Enrichment ideas and tips for geese?

[Glendaroost]

Hi everyone, I was wondering if folk had any tried and tested boredom busters for geese? We are first time goose owners and have two 6 month old sebastopols that have access to an acre of grass and a 10 x 15m pond but they seem to enjoy spending most of their time up near the house, they don't really utilise the space. We do give them the odd treat such as a whole cabbge and watermelon but I was wondering what else we can set up to keep their brains active? Would a short chopped bale of straw be a good shout? Would need to be chicken safe too as we have a flock of lavender and silver laced bantam orpingtons. Any help hugely appreciated.

 

[Goosebaby]

I sometimes stuff lettuce and treats into a Hol-EE Roller, I also suspend some rollers and other dog toys from ropes tied to their fence which they sometimes like tinkering with.

No matter what you do you’re alsways going to be the most interesting thing to your geese so they’re going to continue spend most of their time up near the house waiting for you to come out.

 

[The goose girl]

At 6 months, your geese are still adolescents and less confident than mature geese, so hopefully some of their "houseboundness" will subside with time. I've found that my geese gradually expand their range, and they have their favorite spots where they feel most secure - the doorstep being the all time winner. Even in my relatively tiny yard (4000 square ft.) it took them months to explore all of it.

Every few months I will move their water bucket, their pool, or their feed to a different spot, both to spice things up and to get them to use another space. They'll be all like "OMG there's a bucket here - and it has water in it! How great is this?" But their favorite activity is to go for walks with me.

 

[IndigoSkies]

At 6 months, your geese are still adolescents and less confident than mature geese, so hopefully some of their "houseboundness" will subside with time. I've found that my geese gradually expand their range, and they have their favorite spots where they feel most secure - the doorstep being the all time winner. Even in my relatively tiny yard (4000 square ft.) it took them months to explore all of it.

Every few months I will move their water bucket, their pool, or their feed to a different spot, both to spice things up and to get them to use another space. They'll be all like "OMG there's a bucket here - and it has water in it! How great is this?" But their favorite activity is to go for walks with me.

What helped mine was getting another pair as adults. i think they feel safer. They seem to feel safest with me so if I go out in the field they do, but they have ventured out with our new pair of adult buff geese. I moved some water midrange between the house out 200 feet and now they go. They have water closer too, but you know how they are. All water is the best water

 

[telandra2]

I am goose sitting a pair of Africans and they play with my duck's baby toys, stuffies, and parrot toys which are in the nighttime coop. The goose hen also seems to enjoy duck friends. The geese follow the ducks away from the house, the ducks seem more confident to wander more out in the open with their goose guardians.

 

[Goosey Girl]

My Sebastopols like playing with empty water bottles (no caps), cut branches from any trees, a halloween candy bucket, cheap rubber dog toys that they try to drown in their water bucket.

Really anything crinkly or of unusual texture that they can't swallow. You can also tie some knots in a piece of rope and attach it somewhere for them to pull on. They'll tire of them eventually, but if you take them away for a week or so, its brand new to them again later!