Do you want to raise healthy geese for your backyard farm? The goose is a good choice for a poultry addition to a homestead. Friendly and good at foraging, the goose will add a whole new dimension to your daily chores. Many people think that geese are similar to any other water fowl, such as ducks or even that geese are like raising turkeys or chickens. This is not entirely true. Geese have some unique characteristics and needs and should not be considered the same as the ducks. Raising healthy geese is not hard though. Take a look at what geese require.
Are Geese Good Watchdogs?
One thing that seems to be a bit confusing is the thought of using geese to protect other poultry. This can be a dangerous misconception for the goose. Geese are territorial and protective. They will not back down readily from an attack, which may give other birds a chance to escape. However no goose is a match for an attack by a dog, large fox or any other larger predator.
Housing?
In order to raise healthy geese for many years, provide a suitable structure for them to go into at night. Geese do not roost on a bar like chickens, guineas and turkeys. Provide a well ventilated, sturdy, low to the ground structure. Line the floor with dry straw and the geese will be happy campers!
Each goose requires approximately 3 square feet of floor space in the structure. Since you will rarely want to confine them longer than overnight, the house does not need to be very large. Two geese could be very comfortable in a 3 by 6 enclosure.
We use snap hooks on the latches for our poultry buildings for added security. Most foxes can’t figure these out and the raccoon haven’t outsmarted the latches yet.
When Raising Healthy Geese, Do You Need a Pond?
Geese are not like ducks. They need water of course but do not require water to the same extent. The one point that might make a difference is if you are hoping to brood goslings with your goose breeding pair. Geese have an easier time mating when in the water. In any event, the geese won’t spend lots of time on the pond like ducks might.
Raise Healthy Geese with the Right Food
Geese eat grass. That is their primary food source. If you plan to raise healthy geese on grass, they will need all access, every day to grass. The grass should not be too long. Three inches tall is a good measurement. The geese will nibble the grass and graze along. All the nutrition the geese need is included in the grasses. If you don’t have enough pasture or grass you can feed wheat, poultry layer pellets and supplement with fresh greens. Lettuce, cabbage and, occasionally, cooked vegetables can be fed, also.
- note- do not feed layer crumbles or mash to the geese. It can disrupt their ability to swallow by getting stuck in the upper bill.
Wheat is provided in a bucket and covered with water. The wheat sinks to the bottom of the bucket. This prevents wild birds, rats and mice from accessing the wheat. Also, picking up all food at bedtime helps prevent rodent infestations.
If you happen to have sheep to graze down the grass first, it helps keep the grass short enough for the geese. If you don’t have sheep available, just mow the grass down to a reasonable height before letting the geese out to graze.
Housing with Other Poultry and Water Fowl
There aren’t any reasons why you can’t keep geese with chickens or other large water fowl. Each situation will be different. Most likely you will get more than one gosling to begin with. As the goslings grow you will notice that they probably stick to their own flock and the chickens will stick to hanging with the other chickens.
The geese will grow considerably bigger than your chickens and you will need to watch for any aggression. Areas that are large enough for everyone to roam and graze give you the best chance of different poultry species getting along.
Geese Breeds
Light breeds – Brown and White Chinese and Roman Tufted
Medium breeds – Pilgrim, American Buff and Sebastopol
Heavy breeds – Toulouse, African and Embden
Geese can be loyal and affectionate pets. They bond to each other and can be territorial during mating season. Since geese can live 15 to 20 years, you will be able to enjoy your pet geese for a long time.
Have you ever raised geese for meat? We had goose for dinner for the first time last night and I’m wondering if we should keep a couple. The free range goose we bought was super pricey but really tasty. It produced lots of great broth and fat for cooking. They’re also full of vitamins.
I’m just not sure if I want a flock of geese…
Geese are a whole different ball game right? I keep going back and forth too. I want them but not sure if they will fit in here. I have not raised geese before for meat or eggs. Hope to try one day
One of the reasons we decided to get geese was because we enjoy eating them. Yes, they are very expensive – a small goose was over $65 two years back, when a comparable turkey was only $18.
This will be our first time trying to raise them. I remember when we started with the chickens, and keep reminding myself that they’ve survived for thousands of years, they’ll be fine. And if they keep the grass short, even better. We already have the equipment for slaughter for the chickens, so other than a larger cone, we’re set.
After we lost all but one of our heritage flock of chickens, we decided that starting over, with a slightly different plan would help, long term.
I’ve had mixed experiences with geese previously, so am with you on the “Is this a good idea?”, but worst case scenario for us is neighbors’ dogs trying something – which I’m hoping will make enough noise I can do something about. (Country living in Texas is easier than some places.)
I’ll let y’all know how it works out?
Do geese survive in a tropical climate? I keep ducks and would like to raise geese as well.
Yes they do, we have two Geese living very healthily here in central Thailand, they also get on very well with our three pigs and 25 ducks
It’s really amazing learning from you lovely people.
With love from Uganda
I’m in love with my girls they are beautiful, sweet, loving ,protective and entertaining . However they poop on mt walkways and my porches and even in my garage …. help my kids and visitors are tracking poop into my house!
Thank you -LeAnn , from Maine
Sorry add this to previous post
I have two beautiful emnden geese they are 1 and a 1/2 years old
Hi LeAnn, I don’t have any idea of ways to keep the geese off your porch and walkways. But I posted your question to this article so maybe someone else will have a suggestion for you. Thanks and good luck
I’m currently reading everything I can find online and at my local library about geese. My goslings are scheduled to arrive in about 6 weeks, so I’m gathering all the information possible.
From what have read, if you have mid to heavy weight geese, you can use a short fence – like a three foot high one – to keep geese away from places you don’t want them to go. Lighter breeds may not be stopped by a low fence.
I plan on trying to treat my geese (Brown/Grey Africans) like I would a good guard dog – I’ll walk them along the boundaries and see if that works to help them define where they can and cannot go. According to the information I’ve found, the approach would work in theory. So, the practical application will be the fun bit!
I hope you found a good solution to your problem!
You can train them by gently opening a large umbrella when you catch them on the porch.
We are planning on adding geese to our menagerie in the Spring. I am wondering what you would suggest as to the best breed for pets as well as how many goslings we should order. I know that geese breed for life. Would you recommend ordering 2 males and 2 females and letting them pair off when they’re ready. Will the males be peaceful with one another if they’re raised together? Any advice would be appreciated. I’ve enjoyed reading your articles and have learned a lot.
Thanks so much,