Geese, which breed? *update with pics*

[dwbonfire]

I have the opportunity to get a few geese. I have never had them before, but I do have some ducks, chickens and guineas that all free range during the day and have thier own coops at night. Im wondering if geese will be able to free range the farm with the other birds, or will they fight with the ducks or try to mate with the ducks? I have more drakes than hens but they all get along fine but I dont want to have any fighting... Also, when getting geese settled into thier new home, how long should they stay locked up until they know where home is? All of my birds dont stray far, and I havent had any trouble with them leaving. Just curious is geese are hard to keep around like guineas can sometimes be?

Are these Pilgrim geese or Tolouse geese?

Thanks!

 

[Goatherd]

They are Toulouse geese from what I can see, although Pilgrim are similar. The difference is that the Pilgrim male is usually all white and the female a soft gray with white markings on the face, so the one goose in the foreground could possibly be a female Pilgrim while the white bird in the back, a male Pilgrim. Another scenario would be they are a couple of pure bred Toulouse and some "mixed" geese with them. Two of them are definitely Toulouse.

I don't have Toulouse geese, but have the Sebastopol. My Sebastopols get along famously with the ducks and the male Sebbie is the guardian and protector of both the geese and the ducks. Never have my geese and ducks tried to breed each other.

Toulouse are "middle of the road" geese when it comes to behavior. They are neither overly aggressive nor are they extremely laid back. As with most geese, they decide whom they like and whom they don't and attach themselves to particular humans. They serve as great watchdogs for your property. You WILL know if someone is there that is not normally part of the routine. Unfortunately, I had a pair of Chinese geese that loved me and hated every other human that walked the face of this earth. They were a force to be reckoned with when it came to their protective nature. Sadly, I could not keep them here as I refused to pen them and they were on a mission to cause great physical harm to anyone who crossed their path.

I don't know if you have small children, but if you do, geese can be dominant and overbearing with kids. They will stand their ground and attack if provoked. With adults who tend to tower over them physically, they are somewhat less challenging.

Depending upon your set up, you could pen your geese for a week or two if you feel that they would be inclined to leave the property. Some geese can adjust in a much shorter time. Geese love to free range as they are very much vegetarians when it comes to eating and will eat lots of greens, weeds, etc.

Their voice can be loud at times so I don't know if you have neighbors to consider?

Can't think of much more to tell you at this time, but from the pictue, those geese look very nice and would probably fit into your flock rather well.

 

[dwbonfire]

Thank you very much for your reply! I guess I do have some thinking to do, where I have a toddlar who loves to "herd" the ducks and guineas around the yard lol. They just go the opposite way as him, and he is NEVER unsupervised with them and Im always just a step behind him, but I guess I have to consider that the geese may be more defensive rather than just walk away from him. I'd love to have them and I could probably work around it since I can keep them strictly outback with a fence between the birds and my son. They will still have plenty of room to range, but if they could be that aggressive I'd hate to think if they crossed paths... hmmmm

ETA: Is there a breed of geese that are known to be more docile, or less aggressive than a Tolouse? Im curious because again I'd love to have a few geese but if theres a better breed that I wouldnt have to worry with as much I might consider that instead.
If I got goslings and they were raised in the yard where my son toddles around, would they maybe be more tolerant of him rather than getting adult birds to start with?

 

[Goatherd]

ETA: Is there a breed of geese that are known to be more docile, or less aggressive than a Tolouse? I'm curious because again I'd love to have a few geese but if there's a better breed that I wouldnt have to worry with as much I might consider that instead.
If I got goslings and they were raised in the yard where my son toddles around, would they maybe be more tolerant of him rather than getting adult birds to start with?

Let me clarify one thing for you. "Generally" most geese have a very protective/guarding side to them, BUT that doesn't mean that all geese, even known aggressive breeds, are the same. There are always exceptions to the rule, much like there are with all animals. It's more the nature of the individual bird, rather than how it's raised, that determines the outcome. Quite frankly, some geese that were raised from goslings turn out to be even more of a problem with people and children as they are unafraid of humans due to their close contact and interaction with them while growing up, so that's not necessarily a solution to the problem. Those same geese that your son grew up with, could turn into "guard dogs" for him and protect him as one of their own, creating a problem for you, his parent, as they perceive you as the threat to their "human gosling." As I mentioned in my previous post, the pair of Chinese that I had, I raised from the start were named Hansel and Gretel, but once grown, they were more like Cujo and Attila the Hun with anyone else but me! While I could live that way with them, I couldn't trust them with anyone who came to the farm, including any delivery drivers that might come when I was not at home.

That being said, if you have the space and area where you are willing to take the chance of getting adults or goslings, raising them with your family, but knowing that as adults they may not turn out as you planned, then I would say go for it. If they didn't work out, you could always separate or segregate them from the mainstream family life.

A goose that was developed to be more gentle than most, but with exceptions of course, is the American goose. They still retain their watchdog qualities but are usually much friendlier and more docile with their human caretakers.
That breed is the one that comes to mind as a first choice for someone who wants to start out with geese and has small children.

I hope I haven't turned you off to getting geese as they really can be fun and enjoyable. I would rather you know what you're getting into, make an educated decision, and then determine if geese are for you at this time or in the future.

Good luck!

 

[dwbonfire]

Nope you havent turned me off to them really, just made me think about it a little more for sure. I think I might go for it though, but I will definetly be more careful with them around my son and watch how it goes. If it doesnt work out I could make thier own pen, or find them a good home if it came down to not being able to handle them. Im going to ask the lady if they are good natured and go from there. Thanks a bunch for all your info!

