Geese!

[MotherOfChickens]

I am very excited as getting a pair of Shetland geese in a few weeks time. I keep Muscovies already and the Shetlands seem to have similar management needs (other than the roosts!).

Anyone have any goosey tips to share?

 

[Esmae]

Ganders can be bolshy especially in the winter. Ours is, and hates my husband with a passion. No reason except that he sees him as a threat. It is now a mutual hatred, LOL ! Be confident with him and make yourself look big to him if he tries it on. They live a very long time. My chinese goose is 27 years old and still very sprightly. I know she is that age. I've had her from an egg! She gave up laying 3 years ago! Watch out with your horses if the gander feels the urge to see them off. Ours did and got given flying lessons for his trouble and ended up with a broken wing. If they have access to free range grazing then I don't feed them except in the winter time and then they just get mixed corn at night in their trough to supplement the grass. I don't know how flighty yours will be. Ours are not. The chinese girl has flown once in her entire life! The other two (Sebastopols) are flightless. I do shut them up every night to protect them. They have a 6' x 4' wire fronted shed to live in overnight in the corner of the barn. I like having them around. If anyone coughs in Nottingham at night I know about it. They are brilliant guard critturs! Good luck with yours.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Thank you Shetlands are pretty small and am reliably informed only slightly arsey in breeding season. Having just rehomed a muscovy drake who had driven me mad for two years, I hope this gander won't be like that! The horses are pretty bird proof but thats a good point-I can keep them out of the paddock when the horses are here.


27 years! wow, thats amazing. Chinese and Sebastools are gorgeous-they have some at the local estate-quite noisy but I like the sound.

 

[Esmae]

My horses are completely bird proof, buy my gander wasn't satisfied with that and bit my old horse's fetlocks when he wouldn't move away. He drew the line at that. I wouldn't have Sebastopols again. I only had these because I lost the sister to the chinese girl to a terrier (not a happy circumstance) and she was completely morose and wanted to live with us in the kitchen!!! Wasn't up for that so looked around for another to keep her company and the Sebastopols were the only sort available at the time. They are noisy and destructive. Forget a garden if you have these. They kill and vandalise everything that's planted. They are very pretty to look at though. I've never had an arsey duck of any kind. They have all been very nervy and non threatening. I had Khaki's, Silver Appleyard and Black Cayuga. The worst thing I had was a Gold Laced Wyandotte cockerel who was the most evil creature. He was so bad that I'm afraid he met his end.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

the drake was hand reared-not by me and tbh I was never sure if he wanted to fight me or erm, you know lol. he is a very good dad and very good with his girls though so I put up with him until he trapped me while I was in the back of my van getting my puppy out. I am hoping his son, not hand reared, won't be so much of a pest.

my horses won't stand for any pestering so I will just keep the geese away from them-will also stay away from sebastools lol! I think the Shetlands will do well here-its windy, wet and not really a good environment for hens so have cut right back on those.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Have you got your geese yet MoC? I'd echo the advice to stay away from Sebastapols. I had a pair for many years and the goose was adorable but, sadly, I had to have her put down before we moved. She'd had one operation but had gone off her feet completely. I was really upset because she was such a sweetheart. The gander on the other hand ... Rather than get another goose I decided to re-home him. I've never re-homed an animal before and felt like a bit of a failure for doing so but he now lives in a large herd of Sebastapols on several acres of paddock land with a lake and is being put in his place by the others if he steps out of line!!

 

[PorkChop]

Me

I have Embden's and Sebastapols - both breeds are gorgeous.

Neither of our ganders are agressive and they all go round in a gang.

The Sebastapols are truely beautiful and soooo soft.

Mine eat layers pellets and corn, we have a large pond and they sleep on the water all night, completely free range but rarely venture out of their unfenced field. Neither breed seem to be very good broodies though.

 

[PorkChop]

Just read above post about Sebastapols!

Mine aren't destructive at all, I am sure it depends on how much land etc they are kept on.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

I'm glad that not all Sebastapol ganders are aggressive LJR Mine was a little terror once he got to adolescence. The only time I could trust him was when Hattie, his 'wife', was at the vets. He was as quiet as a lamb then and used to seek out my company. I think the problem was that he had very strong guarding instincts but, unfortunately, he was a bit dumb and actually hurt Hattie quite often in his zeal to 'protect' her. I have to say that the Sebastapols are my favourite goose ever looks-wise. My girl was very broody but George gander was infertile so I had to take her eggs away

Just seen your last post. I kept mine on about half an acre. Not enough? I've got more land now so could try again possibly with another pair of Sebastapols.

