What kind of housing??

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This has been extremely helpful, Darlingoo, can't wait to see your pics. Sorry about your problems with Bird Flu, I put off ordering more chickens a few years ago as it was going around Northern US at some turkey farms, but they did massive quarantines and (sadly) destroyed thousands of turkeys, but the effort worked and the flu did not spread down to the southern states. Bird flu is such a bummer.
On the lighter side, I am trying to figure out a routine for my anticipated waterfowl flocks, I think I will fence off a part of my center pasture and reserve it for them. Already has a run-in shed so closing it in for nesting and night security will be easy. Has a water source nearby. I notice all my animals really appreciate a schedule and they expect me to stick to it. If I'm running late (happens occasionally) they let me know. My lead mare even gets huffy about it.
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Glad to be of some help :)
Yeah bird flu is a bugger but what can you do at the end of the day apart from good bio security and hoping nothin happens.
I'm no expert but the set up you have sound ideal! Especially with a water source nearby
As promised here are the pics I havnt cleaned there shed out yet and in the middle of re designing the garden so excuse the mess

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Thanks for the pics
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Looks like you have a good amount of cut straw on the goose house floor (very comfy), are they nesting in there? Or just spending the night? How many in there? I recall from some of my time in UK that it's cold, windy, and damp in the winter. Very little snow. Do you have any issues with weather and goose health? Last night we got our first winter snow (late!) and my chickens want to stay in their hen house or on their porch. It's quite cold, I have to change their water 2xper day as it tends to freeze over.
 
LLee34 said:
Thanks for the pics
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Looks like you have a good amount of cut straw on the goose house floor (very comfy), are they nesting in there? Or just spending the night? How many in there? I recall from some of my time in UK that it's cold, windy, and damp in the winter. Very little snow. Do you have any issues with weather and goose health? Last night we got our first winter snow (late!) and my chickens want to stay in their hen house or on their porch. It's quite cold, I have to change their water 2xper day as it tends to freeze over.
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Heated water buckets and dog bowls TSC are awesome for winter no more hauling out water multiple times a day.
 
Yeah I never knew how much to put in so I just went for it :p but I have a good system going of taking out the wet stuff move the older straw forward and putting new straw at the back prob go through a small bale about a week and a half. Theres 8 of them and they just spend the night in there then I walk them to the fenced area during the day. it'll be interesting to see what happens when breeding season starts though.
Cold windy and damp in winter? Your discribing the summer haha geese are designed for the cold after reading a few stories on here about it being -15 and peoples geese are still happily bedded down in the snow or playing with some ice. My experience though, Touch wood as yet ive only had a bacteria problem with the gander at 7-8 weeks and some minor lameness issues that cleared up after using an Epson salt bath.
Yeah judging from miss Lydia's avatar photo that's one hefty bit of snow and as usual miss Lydia has some very sound advice :)
 
Yo! Miss Lydia, thanks for advice about water, I tried heated buckets with my small livestock and it did not work out well, heated dog dish also failed the test, not very well built. Got both from TSC. My big livestock water heaters are working really well and have lasted or years. Fortunately I made sure the chicken house is close enough that no matter how much snow we get, it's easy to fill up at the house and walk right over to the hen house with fresh, slightly warm water twice a day. We got 6 inches Friday/Sat, today what slightly melted yesterday is now slick ice, it's 6 degrees F this morning. I just love living in the mountains!

Darlingoo, I will be interested to hear where your geese decide to set up nesting spots this spring. I have only been in UK during fall and winter. I did get a lesson about how mean the swans can be when I was staying in Glastonbury. There's nothing worse than a swan in a bad mood.

I thought I had my goose fencing/play yard all figured out, then I remembered being warned by several on this forum about how protective and nasty the gander can be during nesting and gosling rearing. I'm gonna have to rethink my layout plan because I realized I had set myself up for being attacked every time I wanted to go into their yard refresh the water in their pond. So, back to the drawing board.
 
LLee34 said:
Yo! Miss Lydia, thanks for advice about water, I tried heated buckets with my small livestock and it did not work out well, heated dog dish also failed the test, not very well built. Got both from TSC. My big livestock water heaters are working really well and have lasted or years. Fortunately I made sure the chicken house is close enough that no matter how much snow we get, it's easy to fill up at the house and walk right over to the hen house with fresh, slightly warm water twice a day. We got 6 inches Friday/Sat, today what slightly melted yesterday is now slick ice, it's 6 degrees F this morning. I just love living in the mountains!

Darlingoo, I will be interested to hear where your geese decide to set up nesting spots this spring. I have only been in UK during fall and winter. I did get a lesson about how mean the swans can be when I was staying in Glastonbury. There's nothing worse than a swan in a bad mood.

I thought I had my goose fencing/play yard all figured out, then I remembered being warned by several on this forum about how protective and nasty the gander can be during nesting and gosling rearing. I'm gonna have to rethink my layout plan because I realized I had set myself up for being attacked every time I wanted to go into their yard refresh the water in their pond. So, back to the drawing board.
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@LLee34 we have same temps with 7" of snow and live in the mts. lol

You have to train your ganders to respect you. You don't want to avoid them just be mindful of their temperaments when breeding nesting and rearing gets under way.Take a long pole with you when you go out with them that way you can stop them in their tracks when they start towards you. I have never had to hit my gander I just put it between us but I have pushed him away with the broom though. What they are doing is natural but they need to learn we are not a threat.

I am sorry your buckets didn't work out I have a couple that are 5 yrs old and still working.
 

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