Looking For a Gosling

[Friendly_Lurker]

I've read that a single gosling, if raised with chicks or ducklings, will keep them safe and attack predators. Has anyone near northeastern Kansas hatched geese recently? I'd like a gosling.

 

[R2elk]

I've read that a single gosling, if raised with chicks or ducklings, will keep them safe and attack predators. Has anyone near northeastern Kansas hatched geese recently? I'd like a gosling.

Reasons Why You Shouldn't Keep Just One Goose

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

How about a pair?

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I've read that a single gosling, if raised with chicks or ducklings, will keep them safe and attack predators. Has anyone near northeastern Kansas hatched geese recently? I'd like a gosling.

You may want to rethink your strategy of having geese as livestock guardians...because they're not. I have geese, and while I do think they may have a deterrent effect for smallish aerial predators, specifically, they won't be able do much to protect other fowl (or themselves) from land predators like foxes, coyotes, dogs, etc.

There are a number of threads on here that expand on this point, and would be worth reading. Goslings are great fun, and geese are entertaining in their own right, but they aren't livestock guardians. Best of luck.

 

[R2elk]

How about a pair?

A pair is fine to have although most go for 3 in case something happens to one of them.

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

Well, I really wanted a guard goose who would think they were a duck and attack smaller predators.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Well, I really wanted a guard goose who would think they were a duck and attack smaller predators.

I get it, but I wanted you to be able to make an informed decision about whether that goal would be achievable with a goose. What smaller predators did you think they could (or would) defend against?

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

Hawks, mostly. Maybe raccoons.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Based on my experience, I don't think you could reasonably expect a goose or gander to defend against either of those. A large hawk might be able to kill a goose/gander (see this thread), and a raccoon could certainly at least injure one - see this thread. IMO, you'd be setting yourself up for disappointment and potential loss of fowl if you just put a goose/gander out with them, thinking it was a livestock guardian. Deterrence is different (and iffier) than defense. A properly-trained LGD and/or fencing and aviary netting would likely be more reliably effective.

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

I have a good dog, but she doesn’t really keep the hawks away.