Customer Stories and Helpful Advice About Ducks & Geese

My son showed his birds in the 4H category at our county fair the last 2 years, and showed geese in the junior class of one local poultry show. Our birds did fine at the fair; getting them there and caged is quite a process (last year we brought 23!!) but once they are settled they didn't seem to mind the people or the other birds. They did let us move one lone goose in with another pair of ours one year because she was upset at being alone. The inspection for waterfowl was pretty minimal because they are much less likely to have mites or lice than the chickens. My son used his first goose, an Embden male, for his showmanship competition -- the kids have to demonstrate knowledge of the parts of the bird, keep the bird on its spot on the table, and answer questions about the specific breed they are showing. Most kids choose bantam chickens for ease of handling - so the goose was quite a contrast! The showmanship part is just in 4H, as far as I know. Anyway, the fair was a lot of work -- we had to have the cages cleaned every morning by 9am, and had to go at least twice a day to make sure they had food and water -- but it's really fun. It's a great way to get acquainted with other bird people and make contacts for purchasing or selling birds in the future. I ended up buying 5 Jersey giants from our barn superintendant, and we sold most of our muscovy babies and 2 of our 4 goslings. I love the fair!!!