[smudger]

Hi I'm looking at the RBST list of geese and wondered if anyone can recommend which ones are the tamest as I have a small child and dogs, neither of which I want bullied and attacked.

Brecon Buff
Greyback
Pilgrim
Sebastopol
Shetland
Toulouse (Exhibition)
West of England

I know someone selling pilgrims nearby, but as I have shetland sheep and soon shetland cattle was thinking of keeping the theme going

thx

[PetiteGalette]

It is not so much about buying the 'tamest' of geese but, the fact that you must be respected as No1 gander in your gaggle.

Geese raised in an incubator are a lot more friendly/human aware as they will be handled from the start - you are top of the order and stay that way.
 I recently bought some year-old Toulouse geese that were not incubated and every day for a week they tried to 'boss' me and every day I ended up flattening ALL of them - one in each hand and one at at the tip of my boot, until I had 'respect'. If they try it on now all I do is raise my hand and walk towards them and they back off (the male making quite a show of it so as not to loose face with his girls).
There is another thread on here, with lots of tips of how to be Head Gander......... people using brooms and dustbin lids to ward off geese is really not acceptable goose keeping!!!
Before you buy, ask the sellers to demonstrate their goose-handling and goose-herding skills so that you know what you are buying. (Ask them to get their geese into their shelter). We always do this so that buyers can see the handleability of the geese - even with strangers around they should go in without a lot of fuss!

[jaykay]

I think there is something in the breed though.

I bought Steinbachers, having researched for friendly geese - I'd had a nasty cockerel and wasn't going to repeat this with a gander. Both my Steinbacher ganders (and all the geese) have been very pleasant and calm, the worst they do is hiss a bit during breeding season.

Contrasted with a friend's gander, when I called the other day, who pecked me (hard and persistently) from the gate to the door  I had to give him my handbag to attack just to get through.

My understanding is that Brecons are also friendly, I don't know about the others.

[Mel]

My Gander an Embden "Gandalf" attacked me last Friday,as said in a previous post,this year he has been going do lally at everyone.On Friday he snuck up behind me,grabbed my cardigan and when I turned around and pushed him off,he jumped up and bit me under my chin flippin hurt I tell you,I have a huge scab under there now as he did draw blood...I had to give him the wellie!which he ran off squawking like no tomorrow.

He has never done this before,he usually follows me around and is pleasant with just me,he has always attacked most whom attempt to venture through.

This morning he followed me for his breakfast with no problem at all though I am sure when I go out again shortly,he shall spit and fly for me!...Me thinks his hormones are in a mess!

[smudger]

Ooer. Hope chins hurts a bit less this morning. Is his missus laying eggs and/or is he into breeding season mode?  I'm not planning on having them completely free ranging around the farm just within the orchard / other paddocks. But still want tame ones. Maybe hatching eggs is better way.....

[Hermit]

I have Faroese geese and they are babies. They hiss and want you to back off during breeding season but they never are aggresive with me. They know me well though and I talk to them and stand while they have their treats . Mine are free range so they have their territories without any interuption from everyday goings on to make them agitated and too watchful . To me if a goose is not being territorial at this time of year there is something wrong surely. Perhaps aggresive geese are too confined and are stressed protecting what they have with other animals, people in too close a proximity to nesting sites etc , my opinion, as all geese should have a good range to do their own thing.

[Mel]

Gandalf has half an acre to waddle around in,he is highly strung though,he has a hate for wheelbarrows! This morning whilst on the bridge I heard him squawking insanely and he had run down hissing and biting one of the wheelbarrows,poor barrow was just sitting there minding it's own business And I know it sounds odd but I have a bright yellow fleece and when I wear this he goes absolutely beserk,even though I am the other side of the fence he still runs up hissin and a spittin.I go in,change the fleece and he settles down..If you have not seen him before here he is below.

I purchased him from Melton market for a mere £7.00 and lady £8.00,I believe she is a Brecon or American  buff and is very placid,so different to Gandalf!Both had the most horrendously cut wings and looked in a real sorry state,that was near 2 years ago,they have become wonderful looking and I would not be without them,I had wondered why the fox does not enter our paddock though has had everyone elses chickens and geese from in the village..odd that!..My gamekeeper friend believes a fox would not dare with him around,he stands a good 3ft with neck up

[Mel]

Ooer. Hope chins hurts a bit less this morning. Is his missus laying eggs and/or is he into breeding season mode?  I'm not planning on having them completely free ranging around the farm just within the orchard / other paddocks. But still want tame ones. Maybe hatching eggs is better way.....

Yes chin is ok but still sore-Thank you for asking,he has been like this for the last 6-8 weeks now,lady is not laying and indeed has never laid an egg since she arrived! Last year we did not go through this with him,maybe it is a sign of 2012!

[Sylvia]

Or perhaps he's become a "big, grown up boy"!! I had Embden geese and I would carry the gander off to his house each night(the O.H. used to say I looked as though I were playing The bagpipes ) and I think this kept him down a bit with me. He would go for anyone else.

[StephB]

We have Embden geese and young children.

We started off with 6, then we ate the four nasty ganders and kept the two girls.  They have been REALLY well behaved with the children (7 & 5).

We have recently rehomed a gander from a friend and so far, he has behaved.  Only abit of hissing, my 7 year old son is good at standing his ground and shouting at the gander if he comes up hissing but my daughter runs for her life  .

I rehomed him on the premise, that as long as he continues to behave himself then we won't be cooking him 

So, my long winded point is, is if you only have females, I think you stand a good chance of success, its when you introduce a gander that it becomes abit dangerous, too much testosterone 

xxx

[Haylo-peapod]

Is it only the gander that protects the chickens from the fox or do the females also act as good deterents?

[Brijjy]

I know they are not on your list but my Chinese geese are incredibly friendly. One of the girls is sitting on an egg now and she will let me stroke her. She looks so miserable though, I think she's glad of the sympathy!