The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: derbyshirenovices on March 19, 2009, 07:27:14 pm
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Our small flock of hens and even smaller flock of sheep seem to get on happily in the same space. We've been offered one goose and one gander (and maybe a few more if we want to take them). Could anybody advise on the wisdom of mixing all three. Any likely problems ... disease, food, conflict, ???
What sort of shelter do geese need?
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Our experience of geese was necessarily short, (Hilary hated the geese). They lived on the Island in the middle of the pond. Although we did offer them a pig arc with a door which shut at night to keep reynard away. They ate mostly grass. Mixed well with everyone except Hilary. However the gander did get very jealous of anything that went indoors, which caused a nasty incident when the borrowed ram followed our pet sheep into the house. Surfice it to say that ram (with goose attached to rams how can I put this delicately .... well male parts) left house at speed, goose feet did not touch the 3 steps out of the house.
Other than that they got on fine. The goose did roger the ducks, but never the chickens. If we didnt have Hilary would probably have more geese.
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I had all three together at one time (the sheep were on loan to keep the grass down in the paddock) all with no problems. As far as cross-contanimation,general good husbandry and keeping an eye on them,no other worries (like blackfoot with turkeys and chickens).
Geese only need a three sided south facing shelter with a roof angled so the run-off is to the rear. Mine rarely use theirs,but then I don't have a problem with predators.For two geese,a 4x4ft house with a wide door entrance and no ramp will suffice,plenty of fresh straw all the time as they are quite dirty animals in that respect. They will need fresh water in which to submerge their whole heads,a pond is better (they mate on water generally),but a couple of buckets will do....Ree
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My 2 geese have discovered if they swim under the old foot bridge and "squack" they get a great echo. The buggers sit there for ages making such a racket - it is funny though! Good job we have no neighbours.
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our 2 geese that survived christmas dinner when they started laying eggs have mixed with everything no problem,we have had a few instances of bullying, they like to be dominant over chickens sometimes just stand there holding on to the tail feathers of some chickens?,occasionally pulling out the odd feather seems to be a pecking order thing, they did have a bust up with a ram in the same paddock,very odd he started stamping on one of the geese aggressively we moved him into another paddock.
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Before the fox got one of the geese, I had 3. They turned out to be all male and suring the breeding season they were vicious to eachother. The one that the fox caught was very badly beaten up by the other 2 on several ocassions. I seperated the bullied one form the bullies but the fool just kept flying over the fences to be back with his pals!!! The 2 that are remaining are great fun but frightened from nothing.
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My 2 geese have discovered if they swim under the old foot bridge and "squack" they get a great echo. The buggers sit there for ages making such a racket - it is funny though! Good job we have no neighbours.
Ah, that explains it! I DID wonder how a hotel in the middle of a town could have so many animals - must look on flash earth for you sometime. Saw beth & Ally on Tuesday and they said you were taking a couple of kids to add to your menagerie
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Annie - Feel free to visit any time you like! Looking after all the animals is time consuming but that is my "escape". I work 7 days a week and the time I get to spend looking after these pets is cherished, every second of it. They can be seen as an attraction to the hotel but they are here really as our pets and if we ever sell up every one of them go with us.
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I am on north west side of sheffield. You are welcome to come and see how my geese interact. It might put you off a bit, as i have three naughty ganders who get into all kinds of trouble. but they mix well with all other animals except next doors horses, who they have a squabble with. They are good alarm systems if nothing else. they break into next doors garden and fight with their own reflections in the patio doors, and have to be chased back down to a point of exit. mostly they just wander round the paddock munching grass. would love to swap one or two for geese, but I'm a bit stuck with them now.