I have been working on a project.

I have been trying to see how to best set up a nest box? I have been playing with designs courtesy of watching how the geese build nests around the yard. the one that is my prolific builder has a knack for digging a ditch in a circle and then getting a bunch of leaves to bury herself in.

1. screen on the bottom of the boxes. she dug to it and it left the bottom open to be dry and cold

2. plywood. wet sloppy and poo everywhere.

3. nothing.. but the slatted floor. seemed alright at first. as I found the bird would climb on the eggs and the edges of the slats were breaking the eggs I think?

4.large dog bowl/plant bowl/ its about 16" around. all the eggs would barely fit. she was knocking eggs out trying to turn them.

5. as of now I have a saucer sled (flexible flyer) in the box. it has a layer of potting soil in the bottom so I know its clean. and a few leaves to toss around to keep her busy. plus the shape lets the eggs move around without falling out the sled and they roll back to the group in the center for the most part.
so we'll see. I have 14 left that haven't been crushed or lost.

if anyone has any suggestions I am open to anything that might get one of these girls to settle down and sit.

Whiskey barrels with a notch cut out and hay or straw piled inside. Our Sebastopols love them.

Here is one my DH built for our sebastopol. When I was a teen, I used whiskey barrels for the geese, turkeys and peacocks. They were great.

I JUST USE SMALL PLASTIC DOG HOUSES THEY SEEM TO LIKE IT.

I guess I didn't explain these all go in at night. I would love to leave them out but we have to many predators. coyote are very prevalent at night here.
my hut is 6' x 8' and broken into 3 spaces right now. each space has a box. the pairs of bird go in them together at night. last night two of the girls went in a box section together. I dunno who will set so its worth a shot.
I have been looking at the prospects of a secure outside run, buts it future plans at this point.

Yetti ours are never left outside over night either. The barrels work in their houses just fine. It's funny to look I. And see the girls all snuggled up in the barrels.

I love the barrel idea, and the little yard hut. Mine are making do with an old chicken coop and a dog house this year . . . next year though maybe we can give them more choices . . .

I agree about the dogs and coyotes. Without my electric netting, I'd not have a bird left, especially the geese and ducks since they sleep on the ground.

well I saw the barrel halves at TSC. maybe I will try and get some for next year at this point. its a little late for a big change

I have a goose that lays her eggs in a dog house type coop. She shares with a broody bantam hen. In this picture Daffy (goose) is pouting because she is sitting on the chicken eggs because the broody bantam chicken decided that she wanted to sit on the goose eggs. After Daffy laid her egg I went in there and pulled the broody off the goose eggs and put her back on the chicken eggs. Yes, I did take the goose egg out of the chicken eggs and put it with the other goose eggs. Oh, I also put a lot of pine shavings then add hay on top of that. Makes it nice and cushy.




I also built a dog house style coop for my American Buff. It's taken me about 3 tries to get her to sit in it and lay her eggs. I think I managed to convince her today. I would take her egg put it in the box and put the goose in as well so she could see her egg in there. She went to lay her egg in the woods today but I got her before she laid the egg. As far as I can tell she laid her egg in the coop. She has 4 in there now which is good. This is the coop I made for her. It now has wheels on it so I can move it around. Both coops have doors so I can lock them in at night otherwise preditors could get them. I still have to drill vent holes on the pink house.



I think the goose will sit wherever she feels safe. You can keep moving the goose like I have to keep her and her eggs safe from preditors. Lucky for me my geese are ok with this.