One is a goose. Two or more are geese. There is no such thing as gooses.
Geese eat grass, clover, and corn. Geese are excellent foragers and are content with browsing a pasture and nibbling on lawn clippings. There are choosy eaters and prefer bluegrass, orchard grass, timothy and brome grass.They tend to ignore alfalfa. Goslings may need to be supplemented with corn or pea silage. Geese are excellent for eliminating weeds from cotton and strawberry crops. Geese are not limited to a vegetarian diet. They will eat slugs, snails, frogs, worms, mice and baby rats.
Typically, geese can live up to 20 years. Farm geese however, are sent to market when they weigh 11-15 pounds. Depending on breed and whether or not they've been fed for rapid growth, they may be as young as 10-13 weeks old or 5-6 months old.
Geese are able to reproduce between ages 2 and 3 and will continue to lay eggs until they are approximately 17 years old. They mate for life and will return to the same nesting area year after year. After breeding, a goose will produce a clutch of 2-8 eggs. The eggs are creamy white and will hatch in 25-28 days. Geese will aggressively defend their nests and will harm people if provoked. Should a goose lose her eggs to predators, she will lay a new clutch. The goslings are able to swim and feed within 24 hours of hatching. They fledge (capable of flying) in 6-7 weeks.
Farmers use geese primarily for meat, especially liver, and feathers. For centuries, roast goose, succulent in texture and full of flavor, has been the food of choice for royalty and dignitaries. It makes an excellent meal to celebrate festive occasions. The French have specialized in transforming fresh goose liver into a variety of pates and special dishes. The feathers of geese, called down, are used for stuffing quality pillows and assorted bedding.
Red Barn Farm has been home to three different breeds of geese. The African (Anser cygnoides)is considered a heavy goose weighing up to 26 pounds. They are bold, vocal birds that can carry themselves upright to a height of 3 feet. They are ashy brown, edged with a lighter shade. Hand reared, they make wonderful pets. The Toulouse (Anser anseris) is a gray bird weighing up to 30 pounds. They have a soft appearance and are rarely aggressive. The Chinese goose (Ansercygnoides), is a lightly built goose with an upright posture. They come in a brown and a white variety, although Red Barn Farm keeps the white kind. The Chinese gander is taller than the goose and has a large round knob above his bill. Chinese geese make great watch dogs as they are high spirited honkers.
