Looking for 1 male gosling for mid May - Maine/Vt/NH

[Titania207]

Looking for a single male gosling to raise with some chicks in mid May? We live in southern Maine and would rather pick up a local gosling instead of ordering one online.

 

[Pyxis]

I have Tufted Romans in VT and will have goslings available. I will not sell a single gosling.

I'm guessing since you asked for one male only, and plan to raise him with chicks, you're thinking of trying to use him as a guard goose?

A single male guard goose is not really a thing. You should never keep just one goose. Geese are flock animals and NEED a friend of their own kind to live with. To try to keep just a single one is very mean to the goose. There's a thread about that here.

They're also not really the best choice for predator defense, either. If you want something that's going to attack predators and defend the flock, what you want is an LGD. A goose doesn't do that.

If you want something that may deter some smaller predators due to size, and will sound the alarm if something happens so that if you hear it you can intervene, then a pair of geese might work for you. And more than one goose means more eyes looking out for danger, and more noise when they sound the alarm, so multiple geese work better than just one would, anyway.

If this sounds like what you want, let me know - I sell straight runs and also sexed pairs.

 

[Titania207]

Thanks so much for your response. I feel terrible now that I read that thread that I was considering a single goose. I will definitely get 2+ or 0. Also appreciate your clarifying the geese's role in regards to the flock. We already have dogs though they are more sofa ornaments than any kind of LGD. I am a first time chicken owner to be come May so I am not sure if maybe I should just take it easy and deal with the 5 chicks first (this is my husband's opinion) and wait until next year for the geese. I would also like ducks.

We only have an acre and a half too (and some is wooded) so I have to consider that too. Any opinions on free ranging versus a fence? We are set on a back road that is used mainly only by the residents, we have neighbors but there is a bit of space/woods between them and us and we have a large front/back yard. I see deer & turkeys regularly and hear owls/hawks but nothing else predator wise.

 

[telandra2]

My ducks, and now geese, stay close to the house despite having 3 acres unfenced and partially wooded. During last summer's heatwave they did wander through some trees, off my land into adjoining vacant land, to an area of felled shrubs they decided to nest in. The winter sun is shining on the road and has just this week become a problem for sun-seeking geese.

If you do free range I advise having some temp fencing on hand for wandering waterfowl situations.

Predator wise, I've had the neighbor's dog get out twice and mouth my ducks. Deer, turkey, quail, hawks, crows, osprey. Coyotes in the area but my flock is locked up at night.

So far fairly safe, but personally, I'd vote fence.

 

[AGeese]

I wouldn't choose a male if you're going to get a single gosling to guard chicks. I can respect the opinions of those that do not agree with one goose, but if you go this route I would say choose a female.

A female came to my neighbor's property one day and after separating with her partner we previously saw her with, she decided to stay, so they got her a couple of ducks and she took them in as her own.

From then on whenever I would sit for them, it was she that would get the ducks in the barn at night, not I. She made that clear to me.

 

[Pyxis]

Any opinions on free ranging versus a fence?

I do both They have a fenced run that they have access to all the time, and then when I'm home they're allowed out to range.