Geese versus Coyotes
I’d like to raise geese and give them free range. I see them on ponds in the area- ducks too. I thought about putting a floating dock into our pond for protection too. The only major predators we have here that I’m aware of are foxes, coyotes, and hawks. Can anyone tell me if I’d be setting them up for slaughter or if that arrangement sounds reasonable? Thank you!
Comments
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@Megan Venturella If you have them free, you have to realize that they will be vulnerable. Foxes will swim & geese won't just go to an island. You would either have to contain them somehow or be prepared to accept losses.
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Daytime free range might be possible, and according to The Story of Ping (a beloved picture book) water fowl can be trained to come home at night. Night time free range is asking for trouble.
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Just the same, our greatest loss from one fox was mid afternoon with a great dog, 5 busy kids & 2 adults out and about.
There is no guarantee.
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Predators are clever and relentless. While raccoons are the worst problem around here, we also have coyotes and a neighborhood fox who makes a fine living off the free-range poultry. He has a regular route from farm to farm to do his "shopping," Dogs don't seem to seem to bother him a bit, and he knows who has poultry and which places to visit. I have always kept my chickens confined to a run, but he regularly checks my place too, just in case. His regular route goes by my kitchen window, and I notice him passing through every once-in-a-while.
Last year I was so happy to see a pair of wood ducks nesting on my pond, and planned on the fun of watching the young grow up. A couple weeks later I found a small pile of wood duck feathers at the edge of the pond. That was the end of that.....
I want to get geese too, but with the fox about and the coyotes around here--also very bold--I know that allowing them to free range would just be an open dinner invitation.
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We had geese growing up. We put them up at night but they had free reign during the day. Nothing came on the couple of acres around the pond unless they wanted it to. They were the best guard animals I've ever seen.
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We've had everything but geese. I've always been afraid of them because they would chase us when we went to our neighbor's house or local lakes. The neighbor's were on the Goose Housekeeping tour from their southern residence north and vice versa. They stayed a good long time and there was never a predator issue.
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Thank you all for weighing in. I like to keep everyone safe, and my husband likes to leave animals as free as possible and as low maintenance as possible. At least I know for certain it’s a risk now. :/
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