 

[PorkChop]

I'm glad that not all Sebastapol ganders are aggressive LJR Mine was a little terror once he got to adolescence. The only time I could trust him was when Hattie, his 'wife', was at the vets. He was as quiet as a lamb then and used to seek out my company. I think the problem was that he had very strong guarding instincts but, unfortunately, he was a bit dumb and actually hurt Hattie quite often in his zeal to 'protect' her. I have to say that the Sebastapols are my favourite goose ever looks-wise. My girl was very broody but George gander was infertile so I had to take her eggs away

Just seen your last post. I kept mine on about half an acre. Not enough? I've got more land now so could try again possibly with another pair of Sebastapols.

Funny how you can't generalise, bit like horses!

Mine are only on half an acre, along with lots of ducks and chickens

They really are beautiful, quite mesmorising, wish I could pictures up, one day I will learn how to do it

 

[Esmae]

Just read above post about Sebastapols!

Mine aren't destructive at all, I am sure it depends on how much land etc they are kept on.

Mine are on 5 acres.........you can bet that they will destroy any young plants no matter how much they have to go at. However it could just be ours that are like that. Ours were reared by a lady with a young child who handled them a lot as goslings. I think that is why the gander is bolshy, he fears nothing.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Afraid I've not managed to go and pick them up yet-they are practically a day trip to pick up and we're desperately trying to finish outdoor work while we still can.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

they are coming on Sunday

 

[PorkChop]

they are coming on Sunday

Yay

I think I know who you are getting them from, I was very tempted to get some Shetland Ducks from the same people.

Until I read that they are very, very rare - sods law that they would be immediate death wishes

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Until I read that they are very, very rare - sods law that they would be immediate death wishes

that is the worry! I've managed to get four breeders interested locally with different lines-so hopefully replacements will be available if they can wait until next year before anything happening.

I wanted Shetland ducks before I got Muscovies but couldn't find any.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Neither breed seem to be very good broodies though.

what you need is a couple of Muscovy hens, excellent mothers and will sit on anything.

 

[PorkChop]

that is the worry! I've managed to get four breeders interested locally with different lines-so hopefully replacements will be available if they can wait until next year before anything happening.

I wanted Shetland ducks before I got Muscovies but couldn't find any.

what you need is a couple of Muscovy hens, excellent mothers and will sit on anything.

I excell with suicidal animals

I have lots of broodie hens, and have hatched ducks under them, but I tend to take the ducklings away and leave them with their chicks

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I excell with suicidal animals

I have lots of broodie hens, and have hatched ducks under them, but I tend to take the ducklings away and leave them with their chicks

ducklings are very poopy would rather mum dealt with them than me!

 

[D66]

are you going to collect them in your car? We drove for an hour with 5 geese in the back of a 4x4 -never again. Only doable if the weather is good enough to drive with the windows open.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

are you going to collect them in your car? We drove for an hour with 5 geese in the back of a 4x4 -never again. Only doable if the weather is good enough to drive with the windows open.

lol-yes, I have a van but they are being delivered locally now and its only a short trip. When we last moved house I transported 15 chickens in my Clio for a 2 hour trip, windows were down!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

they're here

I am going to pen them for a couple of days-they're in the pen I use for duckings in the summer. There's a bit of a staring contest going on atm between them and the muscovies.

 

[PorkChop]

Gorgeous

 

[MotherOfChickens]

they have ice blue eyes, bit like White Wlakers :/

 

[chillipup]

they have ice blue eyes, bit like White Wlakers :/

LOL, that's about right. I love geese, they are very brave and loyal creatures. (and can be very funny)....white walkers! that's fab

 

[Apercrumbie]

They are lovely!

 

[Esmae]

Wow...they are super. Wishing you all luck with them.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Gorgeous geese!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

well, we had a goose disaster so thought I would update. I kept the pair penned under netting for a few days (breeders assured me they wouldn't fly and said we wouldn't need to wing clip). I let them out early evening with a view to getting them back in at nightfall. The goose noticed some wild geese overhead and off she buggered! I managed to get the gander back in the pen (had an expression like a stunned mullet) but we never did find her. I expect the poor thing became an expensive meal for a fox but keep checking flocks of wild geese for dumpy little grey and white ones :'(

Four of us in the area took a pair, only one has their original pair because they are able to catch their escapee goose in a burn. So replacement goose acquired, wings clipped and they are settling in well now. Olaf and Inga II. Hopefully once they've been here a year I'll not need to continue with the wing clipping as I don't like doing it. Should have known something 'Shetland' would be difficult to contain lol, having experience of both Shetland ponies and sheep.

 

[Clodagh]

Oh no, what a PITA. A friend bought some muscovies at auction years ago, got home, let them go in their run and off they flew. We did get one back a week later as drove past some allotments and there it was wandering about, the rest were never seen again.

 

[PorkChop]

Ooops!

Our first geese were Embden's, the breeder assured me that they couldn't fly - well one definitely could. Albeit not very far and she always just circled and came back. They still do pretend flying/gliding, but I did choose breeds that were not designed to fly for this very reason as ours are free range.