Geese/foxes and neglect

[sam_uk]

I am considering establishing a 5 acre apple orchard. It would be some distance from my house so I would only get to it once a week.

The land would have a natural stream. I am wondering if it would be possible to use geese to keep the grass down. Basically just provide them with a shelter and a stream and let them get on with it?

There is some debate around how vunerable they are to foxes;

"8 geese huddled into the corner. On closer inspection he found no injuries to the birds just stress, when the moved away they revealed a rather flat dead fox!"
http://www.pekinbantams.com/community/v ... p?p=230433

"Unlike other poultry, like hens and turkeys, Eddie's geese don't need to be locked up at night for protection against roaming foxes: they are well able to look after themselves."
http://petethevet.blogspot.com/2008/12/ ... goose.html

*Has anyone here lost geese to foxes?

* Can geese be trained to put themselves away at night?

* Would it be cruel/unethical to leave them to fend for themselves for a week at a time?

I realise that goslings will be easily killed by foxes, I realise that from time to time you may lose an adult to foxes. Is it wrong to just accept this and do it anyway?

[moocher]

on another forum i go on several people have lost geese to foxes,all stock should really be checked once a day. if the goose house is open they are going to vunerable when they are asleep.also if the geese feel the grazings not up to scratch how are they going to be stopped from wandering off or swimming away.

[Shirley]

I lost a goose to a predator - could have been a fox but maybe a badger. We found her stuck in a barbed wire fence about half a mile from home. She was protecting young at the time too.

[Millymollymandy]

I know a number of people who have lost geese to foxes!

[sam_uk]

OK thanks for the responses. I guess I will need to find someone who is prepared to check on them once a day in return for free eggs...

One thing that did occur to me that might make that persons job easier is if they could be made to put themselves away at night..

Do you think this might work;

1) Get three Muscovy Ducks and train them to put themselves away at night. http://journeytoforever.org/farm_poultry.html into a self- locking shed http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/acatalog ... eners.html

2) Get Goose eggs that are ready to hatch and put them under the broody Muscovy. Wait for them to hatch and imprint on their Muscovy 'parents'

3) Surround the area of the shed with those ultrasonic fox deterrent things.

What do you think will the geese follow the 'parents' in at night?

Thanks

Sam

[moocher]

i prefer to shut mine away as its a chance to check on them and know their all away,where as with an auto pop hole closer a late comer may be shut out all night.

[theabsinthefairy]

Geese will very quickly learn to put themselves to bed - I don't see any need for the duck/egg scenario, ours learnt to fly up into their 'storey' of the chicken shed no problem at all, and wait for you to turn up and shut the door on them in the evening.

But left unshuttered and unprotected they will be easy pickings for predators - unless you have a flock big enough to tackle a sole predator, but even then you have to accept that they will be lost to foxes etc.

And if they are not happy they will move on, and if they start to lay they will stay out on their nests and eggs rather than go into the night enclosures, and if you try to keep young goslings with adult geese at night, depending on space in an enclosure you may lose the babies by being trampled or attacked also.

Leaving livestock in an area is not a good way to keep that livestock.

They need to be taken care of - or you are just throwing money away to feed the local predators.

[ellesherwood]

i havent lost geese myself but the lady i bought my farm from kept a large flock of geese and lost the lot to a fox!!!

[Siena]

I would imagine that the geese would naturally enter their shelter much the same way as chickens do. I have 8 hens that put themselves to bed at night, but I do always count them all and lock the door myself. If they would do this it would be a doddle for a friend or neighbour to just come in and make sure they are all accounted for in the evening.

My 2c anyway

[Millymollymandy]

My ducks don't put themselves to bed like my hens do unfortunately and need encouraging in with food. As I've never kept geese I don't know what they'd do but imagine they'd be more like ducks. Maybe!

[Annpan]

It hits me (and I know little to nothing about poultry keeping of any kind) that if you are considering keeping a living creature and think it might be neglectful.... it probably is.

Hope you do find a way around it though.