Geese breed recommendations

[RockyTopFarm]

Friendly non aggressive breed
Have a toddler
Upstate NY mountains so cold hardy a must

 

[NH homesteader]

I have never met a friendly goose. I've heard having one goose, they tend to be friendly, but if you get more... Not so much.

@Southern by choice did you have geese? Um.... I can't think of who else to tag.

 

[Southern by choice]

Pilgrim geese are very social and are not loud, they can be sexed by eye color at hatch.
We own Brown Chinese and we also have had Toulouse. The Chinese geese are actually guard geese and are very protective and territorial. Too many together and they can be problematic.
The Toulouse can be similar.

Our original pair of BCG are very friendly toward us but not others and not a breed I would recommend for children.

The Pilgrims are quieter, social, follow you around and should be relatively toddler safe of course how one raises their child is another matter. Respect is a must and children shouldn't be allowed to just pick them up and carry them , chase them etc.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I second Pilgrim Geese. I had some for years. They are so docile that I could reach under the goose and check her eggs or pick up the goslings when they hatched. Can't say she loved for me to do that, but I was never attacked for it. I had two trios and both hatched babies several times over the years. They sold pretty well too. I would sell them for $15 - 20 as day olds and got $150 for adult trios. That's been several years ago.

 

[NH homesteader]

Wow you two are almost making me consider getting one or two to hang out with my chickens.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I don't think you'd be disappointed!

 

[NH homesteader]

My husband is a very patient man, who agrees to 90% of my "great" ideas. But the one creature he will NOT allow to live on our farm... Is a goose!

This breed sounds like a good fit having young kids!

 

[Southern by choice]

My friend has them and she has several toddlers in her group and no problems.
Everyone hates my geese! But they are guard geese! They do their job well!
They will surround a strange car that pulls up... people do NOT get out when the geese surround them!
They are as good as the LGD's for sounding an alert!

I have only heard good things about the pilgrims.
I am thinking when we move I might like to try a pair. Not sure though. Our BCG will be with us for another 20-25 years and they do better without other geese.

 

[babsbag]

@Southern by choice Your geese are BETTER than your LGDs at sounding the alarm. I would always hear your geese first.

 

[Southern by choice]

@Southern by choice Your geese are BETTER than your LGDs at sounding the alarm. I would always hear your geese first.

They are LOUD! We originally got them to sound the alarm for the chickens, before we had our dogs.
I've seen videos where people train them to be quiet and follow and only sound the alarm when there is a stranger or an intruder... crazy. I couldn't train a goose to save my life.