What breed should I get?

[Horsefly]

I have had ducks and stuff for years but I want to get pair of geese now; for pets, breeding, and to keep the big hawks away from the ducks. I am assuming they can be locked in with the ducks at night and I won't need to build another night house for them.
My question is what breed of goose I should get. I would love love love to get some sebbies but they are a bit out my price range right now

. Does anyone know a cheaper place to get them, I was looking at Metzers and they are $57.
I really like white geese so my second choice is Embden geese. Are these a good pet goose? I have read they they are one of the larger geese and I don't really like that but the smaller geese are grey or other colored. I kind of would like to get a rarer goose and have read the embden are the most common but I don't want to start with anything to expensive (like over $20 a gosling).
Anyone have any expericance with these breeds or a suggestion of another type of goose I would like?

 

[larkflying]

The Pilgrim Goose has a white male and a grey female -- they are among the more gentle breeds. Nice thing is that you can always tell which is female and which is male. I've heard Embedens can be more aggressive, but then, it is all relative. My Buff American ganders are aggressive now in breeding season, and they are one of the more gentle friendly breeds also.

You could keep an eye out on craigslist -- in May and June in my area people are selling goslings/adult pairs and many are mixed, and cheaper than the $20/bird. I think Sebs are always on the spendy side unless you find a local source, especially if you want quality birds.

White Chinese are smaller, lay more eggs, but they also are very dominant geese and can be hard to handle for some.

I love our geese - we have eight, and they were raised with the ducks and flock around with them, plus hang out among my chickens. I don't think they will actively protect the ducks, but as a passive deterrence they are intimidating to the hawks at least.

 

[Horsefly]

Thanks, I will have to look at the pilgrim geese. I had seen them on occation and they were pretty pricey too, I haven't checked in awhile thought. I heard Chinese are aggressive so I don't want them, I also don't care for their body type.

 

[larkflying]

Good luck! Hope you can find some - geese are a lot of fun, and they save me a lot of mowing!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Have to agree, you won't find cheap Sebastopols, and if you do they won't be quality stock. Pomeranian geese are a nice option, smaller, white with a heart shaped saddle in grey or buff.

 

[Oregon Blues]

You are asking for a contradiction. You don't want to pay money, yet you want a rare breed.

Rare geese cost money. Quality geese cost a lot of money. Common every day geese are the geese that are cheap.

If you watch Craigslist long enough you will find a few adult geese for free. For the most part, the free geese tend to be barnyard Toulouse or Embdens; whatever the feed store has been selling on chick days. However they are geese. They probably will need some retraining but all properly trained geese are lovely animals. You would get to experience geese and decide if you like them.

Me, I recommend buying the breed that you like the most and buy quality. It only hurts for a little while to spend all that money and those geese can live for 20 years so you get to enjoy them for a very long time.

 

[kelidei]

I just ordered a pair of French Toulouse goslings from Metzer's http://www.metzerfarms.com/FrenchTo...h Toulouse&BirdType=Goose&ID=FT&CustID=673615. I wanted Toulouse or Pilgrims but was unable to find Pilgrims... I chose those breeds mostly based upon temperament and fertility... the prices are 12.00 for sexed and 10.35 for straight run. They arrived a week ago and I am in love... they are the hardiest shipped birds I have ever received... I was considering Embden as well but didn't want white... they seem like a good bird from what I remember.

 

[cheesehead]

I have had both white Chinese & Embden as pets and they were both extremely gracious, loveable and protective. Granted, that is when I was somewhere around 10 and they were my life.I raised them in my bed (before there were 'diapers' haha)*dedication*...anywho I think its in how early you get them and how you raise them, just like a pup. There are just some blood lines you do not want to get. Personally - Id think ordering a Seb- or any bird- would be less interactive & trainable because (youd think) they are mostly born just to breed. For generations. Chinese Geese have such a bad rap, some deserve it! But Im sure if youd look up pet ones you will find 'love stories' with them between goose and owner. And let me tell you - besides the loud - wow are they loud - that horn they have....you will begin to love it I promise you. My embden was my baby, my parents loved the bird too it was better then our dog at keeping strangers out of the yard. They are bigger. A grey chinese I believe, is one of the smallest and the chinese do lay a decent amount of eggs. I have heard both about sebs that they are prized for their good temper and docile behavior - then again Ive heard the exact opposite. Oregon Blues is right, get what you really want. even if the bird is a jack arse sometimes in the end it's amazing just to sit and watch the beauty of the bird, but keep a close eye where you are getting them from. example - woolfarm.com , the lady there is very kind and will talk with you about the breed, requirements, anything. I do not have experience with them, but Ive called to ask. Some ppl could give a crap as long as you pay them, which is how some treat their animals - and thats what you get, crap. A man by me has some sebs in the bator now, he gets them off ebay (which to me, is a risk) and hes asking 10$ for pure whites. Look around. It took me 1 1/2 months and he was right under my nose, granted Im not positive they will hatch per his last batch...
Id really look at your question - you are thinking protection of your ducks,breeding, - for protection Id make some nifty Inspector Gadget stuff, think of something- google something. Google also how to have 'ducks & geese together'....if you get goslings - which you will need 2 for the breeding part - did you plan on paying extra for having them sexed.....and from different hatches?.....and if your ducks are older you will need to wait a good long while to add the geese, pen them side by side to get used to each other - your luck may be smothered if you are not careful and intend to put them together to only find out your geese/ ducks attack each other to no resolve. And lets face it - Im sure there are more than enough of us who intended on having a new addition without thinking it through to only regret the way in which we did it.
Wwwwwowww, newby overload.(me, not you ..sorry. Ah - it was fun though.

 

[foofty]

We have 2 male emdens. They are very protective of their property and the ducks. One got in a fight w/a fox and got bit in his beak and eye. The duck he was protecting did get killed but he tried. Both of the geese are very motherly to ducklings and goslings over the years. They are loud and aggressive. Never bite us, but do go after visitors that come. They have mellowed and don't touch people anymore at 13 yrs old, but in their youth they have bit a person in the back of her leg, also used their wings to smack caretakers we used when on vacation. I would think if you got a couple females, that they wouldn't be as aggressive as the males?
Good luck

 

[Iain Utah]

You may want to check out the utility toulouse, aka barnyard toulouse. They are grey/white, docile, fairly quiet, and get along well with ducks.