...

My male Sebastopol, Curley, is very curious and lovvvvves to help with any project my husband or I are doing.

Often I do not even know he is there watching every thing I do. I realize he is hoping for treats, but he wants to know what is going on, everywhere, always.

He is a delight, except during breeding season as he thinks he is the biggest, baddest, goose in town!

 

[Ponypoor]

View attachment 2986541
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Many of us chicken keepers start with a few chickens and then start thinking about expanding into other types of backyard poultry, like ducks or geese. Others like the idea of having a few of these noisy, but loveable, birds around. This week I would like to hear from our geese keepers what we need to know before we get started, keeping geese. Specifically:

- How much space do geese need?
- What breed(s) are good for beginners?
- Are geese easy or hard to keep?
- Getting started with goslings or mature birds, which is better?

Anything you'd like to add…

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Pic by @Almond goose​

For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

Gosh I would love geese, but alas not in the books for me - but I can admire everyone’s lovely birds.

 

[Ponypoor]

I have a gaggle of geese. White Chinese gander, African dame and two African Chinese dames (recessive white).
How much space do geese need?
-it’s best to free range or put in a garden that’s full of weeds and grass. I wouldn’t put them with you vegetables. Ours ate our vegetables.

What breed(s) are good for beginners?
-African females are very friendly and liked to be petted.
Are geese easy or hard to keep?
-they are very easy to care for. The worst part is changing the dirty pool water and breeding season! Man George gets mean. He likes to bit the back of my legs or my arms. And hit me with his heavy wings.
Getting started with goslings or mature birds, which is better?
- I would recommend getting goslings. They seem to imprint on people better.

Here are some pictures of my geese

George(front white), Gloria (left with a gosling) Greta (right, she’s African Chinese mix) the two babies in the back one I got rid of.
View attachment 3726406

Greta an her babies. She hatched 13 babies last season. Finally got white babies!
View attachment 3726408View attachment 3726409View attachment 3726410View attachment 3726412View attachment 3726411
View attachment 3726413

Idk if it just our goose, l have found that if the goose was raised by a chicken or mother goose they raise the babies better. Gloria we bought at a feed store and she’s terrible at raising babies. Where Greta was raised by a chicken and she’s way better at keeping babies.

My bantam and goslings. My little hens can sit on 3 goose eggs.
View attachment 3726415

Oh gosh so precious! And is that a face plant that wee one is doing!

 

[Egg Snatcher]

Oh gosh so precious! And is that a face plant that wee one is doing!

When I was looking at the pictures after I took them I couldn’t believe I got that shot it just cracked me up

 

[Marieaa70]

housing requirements?
goose/gander ratio?
do they play well with others? flock size? compatibility with other types of fowl?

I Have had geese for 30 or more years, One Chinese goose live for 19 1/2 years , was wonderful Had 1/4 acre to walk around was only pen in the last years of his life at night due to raccoons , before that he chased every thing else off, Loved kids and lady s hate men, would chase them off the land as well LOL I have a pair now they live with hens but pen different at night they each have there own space,

 

[Marieaa70]

I don t have dogs or cat s , just hens and geese, Geese make the best pets and keep bad people out of the yard, as most people are scared of geese, And they let you know when some one comes around, I eat her eggs in the spring when she lay s around 35 to 50 eggs, each year, So far he s a dud never been fertile ,