Train domestic geese to fly

[picalowpiepi]

Im planning on getting a goose (some of you might already know due to my multiple posts about them ) and I was going to hand raise it and make it a house goose, spend a lot of time with it, etc. Then I typed in 'domestic geese flying' out of curiosity. There were a lot of videos about them. Should I try it? Should I not? What are the risks? Would it's instincts suddenly start up again and start migrating or something?

 

[Pyxis]

You can't train domestic geese to fly unless you're getting a breed that can fly like a Canada goose. The other breeds, even the smaller ones, have been bred so that their bodies are too big compared to their wings so that they cannot fly.

Also, I've seen your previous posts and helped you out with rehoming your extras but I didn't know you intended to do that so you could keep just one goose.

Don't do that. If you can't keep at least two and let them outdoors for most of the day, don't do it. Some websites out there make it sound like it's great to keep one goose as an indoor pet and the goose will love it. It won't. It will be confused, it will be lonely, it will miss its own species, especially since it's going to have spent time with and imprinted on its siblings before you sell them off. Geese are never okay as solo birds. They need at least one other goose to be truly happy.

They need to be able to get outside for a long time each day to get sunshine and graze. And you need at least two. Honestly I would never keep them as house pets. The mess would be incredible. But if you want to get two and keep them in your house at night instead of building a coop, that's up to you. I'd go with the coop though.

Check these threads if you want proof of what I'm saying:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/757415/for-anyone-thinking-of-getting-a-housegoose

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-when-you-keep-a-goose-in-the-house-newer-pic

 

[picalowpiepi]

Yeah...I know. Of course I would keep multiple geese if I could! I figured if I couldnt, I would just give it the best life I can give it. It would always be in the house diapered (aha) have lots of food to munch on, and always someone in the house with it. It will never be alone! I have a lot of time on my hands and Im gonna interact with it everyday, long hours, go to the park, a nearby pond, etc

 

[picalowpiepi]

I know it's generally considered a bad idea, but I have had pet birds, and they were considerably smarter than geese and also mate for life. I truly believe I can do a good job!

 

[Pyxis]

Are you sure it would never be alone though? What if you want to go on vacation? What if something happens and someone can't be with it? I know you say you have a lot of time on your hands, but do you have 24 hours a day to always be with it? Because that's how much time it spends with its flock. What if something changes in the next 20 years? Because that's how long geese live.

I have a companion parrot and believe me, it's a whole different thing. Trying to keep a single goose in the house is not the same as keeping a pet parrot. Did you read that first thread I linked for you?

Previously you were wanting to get a pair or trio of guard geese for your chickens. What happened to that? How come you can no longer keep more than one goose?

In my honest opinion, if you can't keep more than one, you shouldn't keep any.

 

[Debs Flock]

You can't train domestic geese to fly unless you're getting a breed that can fly like a Canada goose. The other breeds, even the smaller ones, have been bred so that their bodies are too big compared to their wings so that they cannot fly.

Also, I've seen your previous posts and helped you out with rehoming your extras but I didn't know you intended to do that so you could keep just one goose.

Don't do that. If you can't keep at least two and let them outdoors for most of the day, don't do it. Some websites out there make it sound like it's great to keep one goose as an indoor pet and the goose will love it. It won't. It will be confused, it will be lonely, it will miss its own species, especially since it's going to have spent time with and imprinted on its siblings before you sell them off. Geese are never okay as solo birds. They need at least one other goose to be truly happy.

They need to be able to get outside for a long time each day to get sunshine and graze. And you need at least two. Honestly I would never keep them as house pets. The mess would be incredible. But if you want to get two and keep them in your house at night instead of building a coop, that's up to you. I'd go with the coop though.

Check these threads if you want proof of what I'm saying:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/757415/for-anyone-thinking-of-getting-a-housegoose

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-when-you-keep-a-goose-in-the-house-newer-pic

Yeah...I know. Of course I would keep multiple geese if I could! I figured if I couldnt, I would just give it the best life I can give it. It would always be in the house diapered (aha) have lots of food to munch on, and always someone in the house with it. It will never be alone! I have a lot of time on my hands and Im gonna interact with it everyday, long hours, go to the park, a nearby pond, etc

If you genuinely care about the well being of the goose, you won't keep just one indoors. Maybe it can be done, but it shouldn't be done for a multitude of reasons, but bottom line is that the goose would not be content. There are lots of other options. Please consider them.

 

[picalowpiepi]

Yeah, I was thinking of getting a pair someday. I think it was wishful thinking I really do want a house goose though...hm. I'll think about what you said. Thanks for your input!

 

[Pyxis]

Yeah, I was thinking of getting a pair someday. I think it was wishful thinking I really do want a house goose though...hm. I'll think about what you said. Thanks for your input!

You're welcome

Think of it this way, to be a good animal owner you need to put the animal's wants and needs before yours. So if you want a goose, but don't really have a way to take care of the goose in the way it needs, the goose's needs should come before your want of having one. I have lots of animals I want to have, but I don't have them because at this point in time I couldn't care for them in the way they need. So to get them would make me a bad animal owner.

 

[picalowpiepi]

Ah, but back to the point. Domestic geese can't fly? Aw shucks.

 

[Rondack]

So, Would it be better to have more geese or is it just bad to have one?