 

[dwbonfire]

i inquired about the temperament of the geese and told about my toddlar son. the woman has had these geese for 30+ years and been breeding them and has not had any trouble with aggression and that they are good natured. i think i am going to go for it, of course i will still be cautious of them when it comes to my son, as i am with all the birds. i am hoping it works out!
thanks again!

ETA: if i got a trio of these geese would that be alright, or do they only pair up?

 

[Goatherd]

You're very welcome. I'm glad to hear that you are going to go ahead and try geese. The woman who breeds them would be your best source of information as they are her birds.
Geese do very well in a trio. Actually, during the breeding season, it alleviates the "one" female being constantly harassed by the gander.
Will be looking forward to hearing how this works for you. Best of luck.

 

[dwbonfire]

I got my pair of geese over the weekend!!! I wanted to get a trio but the people I got them from seemed to only want to sell in pairs, so I would have had to get 4. I decided to just get the pair for now to see how things worked out, and I think I will be able to get more from them if I wanted to in the future.
The man there was pretty certain to have picked out a male and a female but told me I could "exchange" if one turned out not to be. I dont know how I would know this until spring because I have noo idea how to tell with geese unless I am getting eggs I will take pics of them to post to see what yall think.
The male is all white, he told me mostly Ebden (sp?) and the female is mostly Tolouse. I think he got the sexes right because the white one seems to almost sing to the other one lol its really cute. They are pretty quiet for the most part, I was hoping to hear some honking out there!
A few concerns I have is that they dont seem to want to eat, I put out layer pellets that all my other poultry eats, and gave them some corn and tried scratch, bread, and even cat food. The male will pick and eat some corn but the female doesnt seem too interested. They are in a small pen where I will just be locking them up at night so theres no grass in there for them so I feel badly that they arent eating :/ anything I can try?
Also, I plan to let them out soon but thought about waiting until the weekend when I have more hands here incase anything goes on. We have a pond down back that my ducks have never used they are too chicken to go down there, so I am hoping the geese will lead the way. Only worry is, will they come back up at night? I cant leave them down there because of predators. Where they lived before they were in a HUGE flock and everyday they all would go way down across the street to a pond I was told, they seemed like they would come and go as they please Im not sure they were locked up at night. I need to find a favorite treat for them so they will learn to come back at dusk or when I call for them. Goatherd - whats your experience with them? how do yours live and should I expect them to act as I am hoping??

 

[Goatherd]

The man there was pretty certain to have picked out a male and a female but told me I could "exchange" if one turned out not to be. I dont know how I would know this until spring because I have noo idea how to tell with geese unless I am getting eggs I will take pics of them to post to see what yall think.
The male is all white, he told me mostly Ebden (sp?) and the female is mostly Tolouse. I think he got the sexes right because the white one seems to almost sing to the other one lol

Congratulations on getting your first geese. I'm sure you will be pleased with them. As far as sexing goes, since these geese are not pure bred geese, but mixes, size and genders will be slightly more difficut to tell. As you mentioned, you will get eggs should you have a female or two! Since you are able to exchange, this shouldn't be a problem other than the fact that you'll probably become attached and won't want to send one back! The white one is called an Embden and is one of the few geese that is raised commercially for meat birds.

They are pretty quiet for the most part, I was hoping to hear some honking out there!

Both the Toulouse and Embden are relatively quiet geese so the loud honking may or may not happen. If it does, it will be more of an alarm sound when something is out of order according to the geese.
Be careful what you wish for! Quiet geese are not really that bad, especially if you've never heard the louder breeds. It can be rather unnerving. Also, their quietness may have to do with them being unfamiliar with their surroundings. Given time, I'm sure they'll get louder for you.

A few concerns I have is that they don't seem to want to eat, I put out layer pellets that all my other poultry eats, and gave them some corn and tried scratch, bread, and even cat food. The male will pick and eat some corn but the female doesn't seem too interested. They are in a small pen where I will just be locking them up at night so there's no grass in there for them so I feel badly that they aren't eating anything I can try?

Geese do not eat heartily like chickens do. They pick at pellets and grain, but relish greens, grass, weeds, etc. Since you really need to pen them for a while in order for them to become accustomed to your farm, you can offer them lettuce, such as romaine, spinach or any other leafy greens. Mine are partial to grapes, cherry or grape tomatoes, and bread, although I would caution you to not overload them on bread products. Also, they do enjoy grazing during the day and mine tend to eat most of their "provided food" as it's getting closer to evening and they return to the barn.

Also, I plan to let them out soon but thought about waiting until the weekend when I have more hands here in case anything goes on. We have a pond down back that my ducks have never used they are too chicken to go down there, so I am hoping the geese will lead the way. Only worry is, will they come back up at night? I cant leave them down there because of predators.

Good idea to wait a few days and be home when you let them out. My one goose is the guardian of the geese and ducks. He does take them all to the stream, as they prefer that to the pond that I have.
Some days it's like they've gone to work. They go to the stream in the morning and then about 5 or so, come back up the driveway and back to the barn. They spend the rest of the evening outside of the barn and when it's dark, they put themselves to bed and I close the door. If given the choice they prefer to stay out until dark and not go in while it's still light.

I wish you lots of luck with them and I hope you enjoy having them as much as I do.

 

[dwbonfire]

Great info Goatherd, thanks so much for taking the time to answer all my questions! I'll definetly get pictures of them this weekend and post them!