Canadian geese are a common sight across much of Canada and the northern United States. These large, migratory birds flock together in parks, golf courses, fields, and bodies of water. Their distinctive honking call is a familiar sound during their spring and fall migrations. Despite their prevalence, many people do not know how much it costs to actually purchase a Canadian goose. This article will provide an overview of the costs associated with buying, raising, and keeping domesticated Canadian geese.
Purchasing Canadian Geese
For those interested in owning domesticated Canadian geese, whether as pets, for egg laying, as “watchdogs” or lawn trimmers, or for use on a farm, the first step is purchasing the birds. Prices can vary greatly depending on factors like age, lineage, color morph, and location. Here are some general guidelines on what to expect:
Gosling Prices
Newly hatched Canadian goslings typically cost $25-$60 each from private breeders or farms. Commercial waterfowl hatcheries may charge $10-$20 per gosling. Prices are lowest for standard gray morph goslings. Rarer color variants like white or piebald can cost up to $150 each as goslings.
Juvenile Prices
Older birds are more expensive than goslings. A 4-6 month old goose typically costs $50-$150. Show quality or rare color morphs can range from $200-$500 each.
Adult Breeder Prices
Mature adult breeder geese that are proven egg layers or good parents run $200-$350 on average. Award-winning show birds or rare breeds can cost $500-$1,000+ per bird.
Pickup vs. Shipping
Prices above are usually for picking the birds up directly from the breeder/seller. Having geese shipped will incur added shipping fees.
Quantity Discounts
Buying multiple geese at once generally comes with price discounts per bird. It’s less expensive per goose to buy 6 at once rather than 1 or 2.
Cost of Proper Housing
Once purchased, Canadian geese require proper housing and space. For a small backyard flock of 2-6 geese, housing costs include:
– Shelter: $300+ for a basic goose house or shed with nest boxes. Up to $2,000+ for a custom designed luxury goose house.
– Fenced enclosure: $500+ for fencing materials and stakes to fence off an area of the yard. Additional costs if excavating a pond area.
– Bedding: $50+ per year for straw, wood shavings, etc. to line the shelter floor.
– Nest boxes: $50+ per box. Each goose needs its own box.
For larger flocks, costs scale up accordingly and farmers may invest in group housing like a pole barn versus individual goose houses. Either way, adequate space is key when figuring your start-up housing costs.
Yearly Care and Feeding
Along with appropriate housing, Canadian geese require proper care and an optimal diet to thrive. Here are the estimated costs:
Food
$50-100 per year, per goose, for a balanced diet. This includes:
– Pellets: $15-$20 for a 40 lb bag of waterfowl feed.
– Grass/greenery: Access to fresh pasture.
– Vegetables: Around $5 per month per bird.
– Grit: $10 per year for oyster shell grit or insoluble granite grit to help digestion.
Annual Veterinary Costs
$75-150 per bird annual costs including:
– Vaccines: $15-25 per vaccine.
– Check-ups: $50 average annual check-up fee.
– Unexpected illnesses: $100+ emergency vet fees possible.
Flock Management
$50-100 per bird annual cost for:
– Cleaning supplies
– Nesting materials
– Possible backyard pond maintenance
– Time cleaning the enclosure
Egg Incubation
For breeding flocks, $75+ for an incubator plus electricity costs if incubating eggs.
Permitting Requirements
Check your local laws! Many areas require waterfowl hunting permits, agricultural zoning permits or licenses for selling eggs, etc. These can cost $25-$150+ depending on your area.
Total Cost Breakdown
Let’s look at two examples of total costs:
Small Backyard Flock
For a small flock of 4 geese kept as pets in a suburban backyard:
– Goslings: 4 at $50 each = $200
– Basic Goose House: $500
– Fencing: $250
– Annual Food: $200
– Annual Veterinary: $300
– Annual Supplies: $200
Total startup cost = $950
Total ongoing annual cost = $700
Large Farm Flock
For a larger commercial flock of 25 kept on a farm for egg production:
– Goslings: 25 at $20 each = $500
– Pole Barn Housing: $2,000
– Fencing: $1,000
– Annual Food: $1,500 ($60 each)
– Annual Vet: $2,500 ($100 each)
– Annual Supplies: $1,250 ($50 each)
– Egg Incubator: $200
Total startup cost = $3,700
Total ongoing annual cost = $5,450
As you can see, the number of birds greatly impacts overall costs due to the per-goose expenses. Both scenarios still represent significant financial investments that prospective owners should seriously consider before getting Canadian geese.
Ways to Save Money
Here are some tips for reducing costs with your Canadian geese:
– Buy in bulk when possible – goslings and feed are cheaper in larger quantities.
– Construct basic goose housing yourself rather than buying expensive setups.
– Allow geese to free-range grass instead of purchasing veggies.
– Band together with other local goose owners to buy supplies in bulk.
– Wait to purchase until spring when gosling and feed prices drop.
– Only get the minimum number of birds you can properly care for.
– Use your flock for selling eggs, meat, or offspring to recoup costs over time.
Is It Worth the Price?
Canadian geese can make fantastic backyard pets or profitable farm birds, but they are a big investment when you tally up housing, feeding, vet and supply costs. For homeowners simply wanting a few geese as pets, be prepared to spend $1,000 or more per year between upfront and ongoing costs depending on your flock size.
For farmers interested in goose breeding and egg/meat production, yearly expenses can be recovered through the sale of offspring, meat and eggs IF done at an adequately large scale. Individual expenses per goose are still significant.
As with any pet or livestock, prospective owners should be fully committed and educated before taking on geese to make sure they can cover the costs long-term. With good housing, nutrition and care though, Canadian geese can be a truly enjoyable and rewarding species to keep for years.
Conclusion
Canadian geese are a uniquely charismatic, beautiful and intelligent bird species. But their allure comes at a substantial price when it comes to properly caring for domesticated flocks. From expensive housing setups, to quality feed, healthcare and supplies, goose owners must be prepared for high startup and ongoing costs.
For the right owner willing to invest financially and provide attentive daily care however, the experience of raising Canadian geese can certainly outweigh the costs. As with any pet, remember to put the birds’ wellbeing first rather than your own desires. If you can provide everything needed to let your geese thrive, their natural behaviors and personalities will reward you many times over. Just be sure to do your homework on the full costs involved first!
