My new Goose and the Feed Store's strange customer service

[championny]

I went to the feed store, hoping they might have gotten some baby chicks in. However, the brooders were empty so I was a bit sad. I had called someone earlier today about Toulouse and she wanted $25 for full grown one, but I didn't want to spend that much. (I have to budget here) so I went to the pen out back the Feed Store and low behold there were geese! These were odd fellows as they were white almost like Embdens, but had a grayish hue and feathering. They explained they were Chinese/African mixes. My first thought was these guys are going to be loud and obnoxious.

However, I lit up when I find this one. It looks just like a Toulouse, but they said its the same as the others. I dunno because those were mostly white, he has the Toulouse look and no knob on his head. (I can't tell the goose's gender but I am hoping for a girl)

Let me know what you all think. I wasn't going to get it because of the wing issue, but I have handicapped Amerucana's so I am game for anything. The feed store said it was an ingrown feather and would molt out, but I am not sure about that. It looks like an angel wing to me.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Nice goose!

 

[MissPrissy]

If you get a goose get more than one. They need companions and won't live with the chickens. They graze and do their own thing.

 

[Omniskies]

It's definitely not a Toulouse, but I love the coloring. That stripe down the back of the neck is found in the Africans and Brown Chinese, not the Toulouse. That's the easiest way to tell.

Geese really do need at least one other goosey companion to be with. They're -extremely- social birds and do better together.

Good luck - I hope you end up with a girl.

 

[championny]

Thanks. I have a few Toulouse eggs in the bator so I am hoping for a hatch. I agree, I am getting more than one. (Come one goose eggs)

This one lived with Pekins so I am letting her "stay" with them for a bit. I think she's a girl because she is very docile and my male Pekin keeps her in check. No resistance from it. I would be sure a gander would be dominant.

Yeah, I looked at some Toulouse and she isn't one. However, the plus side is this one doesn't honk much at all. She did take offense to the our Australian Shep/Mutt that kept barking at her. She hissed like a snake and spread those large wings! I just couldn't help but to laugh.

She must have been the odd one out then. Very interesting. We'll have to see where this goes!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

She/he looks almost exactly like my hatchery toulouse, except for that stripe down the neck. Sometimes you just get a strange variety even with the same parents! She/he is adorable though!

 

[championny]

Thanks everyone. You know, the only reservation I have about it being an African/Chinese mix is the fact that she/he doesn't have a knob on its head. Both Africans and Chinese do have this knob so she should have if she was. Perhaps she could be a Toulouse/African or Toulouse/Chinese mix? I dunno, but we'll see.

Anyone know a way to sex older geese? Does a gander have curly tail feathers like ducks?

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

That goose looks exactly like the ones I raised out of a brown china male and a white embden female. That cross was sexlinked, so females were brown(like yours) and males were blue splash(never seen blue in a goose until then, it is gorgeous).

This picture also shows a nice behavioural difference between genders, he does the typical warning/threatening stance, while she is alert but not agressive.
Yours probably will grow a bit of a bump on the beak, it grows in a bit later with the crosses. Mine are 2 yrs old in that picture and the first year they looked just like yours, no bump.

Anna

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

That interesting about the stances. I have one that does the hissing head down thing (Not aggressive, just warning me) and the other just kind of stands there looking for treats. Could this mean I have a male and a female?

 

[championny]

My goose does the hissing and spreads those large wings. Not much of a honker, which makes me wonder if like ducks, the males have a low sound and the females louder?

You know, I didn't notice the blue in mine until you mentioned yours Fancy. The one you have that is white looks almost just like the other he was with! This was the odd one out. Plus his "angel wing" which I wonder if it is or perhaps he will molt out of it? You can see Peking (yeah I didn't name him) in the last picture is trying to get over it.

But I am being mean to him right now as he has no friend but my ducks and they seem to pick on him. He's the "Ugly Duckling"!

I have three Toulouse in the bator so I hope they will hatch so he will have friends!