Pilgrim Geese thread

[Pennae]

thanks everybody and teila when you say get used to me do you mean hang around them alot and also cant get near them so i cant clip there wings

 

[Miss Lydia]

thanks everybody and teila when you say get used to me do you mean hang around them alot and also cant get near them so i cant clip there wings

You herd them one at a time into a corner of what ever they are spending then night in [walking very slow behind with your arms extended to guide then you catch one hold the goose between your legs . knees hold on tight pull out wing and clip might be best to get someone to help you want to make sure the wing is confined so they don't hit you with them. They will get use to you, that doesn't mean you'll be able to pet them most geese don't like to be touched or held but one day you'll be sitting out with them and before you know it they will come around maybe nibble on your boot they are very curious. They love greens so start spoiling them with greens like choipped romine lettuce, mine like chopped kale, chopped collards, dried mealworms is a big hit with 3 of mine one doesn't like them. Whole corn they love give in moderation. Just a few things that may tempt them into coming around you.

This is the guide I use for clipping and only clip one wing not both it isn't necessary

 

[Pennae]

so do i cut the green feathers and about half of the feather
sorry i meant to say Miss Lydia not teila

 

[Miss Lydia]

so do i cut the green feathers and about half of the feather
sorry i meant to say Miss Lydia not teila

Cut all the green and yellow up to the purple, when you open the wing you'll see the row of feathers just cut the green and yellow.stay on the first row.

 

[Pennae]

thanks heaps

 

[Miss Lydia]

thanks heaps

your welcome.

 

[Susan49]

Well I was so excited to discover this thread as we are getting some Pilgrim geese in a couple of days! We will keep most of them as "weeder geese" in our 2 acre market garden, and a pair with each of our chicken flocks to help deter aerial predators.

We are preparing the garden area now with some movable net fencing to keep them in one corner initially, until they settle in. After that, we plan to fence off the parts we don't want them to wander into, and otherwise give them free run of the raspberries, blueberries, rhubarb, garlic, asparagus, and also the corn, sunflowers and squash once they're big enough.

I have set up a 50 gallon stock tank as a bathing pool in their "home base" area, and will also have a bucket or two to place in the areas of the garden I'd most like them to weed, as I've read that will encourage them to stick around those parts.

I do have one question that I haven't found the answer to even after much searching. We have started a small fig orchard at one end of our garden and of course the geese will be keeping the grass mowed there for us as well. But some of the trees are very tiny as they were just planted, and I wonder if we need to protect them. I know geese and chickens love figs, but does anyone know if they will eat the leaves of young trees that are still small enough for a goose to reach?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well I was so excited to discover this thread as we are getting some Pilgrim geese in a couple of days! We will keep most of them as "weeder geese" in our 2 acre market garden, and a pair with each of our chicken flocks to help deter aerial predators.

We are preparing the garden area now with some movable net fencing to keep them in one corner initially, until they settle in. After that, we plan to fence off the parts we don't want them to wander into, and otherwise give them free run of the raspberries, blueberries, rhubarb, garlic, asparagus, and also the corn, sunflowers and squash once they're big enough.

I have set up a 50 gallon stock tank as a bathing pool in their "home base" area, and will also have a bucket or two to place in the areas of the garden I'd most like them to weed, as I've read that will encourage them to stick around those parts.

I do have one question that I haven't found the answer to even after much searching. We have started a small fig orchard at one end of our garden and of course the geese will be keeping the grass mowed there for us as well. But some of the trees are very tiny as they were just planted, and I wonder if we need to protect them. I know geese and chickens love figs, but does anyone know if they will eat the leaves of young trees that are still small enough for a goose to reach?

Congrats on getting geese they are great animals. as for eating young trees yes they will and they will eat the bark off others so anything you want to keep best protect. I use fencing. But I'm sure you can come up with ideas to keep them from eating them.

If these are coming as gosling though I hope you know it will be awhile before they will be ready to go outside and weed and protect. but geese really don't do much protecting they may keep hawks away but not even sure about that being I had 2 adult geese in with my flock of chickens and ducks and a hawk flew in and killed on of my hens the geese were up agasnst the gate as terrified as everyone else. If you go to top of page you'll see the learning center good info on caring for goslings there.

 

[Susan49]

Thanks Miss Lydia. I should have said they are coming at 8-10 weeks and they were raised outdoors with their parents. The breeder says they're plenty big and feathered enough to be out and about alone.

That's going to be a problem with the little trees...oops! We may have to fence the geese into the areas we want, vs out of the areas we don't want. It's an odd shaped garden area with a very long side and a few twists and turns, and wouldn't you know the figs are planted all along that edge!

I have heard mixed opinions on using geese as guards/watchdogs, but everyone in my area who uses them reports they keep the eagles and hawks away from the chickens. I suppose it might depend on what types of birds of prey are in a specific area? We decided the only way to know would be to try it ourselves. Hopefully we won't lose any, but if we do at least we can say we tried! We don't have a huge predator problem in our area, but the eagles are around constantly and they do get very bold. We've lost a few birds over the past two years so we're hoping the geese will work out.

I'm off now to read the files you suggested, and to find a way to protect those trees!

 

[Pennae]

my geese have been in a temporary (small) coop for 2 weeks if i let them out would they come back should i let them ouut