Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
lege biology students and watched babies become extremely attached to the student who
adopted them for the week.
The more time you spend with them, the more they attach and even follow you. If you
leave them alone for long periods of time, they won't bond as tightly. As they grow up
and become adults, geese still want to follow you around the yard and be in your com-
pany any time they have the opportunity to do so. This is not true of all geese breeds;
the exception is the Egyptian goose, which never fully domesticates. Even the rather
obnoxious Chinese geese attach rapidly to people. Embden, Toulouse, American Buff,
Pilgrim, African, Shetland, and Roman Tufted all can make excellent pets.
Remember that a cute, soft, vulnerable gosling quickly grows into a 10- to 20-pound
(4.5-9 kg) bird with a large wingspan and a strong bill. When they become adults, male
geese in particular become very protective of their owners. This is true during any sea-
son of the year, but particularly true during the breeding season. Exercise care when
young children are present around pet geese and their owners; they will attack and pinch
perceived trespassers with their sharp, serrated bills. Geese also change temperament
during the breeding season, even when they're around their master, with whom they will
not be as docile. Male geese become very protective of their mates, and of their owner
if they have no mate, and act exceedingly aggressive.
If you spend time with newly hatched goslings — or even talk to them when they are
still eggs — they will be attached to you for the rest of their lives.
CHILDREN + PET GEESE = BAD IDEA
Geese have a distinctive, forceful pinch, and their bills are serrated and sharp, making
the experience of being “goosed” all the more memorable. A goose can seriously
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