Re: Raising a baby - goose, that is

Jack Crenshaw wrote:
A _L_ P wrote:
Have you come across Freecycle? It's a yahoo group based in many locations where people who have stuff they don't want, or people who want stuff, can post, idea being to re-use instead of wasting, and generally everyone has a nicer life through fostering the ideas of generosity and helpfulness. Anyway that's where someone posted that she wanted a new home for Sydney and Mavis... and now on with the story:

I've been offered a goose - a gosling - when it's hatched. The owner is giving away the parents, had found a home for them by the time I contacted her, but meantime Mama Goose had cunningly got herself a nestful of eggs and commenced to sit. They are Sebastopols and I've ALWAYS wanted one, ever since I saw the first small black and white photos in an old chook book, but now my section is too full of garden... next best thing: a good friend with a big untended section who reacted with enthusiasm to the suggestion, including the part where I raise the baby till it's big enough to be easy-care.

I've been googling, found some information including http://www.almostheaven-golden-retriever-rescue.org/goose-pet.html which you absolutely MUST read, then if you dare to tell me you didn't hoot and guffaw, well, knock me down with a feather why dontcha!

Anyway, what's the experience of others in this group? The owner seems to think it's OK to take the youngster away a very few days after hatching and even said it'd probably be OK outdoors with a box to snuggle into. It's a - fingers crossed, weather please don't make a liar of me - warm spring here in Otago, New Zealand, but I still have my doubts about that.

Grain feed? But protein is necessary, so what - poultry pellets, turkey crumbles which are higher in protein??? Grazing wouldn't be sufficient for a growing gosling would it?

Advice eagerly awaited.

A L P

I agree with everyone else. Please remember that geese are flock animals. As Konrad Lorenz said, if you've only seen one goose, you haven't seen a goose at all.

Raised outside, a gosling needs his mom. He cannot thrive without both a mom and a flock. You can raise a single gosling (or, for that matter, many of them) yourself, but only by becoming a surrogate mom. The gosling will bond to you, and he'll be yours for life.

Handle him a lot, and you've created a pet. Handle him very little, and you've created a neurotic, dysfunctional, and miserable creature.

Jack


Well, the goose sorted it all out by deciding she didn't want to be broody after all. Before that I'd contacted her owner and asked if we could have 2 goslings, after the responses I'd had about their need for company. Yes, that was OK. A while went by and I wondered why I hadn't heard from her again. It would have been a hassle and time-consuming and all that... but I was really looking forward to being foster mama to 2 infant geese and teaching them everything I know. Ah well, I sigh.

A L P
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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Raising a baby - goose, that is
    ... I've been offered a goose - a gosling - when it's hatched. ... The owner is giving away the parents, had found a home for them by the time I contacted her, but meantime Mama Goose had cunningly got herself a nestful of eggs and commenced to sit. ... Please remember that geese are flock animals. ... He cannot thrive without both a mom and a flock. ...
    (sci.agriculture.poultry)
  • Re: Not Jolliday piccies ...
    ... On Wed, 05 Nov 2008 21:34:05 GMT, Pam the goose wrote: ... Lovely little gosling :-) ... Looks a contented wee chap. ...
    (uk.people.silversurfers)