[Glaikit Lump]

We are now into autumn here having had a hot summer, even by Bulgarian standards. During the summer, our nine hens gradually started to lay less eggs and now we are not getting any.

At first we thought it may have been an effect of the heat, but were wondering if the geese we introduced into the hen enclosure as goslings in the spring (three geese and one gander) could have had an effect on egg production rather than the weather. The geese are now about fully grown and on occasion pick on a chicken by pecking it and chasing it about the enclosure. The geese also share the sleeping quarters (15 square meters fully enclosed) with the hens.

Does anybody have any experience of mixing geese and hens and/or opinions as to whether or not it is is desirable. Alternatively any other ideas as to what the problem might be would be gratefully received.

Last winter we moved our donkey in with the hens to share warmth and the hens continued egg production reasonably well.

[GrannieAnnie]

Would you want to lay an egg after being chased around all day by a goose?  

We also found when we had geese that they bullied the hens, so we always kept them separate.

Also geese eat everything in front of them, so perhaps the hens are not getting enough of their feed???

And its getting colder now, so you may not get any more eggs until spring.  I suppose it gets colder over there than here in the UK doesn't it?

[Glaikit Lump]

Thanks for the reply, GrannieAnnie

I have never tried to lay an egg having been chased by a goose, but take your point 

Yes, will need to get my thinking cap on to see how thay can be seperated...either that or we eat the geese

[GrannieAnnie]

MMmmmmmmm, eat the geese!      That's what we did!

Can't you just construct another little house for them and divide the run, or do they free range?

[Glaikit Lump]

GrannieAnnie, They are not totally free range but have about 300 square meters to forage about in.

Yes, have come to the conclusion they will need separating, as hopefully they will nest somewhere in the spring and probaly become protective.

[GrannieAnnie]

Yes, good point, if the geese start to lay and get protective about their eggs and babies, they may kill the chickens.

Good luck with it all!!

[Glaikit Lump]

Following on from the above posts last November, we eventually opened new goose house a couple of weeks ago, which they took a few days to get used to. This morning we found the geese making a nest in our dog's bed (the dog sleeps in the animal yard but romps about during the day). This afternoon we found a goose egg there, and afterwards found an other egg in their new house. I don't know if we made the right decision, but we moved the egg from the dog's bed into their new house with the other egg and we will prevent the geese getting in to the dog's bed during the day. We are hoping a goose will eventually sit on the eggs so that some may hatch. By the way, the hens are back laying as many eggs as we can cope with and they share the same space during the day only to be seperated in the evening.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[GrannieAnnie]

Pleased to see you are up and running with the geese.  AND eggs?  wonderful. Pictures would be nice!  Hope you get one of the geese to sit on the eggs, but if they are not broody, have you got a broody chicken you could put a few eggs under?

[Glaikit Lump]

Here is a pic of the geese taken during snow fall last month. The Gander is the grey one. None of the geese appear broody but I thought they stored the eggs for a time (until there were quite a few) before sitting on them and didn't think a lack of broodyness was a potential goose problem. None of the hens are broody. We do have an incubator which we haven't used yet but would prefer the geese to reproduce naturally. the incubator was bought mainly for chicken eggs. As you can see we are only in the early phase of learning. All the geese hatched around March last year and for water, we fill up a plastic sandpit each day for them to splash around in.

[pepsi100]

I was really considering have both geese (well just a pair) and hens together, the hens would be in the run, the geese free range, but they would share the same quarters at night

YUP, I con confirm it gets very cold in Bulgaria and takes a bit longer than the UK to warm up

The goose I did have had a fear of water, would only drink from a dog bowl

[Sassy]

I was really considering have both geese (well just a pair) and hens together, the hens would be in the run, the geese free range, but they would share the same quarters at night

Did the chooks not poop on the geese at night?