My little sisters are thinking about getting a guard goose for their chicken flock. Does anyone have any experience with guard geese? Any advice you could offer them?
Yes. They can outrun your siblings until they are 8 or 10 years old and bring a blood blister on their bare legs. I always carried a broomstick around the yard until I was about 10. Never hurt but 1. I broke his neck. Good eating and proud of the accomplishment.
As a yute, we had friends who had a small farm and they had geese. I seem to recall two of them headed my way and hissing. One kick to the head and they went their own way but that Rhode Island Red rooster they had, he wouldn't give up. I forget how I finally got him out of my hair.
We had one when we were young. Started out nice and then got really mean. Worth a try, but be prepared to cook the thing.
Canadian Cobra Chickens ... good nickname, imo ... when I was a little kid, tried to fend off a some of them with a cane fishing pole until I slipped on goose poop. Then they were on me and I was in poop. Good thing I also had a galvanized minnow bucket emptied of most of the water from the fall. ... then got my butt torn up by my aunt for "harassing the geese". Just don't spank the kids for fighting the geese ... 'cause they didn't start it.
or ... go all the way and get a couple of swans :cheesy:
We had two females and a male goose. Hand raised them from hatch day. They were good friendly pet?s until the females started laying eggs. Then they got real mean. We put them in a hen house to protect the grandkids. Within a week, I was the only one who could go in their cage. There was no calming them down. We waited until they were done with raising their young before getting rid of them, hoping they would go back to being friendly, they didn?t.
Think twice before getting geese.
Jim Altmiller
That same guy that had the geese and the Rhode Island Reds had a Herford bull for a little bit. He was nasty and Mr. Moore thought it was funny. He came after me one day but I was lucky to be near an old gatepost and once I got behind it, he couldn't figure out how to get to me. Then my buddy opened the barn door and I made a successful break for it. Next thing I heard, Herfy cornered Mr. Moore and got sent to the butcher.
Interesting. :shocked: I'll pass the info along. :grin:
I've found a rooster with a possum cornered in the group nesting box. A rooster will defend the hens some. I've had aggressive roosters too, but most aren't. Most geese are pretty aggressive in my experience.