[Scrubby]

Hi all

New to the forum and very new to allotments and very glad to have found the place!

Out allotment is a whole load of nothing at the moment and we are just waiting fo the paperwork to go through so that we can get cracking.  I would eventually love to get a couple of geese for the place - it's a very big site and I think it could definitely cope,  the only problem is that we are away most weekends in the summer.  My boyfriend thinks that this would make keeping geese difficult as the site is pretty much deserted and a couple of miles from where we live and so asking someone to look in on them would be difficult.  I was wondering how other people coped with 'weekending' their poultry.

Concievably, if they were left with plenty of food in a secure run would they be safe and happy from Friday to Sunday?  Obviously if there was any chance that this wouldn't be acceptable I wouldn't even consider getting any.

Does anyone have experience of this sort of thing and if so, how do you deal with it?

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi Scrubby, don't know about anyone else, but I would never go away and leave my poultry unattended in a run, what if something happened and their food ran out, or they spilt their water, or they were ill.

You'd hate to come back to a couple of dead bodies.

[Scrubby]

You are most certainly right.  The longest that I was on about leaving them for would be around 36 hours - seen to on Friday, potentially on their own for Saturday and seen to again on Sunday.  Is that far too long?  I have to say that I have never kept poultry, but it is looking like unless I can get a 'poultry-sitter' I never will!  Still, better that than unhappy (or worse) birds.

Thanks for the advice.

[Kate and her Ducks]

My ducks occasionally get left for a day (as you say 36 hours) and have never had a problem but they are in an enclosed garden with plenty of shelter and 6' fences and have never seen a fox in the area and am about at dusk and dawn a lot. That being said I do worry and always have my heart in my mouth a little if I leave them :? . Any longer and I get a pet sitter (have cats too).

[Vember]

The way I see it is with Chickens they will go in to their shed at night, with an automatic pop hole door you MIGHT be able to leave them for the time you say.

Geese on the other hand aren't always as keen to go to bed their night time vision is better than a chicken so could wonder around all night, making them a big target for a fox.

Geese also have a great habbit of knocking over water & food so as Grannie said that would be a major problem.
Geese need loads of grass so and if for any reason this had all gone you would need to give alot more feed.


Personally I never go away, and if i have to do a complete day out my o/h stays in, one of us is always here

[Scrubby]

Thanks for the advice all!

Foxes would be a major concern, that's why I was thinking about a good sized enclosed run rather than free roaming - the plot is vast and could take it.

It's food for thought that chickens would be more manageable in that way than geese.  I just have always had a particular fondness for geese, but my ownership of them can wait until I can give them the devotion that they need!

[Vember]

 I just have always had a particular fondness for geese

They are fantastic to have Scrubby, I always had a dislike (mum made me scared of them!)

But since I got my 5 well they are amazing i just love mine

Here's me & Crumb

Any excuse to put this pic up  

[Foxy]

I am interested in geese too. Was wondering about how much space they actually need, soon will have about 1/2 acre electrified and the back fencing more secure as we do have foxes they are not a problem.
Would that be enough? and do geese need a lot of goose company?
I have seem some toulouse geese and they are beautiful!

[Vember]

Hi Foxy

Toulouse are lovely looking birds

 2 will pair up real well but like with all birds 3 is  better

1/2 an acre would be fine for 3 birds, just don't cut the grass too short in the mean time

A great refrence book I use alot  is Chris Ashtons Domestic Geese, I'd have been lost with out it in the begining  

Ooo you got me all excited now

Foxy's getting Geese Foxy's getting Geese   Yay  


Sarah

[Kate and her Ducks]

Bah humbug the lot of you :x

Not that I'm bitter and jealous or anything :oops:  :shock:

[Vember]

Oh Kate

You'll just have to come visit mine

[Kate and her Ducks]

Yipee, with just have to live vicariously through all of you lucky people and dream for the future