Sexing Graylags!!!!

Eddie B

This season, as well as rearing pheasants and mallard, our club bought 6 young graylag geese! there wings were already cliped when we bought them and we have them in a pond which is enclosed 2 keep unwated visiters from getting in! We were hoping 2 use these birds 4 breeding purposes next year by collecting and incubating their eggs! We want 2 b sure we have 3 breeding pair! the problem is, we don`t know how 2 distinguish a goose from a gander! Has anyone any experiance in this field? Any help would b much apreciated!

4gun

Try the Crocodile Dundee way ...put yer hand between it's legs....:D
if it slaps you it's a goose
if it kicks the crap out of you it'a gander
if it smiles a you....

J. Ramone

Careful they don't do the same to you emu style!

Eddie B

4gun wrote: »

Try the Crocodile Dundee way ...put yer hand between it's legs....:D

I don`t mind touchin my own, but i aint touchin no goose P****!!!!!

kowloon

Would you vent them the same as you would chicks/ducklings?
I think it's an acquired, and messy skilly.

EPointer=Birdss

Just hatch out a load of em & let em pair off... The excess can be fattened up for the table then...
Be sure to mix the breeds though.

How do you intend on shooting them? (pressume thats the purpose) It would be hard to keep them locally as they are grazers. Could put out barley or something but they will make up their own mind....

Eddie B

Ye true, its gonna b hard 2 keep them in the area! thats why were gonna do it small scale just 2 c how we get on! Living in the midlands, 2 even c a goose is a very rare thing let alone get a shot at 1! so if we get any return at all we`ll b happy! id imagin they`d b easy to bring on like mallard, hard as nails!

mallards

Where did you get the goslings Eddie if you don't mind me askin, I fancied releasing a few myself but had enough on my plate releasing some wild turkeys this year. I would fancy giving it a go next year. What sort of set up did you use and have you any pics?

Cheers,

Mallards

4gun

mallards wrote: »

Where did you get the goslings Eddie if you don't mind me askin, I fancied releasing a few myself but had enough on my plate releasing some wild turkeys this year. I would fancy giving it a go next year. What sort of set up did you use and have you any pics?

Cheers,

Mallards

the turkeys you released were they different from your ordinary domestic turkey or genuine wild turkeys ...
In the run up to Christmas I ahd been thinking about this very thing for some time in the future, there are hundreds of acres of forrestry (some broadleaf )around me with feck all in them... thought is might be perfect for a few turkeys

mallards

4gun they were wild turkeys. Eastern strain, They are a lot narrower than a domestic turkey and of course can fly well.


Mallards

4gun

thats another question are you allowed to release not native species of birds, the greylag wouldn't be a problem as they are "native" visitors bet the only place you'll find turkeys in Ireland is in the Dail:D (apart from a turky farm)
where else could you get them would breeders have them,

mallards

The wild turkey in Ireland isn't recognized as such. Turkeys are classed as farm birds so effectively what I have is free range turkeys, very very free range.:D
I hatched them from eggs of ebay, but I made sure first I was getting the real deal!

Mallards

welsummer

>the problem is, we don`t know how 2 distinguish a goose from a gander! Has anyone any experiance in this field? Any help would b much apreciated![/quote]
the gander nearly always stands a lot prouder than the goose and had a thicker neck. Stand quietly and watch them . the goose tend to have more of a curve to the base of the neck where it joins the body.
If you are not fully satified then catch the bird and hold it upside down between you legs. bend back the tail and expose the vent. wet you finger and rub the exposed vent and you should get a reaction if it a gander .
PS..wash your finger before you move on to the next goose and stick it back in you mouth again.

kowloon

welsummer wrote: »

>the problem is, we don`t know how 2 distinguish a goose from a gander! Has anyone any experiance in this field? Any help would b much apreciated!

the gander nearly always stands a lot prouder than the goose and had a thicker neck. Stand quietly and watch them . the goose tend to have more of a curve to the base of the neck where it joins the body.
If you are not fully satified then catch the bird and hold it upside down between you legs. bend back the tail and expose the vent. wet you finger and rub the exposed vent and you should get a reaction if it a gander .
PS..wash your finger before you move on to the next goose and stick it back in you mouth again.[/QUOTE]

Aww man, I did not sign up for goose rape .

Eddie B

mallards wrote: »

Where did you get the goslings Eddie if you don't mind me askin, I fancied releasing a few myself but had enough on my plate releasing some wild turkeys this year. I would fancy giving it a go next year. What sort of set up did you use and have you any pics?

Cheers,

Mallards

A friend brought them over from wales! he`s in2 collecting rare breeds! Was a lot of hastle realy, quarantine and the lot! don`t think i`d go down that road again! I know they can b got here, have a name and number wrote down somewhere! I`ll let ya know as soon as i locate it! Were just using 1 of our manmade ponds which we dug out. Its small enough with 2 islands in the middle, we usually rear mallard on it! 4 the geese, we had 2 put up a wire fence the whole way around, leaving some room 4 them 2 graze! have the mink traps down the whole time just incase! throw in a bit of rolled barley every other day! i`ll take a few photo`s soon and c what u think!

greylag

i bought 4 greylags this year from wallslough game farm in kilkenny. 2 pair. they wont breed until they are 3 years old and may only rear 2 goslings. i have them on a pond which is surrounded by netted wire and has mallard on it. found one of them dead on it the other day unfortunatly. dont know what happened. the other 3 are fine and seem to be doing well on the pond. dont know whether they are male of female.

4gun

mallards wrote: »

4gun they were wild turkeys. Eastern strain, They are a lot narrower than a domestic turkey and of course can fly well.


Mallards

Mallards
I know some guys who would be very interested if you were willing to sell some of the chicks or eggs some of us wouls love to release some down our way
what do you think

mallards

I would love to but I only got six birds in total. Three of those are hens. They have 1500 acres to wander around. Between what the foxes might get and I might get, , between now and the spring, I may have only a hen or two left. Then I would have to find their nest as they are as wild as the hills!
Your best bet is to look up ebay in the spring. The suppliers name is genofact, and if one or two of your lads has an incubator or a broody you will have wild turkey for next Christmas dinner.
Good Luck.

Mallards

4gun

mallards
do you know the website for them I have searched "genofact" and I'm not getting anything significant in the returns found a few US places but they don't ship overseas

mallards

Sorry 4gun he only sells the eggs when they are laying from March to July I think. You would have to wait until next season Im afraid.


Mallards

welsummer

i was boating down the liffy today in the middle of dublin citywhen i spotted a greylag . i thought it might of been a farm goose but when i got close to it it took off and flew furter on up river