# Ducklings and Goslings



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I am seriously considering some weeders. Can Chinese geese and Runner duck kids be raised together as a flock? Are their heat requirements and feed close enough to allow them to share the same space when tiny? 
I know I can get Purina Flock Raiser, do geese need game bird food when grown? 
Does anyone have helpful hints for me? 

I have a 6 by 6 pen they can have inside a decent barn. I have 2 heat lamps 1 250 watt and 1 125 watt. Chick water and feeders.


----------



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

They can be raised together (I assume they will all be the same-ish age?)but allow for plenty of space since the geese will quickly outgrow the ducklings...if you notice any bullying, pull the geese.

They can all eat chick starter...but ducks and geese only need chick starter for about 2-3 weeks. If the protein level is too high they can get angel wing, so I always use layer feed after 2-3 weeks.


----------



## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

You want some Appleyards ? I'll be up to my ears with them soon….


----------



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Oh and no medicated feed...it can kill them.


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Thanks anyway Laura but, I really want little lightweight ducks and Runners are such clowns :lol:

The neighbors vetoed geese :lol: probably smart on their end. 

So, the guys at backyard chicken are saying unmedicated chick starter with brewer's yeast for 3 weeks, then grower feed until 14 weeks slowly mixing whole oats in to reduce the protein level as they grow. Then laying feed. Does this sound like a good plan?


----------



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Sounds perfect...I usually just skip from starter to layer...and mine get scratch daily along with grass clippings. I don't give brewers yeast unless they have a problem. I have only ever had 2 have weak legs...
And am I hearing you right? You aren't getting geese ?


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I'll have to consider carefully, they can be mean and loud. Runner ducks can be trained to weed as well though.


----------



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Well good luck  I find the male geese to be much louder than the females. The females can be loud too they just aren't loud as often in my limited experience


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Well, maybe I could find a hatchery that will sell a pair of female Brown Chinese. Metzer will only sell sexed pairs.


----------



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Really? Guess they don't wanna get stuck with all the males...or can you buy 3? and eat the male?


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Sexed pairs only but, I can add 2 white Chinese females to each pair.


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

So, I could keep the brown female and a white and take the male to the auction with all my old hens.


----------



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

There ya go...


----------



## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I may actually put up a cl ad for getting rid of my old hens....the meat is so tough. Never been to the auction, although I'd love to check it out.


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Put the whole old hen in the crockpot frozen. Put the crockpot on keep warm and let it slowly cook in the crockpot all day. We had some tender chicken that way. I did all my old hens that way and the meat was good.


----------



## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

I raise all of my poultry (chickens, turkeys, quail, geese) on a non-medicated all-purpose crumble. That's all they get, from hatching 'till death, except that I give the laying hens some additional calcium.

Even though it's fairly low in protein (15%) it can sometimes be too hot for geese if that's all they get. If I see any sign of angel wing then I will reduce their feed some and make them graze more to make up the difference. It's been ages since I had ducks but I think they should be okay with it "as is."


----------



## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I'm raising a goose right now that I had a chicken hatch from an egg for me. It's 23 days old and 3 pounds already (a pet not for eating) so I'm interested in all this advice. Sounds like it's time to move it onto a different feed. It does eat a lot of grass already though.

Oh and not sure what kind of goose it is.... the lady who gave me the egg didn't know. haha


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

If you get guineas they are loud and obnoxious lol...then your neighbor would gladly let you trade them for geese lol...and guinea is suppose to taste good lol

i incubated six goose eggs...only one hatch :-( so bought a second bird to be a friend ...Monday I will pick up four more baby geese from the sam gal....then when they grow enough to be sexed..I will keep a trio and sell the others...plus we are incubating Khaki Campbell ducks : ) we have 7 so far..and we turkey...plus a ton of Mutt chickens lol...


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

My Guineas _were_ loud and obnoxious and they were delicious :lol:


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

:slapfloor: well we have a ot of snakes this year...so we wont be eating ours...although its temping lol


----------



## Jasmar (Mar 28, 2015)

Guineas eat snakes? We don't have any of the dangerous kind, but I have a TERRIBLE phobia, and we live in the middle of forty acres. Tho I doubt our landlords, who also live on site, would appreciate guineas. Maybe they'd let my son buy that pool he wanted in exchange for us rehoming our potential guineas :angel2:

Or maybe WitchHazel can convince her ducks to do the job. (Three of hers are Runners, and they really are hilarious)


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Ah, if you want loud and annoying, get Peacocks :lol: There's a hatchery in Beaver that sells Ostriches too.


----------



## Little-Bits-N-Pieces (Apr 7, 2013)

I have to keep my peafowl penned up because the neighbors steal them, LOVE the males though, the trains are so pretty and mine are pretty quiet 

 I want an Ostrich! I have a horse named Ostrich because the blaze on her face looks like a screaming ostrich, but to have the real deal.... :lol:


----------



## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

I saw a group of wild turkey a few weeks ago that had a male peacock with them :lol: Funniest thing...


----------

