What Goose Breed is Right For Me?

[that_crazy_lady]

Personally I’d rather have a nice quiet mild tempered goose, then a loud aggressive guard animal.
Right now I’ve got Cotton Patch Geese, they are even tempered and quiet. Although they can get moody around breeding time, they are far from bullies.
The African/Chinese are really jerks and extremely loud. BUT if something goes bump in the night, they have a FIT! I don’t keep them with the other birds, because they hate them. They are here for meat production until I can get my CPG flock more established. I’d vote Cotton Patch any day, but I’m very partial.

I had Embden, and Pilgrims in the past. I mostly remember how small the Pilgrims were compared to the others, but I did like them. The Embens were ganders, and I never had any problems with them.
I recently met a lady who had Poms, and she said she didn’t like the ganders as much as the Toulouse.

 

[ColtHandorf]

I recently met a lady who had Poms, and she said she didn’t like the ganders as much as the Toulouse.

Honestly, I hate my Poms. They are soooooo whiney. Constantly screaming and carrying on about something. They aren't aggressive though. My American Buff Gander is the only one to nail me. Although we now have an understanding. You run at me and I'm going to squat down and baby talk you while trying to hug you. He is offended to his core and runs away. lol

 

[HorsesRMe123]

Honestly, I hate my Poms. They are soooooo whiney. Constantly screaming and carrying on about something. They aren't aggressive though. My American Buff Gander is the only one to nail me. Although we now have an understanding. You run at me and I'm going to squat down and baby talk you while trying to hug you. He is offended to his core and runs away. lol

Lol that’s a good idea. If my gander got aggressive with me, I’d just stand there and then hold onto his neck before he would bite me. But I think I’ll try your idea if a goose gets aggressive, it’s kind of like reverse psychology.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Lol that’s a good idea. If my gander got aggressive with me, I’d just stand there and then hold onto his neck before he would bite me. But I think I’ll try your idea if a goose gets aggressive, it’s kind of like reverse psychology.

The first breeding season I didn't do that. I also didn't provoke him intentionally, but there were several times he got pinned to the ground or launched over a fence so I could do nest checks or whatever. Last year, I just didn't run or even move away from him. He always attacks the food bucket and sometimes nips my hand or leg while I'm pouring feed during the breeding season but if he comes at me while I'm just out there watering or whatever I just babytalk him and ask him to come over for love. Normally he's totally fine with that but during the breeding season he just huffs and skulks off.

The Pomeranian ganders were huge babies last year. They'd sneak up and pinch the bottom of my boot when I did nest checks and then run around the corner before I could even get up. lol

 

[that_crazy_lady]

Honestly, I hate my Poms. They are soooooo whiney. Constantly screaming and carrying on about something. They aren't aggressive though. My American Buff Gander is the only one to nail me. Although we now have an understanding. You run at me and I'm going to squat down and baby talk you while trying to hug you. He is offended to his core and runs away. lol

Yeah. That did NOT work with this batch of African/Chinese (that’s what they are, they kept African ganders and Chinese geese) I’d had the same breeds when I was a teenager, but maybe I handled them more then these ones, or something. Because they geese of my youth were loud, but far from aggressive. But once this batch I got last year were half grown they would come out of their way too get us. I thought they were bluffing. But I was wrong. We did harvest the most aggressive gander, and that did take the edge off of them. But they are still loud, and rude. They got to free range until they got like that.

The Cotton Patch are soooo mild mannered. One of my ganders found a mud patch right before the temps dropped. He never tried to bite me when I carried him to a heated space. And he didn’t fight my husband when he returned the bird to the flock.

 

[Lonewolfgirl]

Hi! I’ve owned geese before (two White Chinese geese). One male and one female, the male was quite aggressive so I’m looking to only get female geese. I’d like them to be good “guard dogs” as I have had a hawk who killed one of our chickens and I don’t want it happening again. Also, I had four chickens randomly disappear by the time I woke up, so I’m thinking someone stole them. So I really want geese to protect our flock. I’m looking for a goose breed that is: a good egg layer (looking for about an average of 25-30 eggs a year), friendly and docile, gets along with other species (chickens and ducks), and a goose breed that is on the more quiet side.

I got quite attached to my other two geese, but unfortunately I wasn’t in the right circumstances to have them. We were in a suburban place where it just wasn’t the best place to have them, the male was also very aggressive. So now that we are on a little over an acre, we have the right circumstances to own a couple of female geese.

Ready, set, recommend!!!

Embden geese both male and females are shy and are protectors

 

[AGeese]

I need me Steinbachers.

 

[elenamia]

after researching breeds for nearly a year, for my purposes, i did the thing - i ordered the goslings!
*i don't need to breed yet (i'm a newbie) but eggs may be nice, so i decided to go with two females.
*i intend to brooder/hand raise them with as much socialization as possible - this will give me the best chance of friendly geese as adults.
*i've been busy building their house & secure run, & after that a tractor to move around the yard.
*i'd like friendly yard-candy/outdoor pets/security alert system that are nice to look at.
*life is short, buy the loud geese.

so there will be two female white chinese goslings from metzer's arriving the week of 5/16. i am so very excited!

 

[AGeese]

so there will be two female white chinese goslings from metzer's arriving the week of 5/16. i am so very excited!

That's the spirit!

 

[Ais]

Yay! Congrats!