Whilst it is possible to have one gander to many geese in a flock, the chances of getting a high percentage of fertile eggs from all of the geese are low. The average gander can cope with up to four geese but a lot depends on the size, strain and age of the gander as well as how active he is.
For heavyweight breeds such as the Toulouse or Embden Goose, two to three geese is better. Light weight breeds such as the Chinese can manage as many as five or six geese if the gander is active.
Matings during the first year are not always fertile. First year ganders mate less than older ganders and using an older gander with first year geese can help. If you decide to flock mate your geese with more than one gander, they may fight from time to time but shouldn’t cause too much damage providing they are a good match for one another in size. Geese prefer to mate on water so it is a good idea to give them some water to swim on. Fertility in heavier breeds is usually better in this way and the eggs are kept clean if the goose is clean from bathing.
