So you’ve decided you want to get a goose for a pet but don’t know which breed to go with? Here I’ll go over some of the basic breeds and what qualities you may or may not want in your pet.

Things To Consider

Time: If you’re getting a goose as a pet, then you’ll want to put make sure you have time to bond with them properly. This is best done as a gosling so they can imprint on you. Though babies are definitely more time consuming and needy for your attention.

Space: Though a goose doesn’t technically need that much space, the more space the better. This will help with poop and smell and make for a happier pet. As geese are mainly built to eat grass almost exclusively, it’s best to have a large grassy area for them to graze on for several hours out of the day. A kiddie pool at a minimum is also a must for proper hygiene. Geese get pretty scroungy looking if they are not able to groom properly.

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Weight: The heavier the bird, the more feed will be needed to keep them in good condition. More feed means more poop, not that there is any relief on that end, geese are pooping machines. If you’re going to be picking your goose up a lot, you may want a lighter bird vs a heavier one.

Size: Similar to weight, the size of your bird is going to determine how large of a diaper or crate you’ll need. Size can influence lifespan too. The larger the bird, the shorter their lifespan will be though geese in general are going to have similar lifespans of roughly 20-25 years with the world record at about 50 years.

Temperament: This will be a big one for most people. No one wants an aggressive/noisy pet. Some breeds are more prone to being noisy or aggressive than others but, it’s not black and white. You can get a generally calm breed and get an aggressive bird or visa versa. Each bird will have it’s own unique personality, you’ll want to be prepared to deal with a bird that doesn’t turn out quite like you were hoping.

Quick Breed Overviews

Toulouse: Heavy bird, hardy, calm/quiet

Embdem: Heavy bird, hardy, noisy/friendly

Pomeranian: Heavy bird, hardy, docile/noisy

African: Heavy bird, Hardy though knob is prone to frost bite, Noisy

Buff: Medium sized bird, hardy, very calm/docile

Sebastopol: Medium sized bird, not very cold hardy due to unusual plumage, social/calm/quiet

Pilgrim: Medium sized bird, very hardy, calm/docile

Roman: Light bird, hardy, friendly/calm

Chinese: Light bird, very hardy, noisy

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So Which Breed Is Best?

Overall, any of them can be a good pet. You can try to pick a breed with desirable qualities, but it’s temperament will ultimately depend on the individual bird and the time and training you put in. I personally chose the Toulouse breed for their calm, friendly, and quite demeanor. And though Vinny was a good bird, he still had aggressive tendencies towards other people which, with a male, is to be expected. And he loved to talk which meant he had noisy tendencies. He loved to honk at everything whether it be to greet me, whenever cars would drive past the property, when it was feeding time, and sometimes he’d just honk for seemingly no reason, which at 4-5:00 in the morning wasn’t appreciated. But you got to love them anyways, quirks and all.

You may also be interested in my other post . . . “Guide To Raising A Pet Goose & What You Need To Know“

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*Photos From Pixabay: Buff, Embdem, Pomeranian, Chinese, African, Chinese, Sebastopol, Pilgrim, Roman