Geese : good for security and eating

with all the people planning / setting up places to bug out to when it all falls apart ... bit surprised that everyone always focuses on dogs for security ..

overlooking the goose which is a very terratorial animal and not only makes a great perimeter guard as they can be both quite loud and fierce when confronting intruders.
geese were used by the roman legions to provide perimeter security to their outposts and as recently as the 80's by the u.s army for perimeter security for some of its bases in germany.

so give a thought to getting some geese for added security along with variety in your diet when it all falls apart...

the Canada goose while a real poop factory while on the lawn
is good eats...

though after watching them work together you start to realise they are pretty advanced team workers

Great idea! And your right, they can be extremely territorial, especially when they have little ones with them. Not my favorite eating though, I personally find them a little fatty and greasy, but in sit X food is food right?
S&F

hadnt even thought of the benefits to ones lawn / garden ... a good point .

had forgot about geese till today when recieved 2 dozen as payment for setting a broken arm a couple weeks ago ..
remembered it as was figuring out where to keep them at here .. for now they will have to settle for sharing accomodations with the chickens ...

That is a great idea! I never thought of geese as guard animals. One question, though.....because they are territorial, will they remain on the property if not fenced in, or will they wander?

This is a good idea...except who has the time to train geese to be perimeter guards during an apocalyptic scenario?

guinea hens are pretty good too, they are real protective of their territory, they lay eggs and I think they eat good also.

Moose

reply to post by Expat888


Many many years ago, lived in Santa Cruz Ca. Had 2 Vietnamese Garden geese. Best watch beasts I've ever had. Kept the neighbors pit bulls terrorized, and out of my yard. Also no such thing as a person coming onto my property without a hell of a ruckus from Lucy and Goosey. Loud they are......

Plus goose eggs are huge compared to hens' eggs.

Great reminder for me. TY! I have a delivery of chicks and ducklings coming next week. I'm going to check to see if my supplier has goslings.

Des

Originally posted by AdaptationNation
This is a good idea...except who has the time to train geese to be perimeter guards during an apocalyptic scenario?

You don't really have to train them. They are extremely territorial....just feed them where you want them to guard.

Originally posted by FissionSurplus
That is a great idea! I never thought of geese as guard animals. One question, though.....because they are territorial, will they remain on the property if not fenced in, or will they wander?

Hi FS...I never kept mine fenced. They very quickly figured out that food was near the house, didn't wander at all.

Their poop is slick as snot, and a lot of it. Good for the garden though.

Des

Ha Ha, my daughter was 7 or so years old and we had a canadian land in the back yard, and she freaked, was beating down the back door, it was locked. She came in the front door pissed. Pretty funny at the time, she didn't think so, but she's 21 now, so no harm, no foul!!

reply to post by Destinyone

LOL @ terrorised pitbulls. They have geese here in Holland, wild ones, they just do what they want and indeed, nobody messes with them. Swans can break an arm but a goose will not back down when in groups or pairs. Traffic stops for them too. "We are crossing the road now, beware!" And I do beware as do most others. Well, people with sense anyway. If you leave them alone (while on foot) they are peaceful enough but if you get too close...run!

reply to post by MooseDroolUSMC1986


...no foul...

Ba Dum Tshh

Thank you. I will be here all week.

We rescued a baby Canadian once, it had gotten tangled in fishing line and it's momma had apparently given up on it and was long gone. After doctoring it's leg up and a little TLC, we had he most loyal and affectionate critter I've ever had the privelige of looking after. One of the neighbor's wandering dogs ended up getting ahold of it But the OP is right, they are incredible 'watch dogs', but not much help in the garden lol. I sure do miss 'Little Bill'.

Wouldn't they fly away though? We have a lot of Canadian geese here, and I assume if you did manage to have some, wouldnt they simply fly away? Or is there an easy way to clip their wings?

reply to post by Expat888


I was using ATS search function to look up "How to set up a perimeter?" and this thread was one of the top search results.

I am happy to draw this thread out from the dark depths of the ATS archive and bump it as it deserves a further gander at! [pun also intended ]

Geese are becoming more popular as part of a security system, they are very under rated by most accounts since dogs have filled the gap. Nice to see them making a come back.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

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I had a couple of geese once, but mine were not very territorial, they kept to themselves mostly. Everyone said they make good guard animals but I didnt find that with these ones. They were two males.

I grew up with my Dad having three Geese. Very nice, protective and tasty.

I lived on the Maine/New Hampshire/Canadian/Vermont cluster.

a reply to: Expat888

Absolutely.

My grandparents neighbors, when I was a kid, down the road had a flock of 'em. They'd set up a hoorah when anything untoward happened.

You could hear 'em for miles, literally.

Self maintaining. Mean, at least in my experience. ...and you can eat 'em if necessary.