Geese

Gander at Acres Wild.

Geese are the latest entry at Acres Wild. I hear that they are aggressive and territorial. Some people say you don't need a watchdog if you have geese. Lets see.

Geese are migratory but as migration is a learned behavior - not instinct – the birds must learn to migrate from their parents. If the adults do not migrate, each new generation will also not migrate.



Fecal output of a goose is typically produces 1.5lbs per day.



Geese, whether resident or migrant, typically return to the same nesting location every year.



Just because geese are resident does not mean that they do not move around. Resident birds will move from site to site during the day to feed, roost or loaf, and may even “migrate” a short distance to a breeding site.



Adult resident birds have few predators. In urban settings, foxes and coyotes will feed on smaller birds and eggs. Raccoons especially enjoy goose eggs, although both goose and gander will aggressively protect the nest.



Geese can live up to 25 years, although 15 is more typical. Therefore, once a resident population is established, it requires both short and long-term strategies for effective management.



Geese enjoying Pond No 1 on Acres Wild Farm.

Food & Feeding

Geese are entirely herbivorous, consuming plant material exclusively. In the wild, the birds can eat nearly all plant species, including aquatic, but especially enjoy grasses, clovers, grain, and berries.



They quickly become habituated to people and the habit of being fed.

Reproduction

Geese build a nest in a large open cup made of dry grasses, lichens, and mosses, lined with down and some body feathers. Nests are usually placed on slightly elevated sites near water, such as a pond or river edge, although in extreme cases, can be found on top of buildings.

Geese breed just once a year, during March and April.



A goose lays 2-8 eggs, called a clutch. The eggs are creamy white and the incubation period is 25-28 days.



In the event the clutch is lost to a predator, the goose will lay a new clutch.



The goslings come out of the egg covered with down and eyes open. They leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching with the ability to swim and feed. Chicks “fledge” – capable of flying – in 6-7 weeks.



The survival rate of goslings from resident birds is better than that of their migrating cousins, and it is estimated that the total population is growing at 15%, annually. The migrant goose population has been stable over the last 20 years.



Geese typically start breeding at 3 years of age and can continue for up to 17 years.



Geese mate for life and will only seek a new mate if the other dies.



Geese will aggressively defend their nest sites and can harm people if provoked.



Geese “molt” or lose their flight feathers once a year, in July. During this period they can be readily captured.