Adding 1 or 2 geese to a small duck flock?

[the_finch_family]

Hi!
I've just recently hatched 6 beautiful ducklings from my 4 backyard ducks, and I've been thinking about adding either 1 or 2 geese to the flock for a long time now.
Geese are the birds that got me into this whole backyard poultry hobby in the first place. I've fallen in love with them when I used to help raise geese as a kid.

I was wondering if there's anyone here with any experience raising a goose alongside ducklings.
For me personally, having just one goose to start with would be ideal, and my question is, would a goose raised from a hatchling bond well enough with ducklings for them to be happy together? Or getting two be better?
Also, has anyone had any aggression happen in these sorts of arrangements?

The only person I know, who has a single goose in a flock of ducks is a man next town over who found an abandoned gosling, and that little guy in particular seems to be pretty content.

What do you think?

 

[Goosebaby]

Hi!
I've just recently hatched 6 beautiful ducklings from my 4 backyard ducks, and I've been thinking about adding either 1 or 2 geese to the flock for a long time now.
Geese are the birds that got me into this whole backyard poultry hobby in the first place. I've fallen in love with them when I used to help raise geese as a kid.

I was wondering if there's anyone here with any experience raising a goose alongside ducklings.
For me personally, having just one goose to start with would be ideal, and my question is, would a goose raised from a hatchling bond well enough with ducklings for them to be happy together? Or getting two be better?
Also, has anyone had any aggression happen in these sorts of arrangements?

The only person I know, who has a single goose in a flock of ducks is a man next town over who found an abandoned gosling, and that little guy in particular seems to be pretty content.

What do you think?

It’s a tricky topic. A lot of people don’t seem to have issues with ducks and geese, and a lot of others have bad expieriences with it, it pretty much depends on all of the bird’s personalities.
Geese do prefer to be with other geese, so two is ideal. But it raises the risk of the geese excluding the ducks from their clique.
Raising geese and ducks together can help bond them but geese grow faster and larger and this can easily lead to the geese bullying the ducklings.

Geese can get annoyed with ducks because ducks are more instinctual and don’t really know when to quit, geese as a result can get pretty violent and are capable of inuring or killing ducks.
I’ve also had a goose get bullied pretty bad by one of my drakes, this led to my other geese getting extremely hostile to all of my ducks, eventually the goose that was getting bullied had enough and she nearly beat my drake to death.

That was awhile ago and my geese and ducks have settled down and called a truce, they get along fine out in the yard but I do not put them in the same pen at night. The geese don’t like the ducks getting in their personal space still though.

 

[telandra2]

I got a pair of adult geese to add to my 6 ducks. The goose loved the ducks and would follow them everywhere. The gander was only interested during breeding season. I've gotten several adult girl geese since and they've all been indifferent to chummy with the ducks.

Then I got 2 goslings. A month or so later the ducks got broody and hatched some ducklings. The alpha 2 month old gander was a duckling killing terror. I thought I had them separated, but the confused about mommy ducklings wiggled out and were killed . Other probably-gander goslings have been duck chasers.

Currently its the drake who gets defensive about his gander flirting favorites. Its funny to watch him try and take on the alpha gander who sorta just gives him the stink eye.

Mine do share a coop, but it is split with a duck sized escape area. Laying goose girls sometimes manage to squeeze through and lay in the duck nestboxes.

 

[addctd2plnts]

I’ve got both ducks and geese but would never put them together. I though about it but it’s not worth ducks getting killed and mine are in covered movable pens anyway.

 

[gooseapplefarms]

I raised some geese by themselves, then I raised some geese with some muscovies, then I mixed all the flocks together in a very large coop and run, and they free range during the day. Initially, the first batch of geese didn't like the new geese or the muscovies. Eventually they all started to get along. Now the geese are one group and typically roam around without the ducks, but they all stay in the same large coop/run at night. Usually the geese only squabble among themselves.

