Livestock Soo...the answer to whether or not geese will protect chickens from predators has been answered.

JMG91

JMG91

Veteran Member
This evening I went out to lock the run up, and as I step out the back door, I hear this loud hissing. When I shined the flashlight at the run, I saw something fairly large--that clearly wasn't a goose--skitter across the front, INSIDE the wire. Got closer and realized that it was a MASSIVE opossum! :eek: I run in there expecting a massacre, only to realize that the hissing is coming from the geese, who all have the opossum cornered in the front part of the run like a pack of hungry hyenas!

That thing was crapping its drawers trying to get out of there! :xpnd:Here I was, thinking the worst, and instead, the hunter had become the hunted. There was a bunch of feathers off of one of the chickens--not sure which one--but the geese must've grabbed the opossum before it could kill the bird. Everyone was nestled in the coop, with the geese surrounding the offender in the opposite corner. I'm still laughing about it. I know I complain a lot about the geese's bad attitudes, but I think they made up for it tonight. If they hadn't been in there, I'd have probably lost at least half my flock.

So, the answer to whether or not geese make good protection animals is: YES.
 
P

Profit of Doom

Dismember
JMG91 said:
This evening I went out to lock the run up, and as I step out the back door, I hear this loud hissing. When I shined the flashlight at the run, I saw something fairly large--that clearly wasn't a goose--skitter across the front, INSIDE the wire. Got closer and realized that it was a MASSIVE opossum! :eek: I run in there expecting a massacre, only to realize that the hissing is coming from the geese, who all have the opossum cornered in the front part of the run like a pack of hungry hyenas!

That thing was crapping its drawers trying to get out of there! :xpnd:Here I was, thinking the worst, and instead, the hunter had become the hunted. There was a bunch of feathers off of one of the chickens--not sure which one--but the geese must've grabbed the opossum before it could kill the bird. Everyone was nestled in the coop, with the geese surrounding the offender in the opposite corner. I'm still laughing about it. I know I complain a lot about the geese's bad attitudes, but I think they made up for it tonight. If they hadn't been in there, I'd have probably lost at least half my flock.

So, the answer to whether or not geese make good protection animals is: YES.
Click to expand...
So what became of ‘simmon Joe?
 
Jeff Allen

Jeff Allen

Producer
Ha, you were very lucky I think! Our goose protection plan was a 100% failure...whatever was working to kill our chickens back in the day ended up with a tasty goose every night until all the geese were gone...
Location: Indiana forests. Predators: racoons, possums, fox, coyote and stray dogs.
All predation happened during the dark hours as far as we know....

J
 
N

NCGirl

Veteran Member
Jeff Allen said:
Ha, you were very lucky I think! Our goose protection plan was a 100% failure...whatever was working to kill our chickens back in the day ended up with a tasty goose every night until all the geese were gone...
Location: Indiana forests. Predators: racoons, possums, fox, coyote and stray dogs.
All predation happened during the dark hours as far as we know....

J
Click to expand...
Geese are no match for coyotes or stray dogs. Maybe a fox if several geese
 
West

West

Senior
Jeff Allen said:
Ha, you were very lucky I think! Our goose protection plan was a 100% failure...whatever was working to kill our chickens back in the day ended up with a tasty goose every night until all the geese were gone...
Location: Indiana forests. Predators: racoons, possums, fox, coyote and stray dogs.
All predation happened during the dark hours as far as we know....

Get one of these...
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Jeff Allen

Jeff Allen

Producer
West said:
How old is her/him now. It can take up to two years to get a really good LGD.
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Now he's 10.5 was about 5 years ago. At 54 and having had probably a dozen pups since I was a kid....not a one was ever worth a dime protecting livestock. When this one passes...I think I'm done with pups. My kitties don't love to roll in poop and will do just as good a job protecting goats as any dog we've ever had....and they can come in and sit on my lap, when they aren't shedding!

J
 
West

West

Senior
Jeff Allen said:
Now he's 10.5 was about 5 years ago. At 54 and having had probably a dozen pups since I was a kid....not a one was ever worth a dime protecting livestock. When this one passes...I think I'm done with pups. My kitties don't love to roll in poop and will do just as good a job protecting goats as any dog we've ever had....and they can come in and sit on my lap, when they aren't shedding!

J
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Did you get him fixed?
 
Jeff Allen

Jeff Allen

Producer
West said:
Did you get him fixed?
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No sir, but he's a great pup, he doesn't run at all, stays on our 40 all the time. I think it helps we have perimeter trails that sort of mark the "end" of our "territory".....
When we lost the geese we still had our female pup and she was MUCH more protective than our surviving pup...but alas, the assholes are gone (aka...geese....lol)

We've since learned to keep our birds safe. We still loose one or so per year to hawks...an acceptable loss.

J
 
Walrus Whisperer

Walrus Whisperer

Hope in chains...
Jeff Allen said:
Now he's 10.5 was about 5 years ago. At 54 and having had probably a dozen pups since I was a kid....not a one was ever worth a dime protecting livestock. When this one passes...I think I'm done with pups. My kitties don't love to roll in poop and will do just as good a job protecting goats as any dog we've ever had....and they can come in and sit on my lap, when they aren't shedding!

J
Click to expand...
Hint: cats are ALWAYS shedding!
 
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