Chicken are the gateway drug to owning and caring for other types of poultry like geese! After having chickens for a while you start to read about turkey, ducks, and geese. The thought will enter your mind (on many occasions) that you "need" geese even though you may not actually need more than just the chickens in your backyard flock. Chicken keepers often walk on eggshells when they start adding geese!
What are the reasons people add geese? Many people will talk about the concept of guard geese and they seem easier than a guard llama or in some cases even a livestock guard dog (LGD).
Backyard Poultry tells us,
"Keeping small flocks of geese in suburban backyards is gaining popularity, perhaps because the many misconceptions about the nature of waterfowl are at last being replaced with accurate information about their nature and proper care."
Here are seven tips that will help you decide if you want to introduce them to the flock!
1. They make good watchdogs.
If you have hens that free-range and you're looking for some additional protection, the honking you'll hear when geese are part of the flock will help scare away predators.
You can train them to warn you about strangers if you raise geese from when they hatch.
2. Geese are cheap!
Keeping geese is cheaper than chicken keeping! They can forage much for their own food if they graze on pasture.
3. They lay huge, delicious eggs.
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Goose eggs are yummy and one goose egg is about equal to two chicken eggs, but with more yolk in relation to white.
4. You'll enjoy their company for years.
I love this fact. They can live up to 40 years old. My chickens may live to be 7 or 8, and the idea of a goose living this long is a wonderful reason to keep geese.
5. Weeding is what they do best!
Some farm animals will help with the weeding but none will help out as much as geese will. If you take good care of them they'll help out with chores!
6. They are loyal, perhaps more than your hens.
All breeds of geese are known for their loyalty. They mate in pairs and form strong bonds. Geese need a mate and if separated may call for them.
7. You'll find them to be hilarious and a pleasure to have in the flock.
I haven't had the pleasure of living with geese and there are a lot of breeds to choose from including Chinese geese, Toulouse, Embden, and Weeder geese.
Here are some tips on what to do after they hatch!
These 7 reasons barely scratched the surface on why you should consider raising geese. We aren't headed to the feed store for a pair quite yet but we're thinking about it!
Are you interested in raising geese? If you have any questions or comments, please let us know as we'd love to hear from you!
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