Is that a REALLY big chicken?
- Laura Wayte
- Jul 18
- 2 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
No, it's a Guardian Goose!
Raising chickens is always fraught with risk. Chickens are prey animals and because they don't fly and are contained in large groups they are relatively easy pickings from the perspective of a hunter.
We recently were reminded of the array of predators in the area when a bobcat was
photographed on the farm. On our Instagram post, one of our neighbors chimed in that they see a lot of foxes lately. Over the years the farm has seen coyote, eagles, kestrels, black bear and cougar in addition to the bobcats.
So farmers need to be proactive in protecting the animals. Traditionally, we use our beautiful guardian dogs to watch over the chicken flocks at Deck. Now we're trying something new: guardian geese.
"They are doing their job! Standing their ground and making a difference," said poultry manager Ikaika Johnson. "There has been no predation with that flock ever since we put them out with the hens, so that's promising!"
Keeping a couple of geese with chickens is a technique which puts a more assertive and territorial species in the mix for a predator to encounter. They are large, vocal and have threatening-looking postures, which is not expected from the chickens.
"The theory is that they are big and loud and will give the predator a moment's pause, causing him to decide against attacking the flock. So far it's working!" said Ikaika.
The idea came from our student farmers who have overseen the project. They ordered four African goslings and raised them with a new flock of hens. Three of them made it through to adulthood and they are now out on the pasture with the hens. As you can see, they make a bit of noise when disturbed, but they aren't aggressive toward the cameraperson:
The geese, Gus, Frances and Jemima (one male and two female), were raised with the chickens to create a bond and inspire them to be protective. We provide them with a bathtub in the field so they can bathe and drink to their heart's content. They spend the days grazing on the grass alongside the hens.
"They are still growing, but they've already started to do their job and can be heard honking at unfamiliar people sometimes," said Kara Spell.
