---

The Duck page is pretty much the same info as for geese.  I'd only change a few things. 

Technical terms:  Gander/Hen for the adults, goslings for the babies, and a group of them is called a gaggle.

Goose eggs are about 3-4 times as large as chicken/duck eggs.  Most of the cheaper models of incubators can't accomodate for their size.  It is also recommended that a forced air unit be used.  Controlling the humidity is extremely important.  We have one of those huge cabinet type incubators.  We make sure the goose eggs are in the bottom tray.  On the floor we keep a pan of water with a large sponge in it to draw the water up for better circulation.  We also mist the eggs with a spray bottle twice a day when they are turned.  Incubation is 28-30 days.  If you are saving eggs to put them in all at once, just remember that eggs are fertile for only 10 days or so after being layed.  Store any hatching eggs in a cool basement and rotate a couple of times daily.  Washing them or putting them in the fridge compromises their fertility.

After the babies are hatched, I use wood shavings with a layer of paper towels over them for the first couple days.  That keeps them from eating the shavings.  Newspaper gets a little too slippery.  I try to get them out in the barn as soon as they are feathered out.  They get large quickly and can make a huge mess in no time.

Geese actually can be great parents if given the opportunity.  Most breeds (except chinese) will incubate their own eggs.  If they don't have problems with predators, they are great at raising their own brood.

Whereas a chicken's lifespan is 10-15 years, a goose can easily go 30-40 years.  I read that the oldest on record was supposedly 101 years old.  The smaller breeds (egyptians, chinese, etc) will generally tend to live longer and stuff like the exhibition toulouse will be on the bottom end.  Farm flocks tend to live longer because they generally aren't fed high protein feeds that induce protracted periods of egg production.  The hens lay best their first 1-2 years though.  I have noticed from personal experience that the older the hen, the bigger egg she will lay.  I've also had to have some sort of pool for them to mate in before I can get any fertility on the eggs.  Because it gets so cold up here, we used heated water buckets in winter.  We switch over to kiddie pools as soon as possible.

Geese make great guard animals.  They also seem to be fairly intelligent.  They do best when they can follow a set routine with a  familiar caretaker.  They are very sensitive to the presence of strangers (and animals) and other changes in their environment.  Geese tend to vary more from one individual to another in terms of personality traits than any other form of domestic poultry does. They are very social animals and will form relationships (a hierarchy) within a flock.  As for breed specifics, there is alot of variety.  Here is a great website that includes alot of pics:  Feathersite

Geese do make alot of noise.  If you have close neighbors, you might want to reconsider.  Some breeds are worse than other.  Chinese of both sexes are normally very talkative and get very noisy during breeding season.  The female egyptian calls almost non-stop during the breeding season.  The medium and larger breeds tend to be somewhat quieter.  The African has a distinct type of "honk" that can be heard quite a ways.