Which geese to get and where?

[aoxa]

Aoxa, it's their thread so yes I am talking to them. I try and not get conversations confused by starting a new one with someone else on the thread starters post. I thought it was pretty clear as she mentioned not trusting the adult chickens with goslings at first. So I was mentioning not housing them together.
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Free ranging seems to work fine with space for everyone to move around though.

Sorry, thought you were talking to me because I posted right above you and had pictures of my little goslings with my chickens

 

[aoxa]

I love your goslings!! Congrats.. 

Thanks Miss Lydia!

 

[ashandvine]

I didn't realize as we had geese and chickens, ducks and goats all sharing the same barn on other farms I lived. They each just got their own 'room'. I had planned it that way here. Well. Now I have to think a bit. I have two chicken houses currently, one that is the cottage about 30' from the barn and then there is the barn basement-- opens out to the lawn, its a 200 yo farm, so not like today's basements, and I suppose I could separate. It would mean downsizing chickens but since I really wanted ducks and geese it sounds like I'll have to convince DH to build or buy houses. I appreciate all the information. I am reading a little every day but most of what I know is coming from experience... and that sounds bad now. BUT I can make a nice home for my Sebastapol for next year if I plan right

Aoxa... love your pics. Makes me yearn more.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Putting seperate stalls in place is good enough. Just make sure everyone has a spot is all that's important. We use seperate housing here as its easier. If you have an amazing barn you can split up like described and it will work very well. I just wouldn't use the same open space to keep everyone in the same "room" for over night. 1 building split up is still seperate housing.

Aoxa.....love the gosling picture, we have 4 buff dewlaps here and they are very sweet.

 

[aoxa]

Putting seperate stalls in place is good enough. Just make sure everyone has a spot is all that's important. We use seperate housing here as its easier. If you have an amazing barn you can split up like described and it will work very well. I just wouldn't use the same open space to keep everyone in the same "room" for over night. 1 building split up is still seperate housing.
Aoxa.....love the gosling picture, we have 4 buff dewlaps here and they are very sweet.

I paid a ton for them They are from Jamie Carson's exhibition line. He is done with the buff colour. I have two females. Where the heck will I find a proper male? @_@

Thanks!

 

[ashandvine]

Phew. We do have a large barn with granite foundation and double doors that open out of the basement level into the back yard. Then there is the first floor which opens on the road side so that isn't good, but its great for our cars! Slide the doors open and forget deicing a car at 6am! Then there is the hay loft which is mostly storage and kids stuff now-- basketball hoop and small trampoline. We currently have the basement separated into four areas with a hallway and some storage. I planned to give the geese the large storage space in the back as it is quietest and while furthest from the door and at the bottom of the stairs from the ell it was either them or the ducks. The chickens, being more plenitful, would get the larger paddocks. What REALLY nice about this barn, other than the indoor access for winter time ease, is that there is water already in there and it never freezes-- piped in that is. Pump style. LOVE it. So much easier to water chickens that way.
Alright. This makes me sound like a poor quality animal keeper, but its really that I like to repurpose things rather than spend money on new if I can: Could I use dish pans as waterers for geese and ducks? I figured they were deeper but not too big that they couldn't be dumped out or moved. I also figured since they were heavy plastic they would be easier to clean. Good or bad idea?

BTW I did try CL for geese. The going price is 15-25$ for each. I can get a trio of Tufted American Buffs for 75$ or two Tolousse and a TAB for 60$ but the Tolousse are not sexed, only the TABs. I like the Saddle Pomeranians but they are further away and 25$ ea straight run. If I am going to get any I would want a goose, not a gander, no matter what. I'm excited (egg-cited) to decorate goose eggs!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We had an old barn like that when I was kid. Plus a run in shelter, and old coop, corn crib and other buildings. Pump water is fantastic.

We use flat back buckets most often used with horses for water in their houses. They hold up well, dump easy.

Bedding used is the pelleted horse stall bedding, but I am told the pelleted stove wood is cheaper (we have it here in FL). During breeding season we add hay for nesting.

They generally don't challenge fences and can be kept out of or into an area using the shorted 3-3.5' fencing readily available. We use field fencing around the perimeter of the property, up to our driveway gates. The shorter fencing is in use inside the gates.

Baby pools are perfectly acceptable for bathing.

 

[ashandvine]

Cheap here. We use pine shavings or grass clippings (in summer) as bedding. Sounds nutty but it smells great and we let it dry before laying so no mold issues and there is plenty here for the cost of gas to be mowed. The barn floor is brick with a thin dirt layer. Nest boxes get mulch hay or straw. I rather hate the kiddie pools as they get SO gross. Its better than having them go to the beaver pond at the edge of the property though.
Here's a question: Can you add copper pennies to pools like you can waterers to delay algae? I think, "no good for fish," so how good for poultry, but lots of folks tell me pre1982 pennies in their chicken waterers prevents algae.

 

[ashandvine]

Forgot to mention we also have the old well house and windmill foundation. 200+ yrold Maples line one side of the property even. Syrup in spring-- yum!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We will drop a cap full of bleach or Oxine into the pools. A horse bucket scrub brush works well to clean the pool walls and rinse then refil. We have over 16 total (between flight pens and raised pens and kiddie pools) it usually takes 30-45 minutes to scrub them all and refilling it easy from there. The dumped water goes on plants or the yard and we have lovely dark green grass.

Winter time we can go a couple/few days, summer it is daily or every other day and they are dumped and scrubbed. Those in the shade can last longer. Also any on rock don't get as messy as quick.

We can't have a large body of water dug, it would attract gators, , and we don't need those.