What do you think of these Pomeranian Geese? UPDATE: I passed on the Poms

[azhenhouse]

Decisions, decisions. I am adding geese to my flock, and I can't seem to make up my mind what I want. I'll take two of each. LOL Anyway, I came across a listing for these two Poms, and was wondering what you guys think of them. Apparently, the gander broke his wing, and it didn't heel properly. You can see that in the pictures. The goose doesn't seem to have any physical problems. They seem small, but looking at the bowl of scratch on the ground, that could be because of their diet. It doesn't show in the picture but the seller says that they have, "out standing blue eyes". The seller purchased them from a breeder, and not a hatchery. They are asking $200 but I wouldn't pay that much, no way! David Holderread still has some available for much less. The goose is 4yrs old and the gander is 3. Please don't get this wrong, I feel like I want to rescue them. I have a huge yard that they could roam around in all day, and not be cooped up in a pen. I would be their third, and last owner. However, I might want to breed geese in the future, and want a nice pair to use as breeders. Thoughts anyone?

I was just emailed their diet. They get chicken scratch, bread crumbs, and mixed greens. Would a better diet help in their appearance? I did ask about bill coloring, and I was told orange. I know that is wrong coloring. Could that be because of diet?







UPDATE: The seller wasn't willing to budge too much on the price so I let them go. I did not get a chance to see them in person, as they are four hours away. I was not willing to take the drive since we were unable to come to an agreement in price.

All your input was great, and very helpful. Thank you!

 

[jynxster]

Follow your heart and you can never go wrong; all things in life are experiences and whatever decision you make will be right for you. Two things my mother said once always comes to mind WHENEVER I need to make an important decision in lfe for me (1st) Is this a want or a need (2) if you have seconds thoughts about a decision, then its likely the wrong one. Be ok with whatever you decide. Sometimes descisions are just lessons and thats how we learn. I have made some really poor choices but accept that everything balences in the long run.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Without seeing the geese, I can't tell you much.

Bills should be a pinkish orange color and unless you see it next to an orange bill, I suppose someone might call it orange. It's a really different color from orange, but with nothing to compare it to.......

Eyes on my geese range from sky blue to blueish gray. You do want to make sure they have a single lobe.

$200 for a decent quality pair of Pomeranians is more than fair. Whether or not those are worth $200, I can't tell you without seeing them, but it doesn't sound high to me, unless they are hatchery birds or mixed breeding.

 

[mominoz]

Can't see the pics, but the diet is way wrong. Probably white bread too....

They need more protein, Scratch is only 8% protein and they need around 15-16%, at least a layer would have most of what they need....maybe some alphalfa pellets....Seems they are asking alot,but not really caring for them very well.........

 

[Miss Lydia]

My gut would say go and get them they deserve better, but you will be the one who has to make that decision, I wasn't able to see the pics.
they are pretty, but I can't say they are true Poms because I don't really know the breed that well, but have heard they are wonderful pets and laid back. 2 things that I like to hear about geese. If you just want 2 nice geese then they are probably the ones for you, if you want to breed for showing then you'd probably be better off getting Holderreads. I am into rescueing so I'd go for them. Their faces are so pretty.

 

[nonsuch]

I am a total beginner when it comes to geese, but am also planning on getting several Pomeranian Geese this year. Without an evaluation by a Goose Breeder, I would not pay $200 unless they were of Breeding quality. However, I would make the Owner an offer and get them out of there. I hope you get them.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

It is hard to tell much from the photos due to the lighting. I don't see a defined lobe, but again that could be the angles of the photos. Also, they may just be thin due to their diet as well.

I think improving their diet would definitely help them overall (as would being able to graze in the sun), but will do nothing for incorrect beak/leg coloration (that is genetic). The beaks may be leaning toward the correct coloration which as Oregon says is hard to describe: reddish-orange that fades into pink toward the tip, but again the photos make it hard to tell.

Their legs look strong, but I am not sure about their carriage...it may be a bit off. That also may be caused by being confined in a pen and may resolve itself in time when allowed to range. Their buff feathering looks good and doesn't bleed out onto the back and upper tail: Definite pattern which looks good.

They have the same obvious fault as mine: Too much white around the bill. Otherwise, they don't really look too bad. I don't know that they'd win any shows, but if you could talk the seller down they may be a good starting point. I paid $80 for my pair of similar quality, but that may be the going rate in my area. If you are interested in breeding these, you could acquire a few goslings from other sources and breed toward the SOP as I am doing.

Either way, they would certainly have a better home and life than they do now.

Here is a link to the International Waterfowl Breeders Association page which has photos of what good quality Pomeranians should look like:
http://www.iwba.org/goosestandards.htm

Scroll down till you find them.

 

[Oregon Blues]

OK, the photo showed up.

They actually look pretty decent to me. The markings look good, body type is good, legs and feet are the proper pinkish color. Poms are relatively small geese, so they don't look small to me. 15 pounds for a goose, 17 pounds for a gander. They are in the medium class. Necks are shorter, so they aren't as tall. Feathers tend to be tight, so not as much fluff to make them look bigger.

I can't see eye color or the lobes. I can't tell the bill color, but if legs are right, bills are probably right. Age is good.

From those photos, I wouldn't commit myself to buying, but they look good enough that I would go and see them in person. I see nothing that makes them a NO. I can't see enough detail to know whether or not I would buy them.

If the rest of the details look good,and temperament were correct, I would not hesitate to pay $200 for the pair of them. However, being tight fisted, I would see if i could negotiate a lower price because the gander can't be shown because of the broken wing.

Incidentally, my Grand Champion Waterfowl Pom goose has white around her bill. Better to breed away from it, but I wouldn't reject for it.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Ooops, have to say, I would expect that "broken" wing to have a knot in the bone where it healed. If that is angel wing, I wouldn't buy. Angel wing is probably going to be from improper raising, but it could be from weak ligaments. I wouldn't want to risk it, not knowing for sure. It's not a genetic condition, but I expect the goslings to grow normally with normal good care and not need special treatment.

I suspect if it is angel wing, it is from a poor diet. Still..........