I also added some pekins. Then I added some new geese. I moved the new geese in with the pekins, they got along fine. Then I started letting them free range with the great flock. The pekins and new geese hang amongst themselves, and don't really associate with the other birds, but the other birds don't antagonize them either. These newer birds share a coup, but not with the older birds.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to space whether or not they'll get along super well. But geese that are raised with ducks seem to be pals as far as I can tell, or at the very least aren't bothered by the others.

Personally, I enjoy the geese more than the ducks, but I raise them all for meat, so that part doesn't matter too much to me. But I would get at least 2 geese.

 

[Ourgosling22]

It’s a tricky topic. A lot of people don’t seem to have issues with ducks and geese, and a lot of others have bad expieriences with it, it pretty much depends on all of the bird’s personalities.
Geese do prefer to be with other geese, so two is ideal. But it raises the risk of the geese excluding the ducks from their clique.
Raising geese and ducks together can help bond them but geese grow faster and larger and this can easily lead to the geese bullying the ducklings.

Geese can get annoyed with ducks because ducks are more instinctual and don’t really know when to quit, geese as a result can get pretty violent and are capable of inuring or killing ducks.
I’ve also had a goose get bullied pretty bad by one of my drakes, this led to my other geese getting extremely hostile to all of my ducks, eventually the goose that was getting bullied had enough and she nearly beat my drake to death.

That was awhile ago and my geese and ducks have settled down and called a truce, they get along fine out in the yard but I do not put them in the same pen at night. The geese don’t like the ducks getting in their personal space still though.

I’m not an expert but can share my experience with you. It will be about a year now that I am a goose and duck owner as well as a BYC member. I have one goose(female) and 6 ducks(one is a male) they grew up together and they all get along famously. No issues really except I have an overzealous drake lol. The ducks actually follow Thorne my goose. She will stay with them, keep within their distance. They are never apart. I think it just depends on alot of things, personality and character traits being part of it. I have 2 goslings that I will be adding to my small flock and have been slowly introducing them to each other. Honestly it appears that my flock could care less. The babies are more interested in them more than they are. Hope this helps a little.

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

A trick I read is to have either geese hatch out ducklings or ducks hatch out gosling’s. Seems a good way to pull a fast one on them. My Geese (raised as a babies with my adult chickens) can be extremely mean to some of my chickens, they are terrified of others. Chickens are fast and can get away, and my geese know the roosters will beat the crap out of them if them grab ahold of one of their hens. Ducks would be much more vulnerable, precious little things they are.

 

[3xhhheather]

For a few years now I've had everyone together (even chickens), but they sleep separately and now that I'm on a new property, they're all getting separated. Nine days outta ten everyone gets along, but there's always that one day when a goose catches an attitude and takes it out on either a chicken or a duck and it's just not fair to them. I know it'll be easier on everyone except my Opal, she is head over heels in love with my goose Lemon. Has been since they were both out of the brooder; I find it very cute, Lemon finds it very annoying lol

 

[Jen16]

Hi!
I've just recently hatched 6 beautiful ducklings from my 4 backyard ducks, and I've been thinking about adding either 1 or 2 geese to the flock for a long time now.
Geese are the birds that got me into this whole backyard poultry hobby in the first place. I've fallen in love with them when I used to help raise geese as a kid.

I was wondering if there's anyone here with any experience raising a goose alongside ducklings.
For me personally, having just one goose to start with would be ideal, and my question is, would a goose raised from a hatchling bond well enough with ducklings for them to be happy together? Or getting two be better?
Also, has anyone had any aggression happen in these sorts of arrangements?

The only person I know, who has a single goose in a flock of ducks is a man next town over who found an abandoned gosling, and that little guy in particular seems to be pretty content.

What do you think?

Did you try it? I’m thinking about doing the same thing and curious how it went for you. I would prefer 1 goose. Would make or female be better?

 

[AGeese]

Just be prepared for the geese to be on the top of the pecking order. Their size can make a big difference in the damage they can do.