The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Agasaga on November 04, 2017, 11:32:15 am
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Hello
I'm in a bit of a tricky situation..........finally completed on some land last week......so excited, but then less excited to find that the seller had left 7 geese behind. I have put a post in 'Market Place' to see if anyone wants free geese (i'm in Anglesey N Wales), but if i'm honest i'm out of my depth here.
I'm asking around locally to see if anyone wants them, but any ideas about where else I can try?
When I confronted the seller he told me he doesn't feed them and they drink from the ditch? Until I can re home them, is there anything else i should be doing?
Thanks
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Is there any chance of a photos so that we can see what condition they are in and which breed they likely to be? Geese graze on grass and may well get enough water from a water filled ditch. If they are a hardy breed and have some natural shelter they may well survive without much help. If you want to help them along a bit you could get a sack of whole wheat or layers pellets from a farm store and give them a couple of scoops each day.
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Geese do produce rather a lot of droppings, but other than that they are fun to have around. Why not give them a go? Sprinkle some grain for them in the evenings and provide a large bucket of water, changed every day. A ditch is not going to be very clean and they do need to immerse their heads completely in clean water. Presumably there are no predators such as foxes to worry about, so they will sleep where they want. They will also warn you when there are strangers about. If you are going to have a veg garden then you will need to fence that off with sheep mesh so the geese can't get in, as they would certainly trash a veg patch.
Have you worked out how to catch them if someone does come to take them away?
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Thank you Possum and Fleecewife.
I have Googled and they are white and look like a Domestic Goose according to Wiki. A restaurant that raises some animals and produce has since said they will take them, towards the end of the week. They will bring a small trailer....As for rounding them up and in to a trailer, i'm guessing it could be a nightmare and I may well be left with them.
They free range on 8.5 acres at the moment but there are a couple of roughly fenced areas so Im thinking of taking your advice and getting some pellets today and see if they will come in to one of the fenced areas for food....which may make it easier to round them up and into the trailer. I once looked after someones ducks and they would do anything for peas......maybe if they get a taste for that now.....that would help later in the week?
Again any advice on that front gratefully received.
A slight concern.....I've heard that geese can be aggressive. From some quick reading I know they are more aggressive from early spring but any advice as to do's and don'ts on that front too would be great. I haven't got really close to them yet, but they have seen me and don't seem too bothered.
Thanks again
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Most geese are not aggressive. The exception is a gander trying to protect geese who are brooding eggs or raising small goslings. That shouldn't be happening at this time of year. :fc:
Regular feeding with grain will get them into a routine and make them more biddable. Sounds like you have the right instincts for keeping geese. Are you sure you don't want to keep a few?
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Moving geese isn't that difficult. Back the trailer up to the gateway, make sure they can't get passed. Use the field gate and other hurdle if necessary to make a funnel to the trailer. Make sure they can't go through the gate or hurdle between the cross pieces. Get a few, quiet people to then herd the geese into the tunnel. Arms stretched out to the side helps. Once in the funnel close the hurdle across then move them into the trailer the same way.
Don't rush.
Probably something on you tube you can look at.
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Quietly and slowly is the key to shepherding geese. You probably won't have enough time to train them to come for feed. It's useful if you have boards to help guide them. We used to help pen our neighbour's gander, which was aggressive all year. He drew blood through jeans, waterproof trousers and farm Wellingtons!
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Thanks everyone for the advice.....I'll give it ago and if you want to check back on Sat for a laugh, i'm sure i'll have a tale to tell.......lets hope i've got all my fingers left :fc:
and Possum what are you trying to do to me.....my husband's already said "are you sure you don't want to keep them" but that might be self preservation thinking about loading them up. Seriously though, if I cant get them in the trailer they'll be staying.
The only prob I have is that access to where they seem to favour hanging out is quite poor, as is the fencing, and the established gateway is a long way from where the geese are. Unless I can get the trailer to where they are (and thats looking unlikely at the moment, they will be travelling in a funnel along way. I have some ideas and some poultry netting/plastic posts that I can just use simply to help fence a funnel and guide them where I want them.
to be cont'd ......
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I'd keep them ;D .
I have 6, 2 gander and 4 geese.
They get to know you, only normally aggressive during breeding, even then only if you go near the ladies, (mine anyway).
They have characters, mine answer when I call to them, when I go to put them in at night I call and see where the answer comes from, saves going out to the field if they are already waiting for supper.
Lay fantastic eggs in Spring, you may be able to sell some, i used to sell 50p each, but I've seen them at a £1 each.
Or if, by spring you are getting into the swing of things, get an incubator, hatch some and sell them.
Could be Embdens, if big and white, and blue eyes.
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Thanks everyone for the advice.....I'll give it ago and if you want to check back on Sat for a laugh, i'm sure i'll have a tale to tell.......lets hope i've got all my fingers left :fc:
and Possum what are you trying to do to me.....my husband's already said "are you sure you don't want to keep them" but that might be self preservation thinking about loading them up. Seriously though, if I cant get them in the trailer they'll be staying.
The only prob I have is that access to where they seem to favour hanging out is quite poor, as is the fencing, and the established gateway is a long way from where the geese are. Unless I can get the trailer to where they are (and thats looking unlikely at the moment, they will be travelling in a funnel along way. I have some ideas and some poultry netting/plastic posts that I can just use simply to help fence a funnel and guide them where I want them.
to be cont'd ......
You only need a funnel at the trailer. For the rest of the way you need people. Boards as MF says are good. Or sticks in each hand to make your arms look longer. I have loaded geese this way that have never been herded before. You have already got the idea with the poultry netting idea. You'll be fine.
Remember with livestock give them the impression you have all day and it will take 5 minutes. Let them you know you have 5 minutes and it will take all day.
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<<< Remember with livestock give them the impression you have all day and it will take 5 minutes. Let them know you have 5 minutes and it will take all day.>>>
That is animal husbandry in a nutshell Harmony :thumbsup:
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<<< Remember with livestock give them the impression you have all day and it will take 5 minutes. Let them know you have 5 minutes and it will take all day.>>>
That is animal husbandry in a nutshell Harmony :thumbsup:
LOL. OH so true FW, my goats just KNOW when I need to go out :)
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Chasing geese never works for us. Luring with food will sometimes work, right up until you reach the gate you want them to go through after which they get better ideas. Our best bet is walking behind them very slowly like the others have said. If you are on your own and have a few geese to herd then a stick in each hand increases your width. Just be patient. If you go too fast they will get into a panic and trip over their own feet. Good luck.
Dans - PS I became an accidental goose owner (neighbour left them behind when he moved) and have fallen in love with our geese. To the extent that when the fox took them (bad husbandry mistake on our part that won't be repeated) we went out of our way to make sure we got new geese. I can't imagine our holding without them, even in the moody breeding season, and the eggs are delicious. When you get settled have a think about getting some.