Geese - How do you house your geese?

[tnkinhunting]

I love my geese but at times I am totally annoyed with my setup and their attitude toward my instructions!

I keep them up at nite safe and secure but during the day I move them to a pen that is sorta like a chicken tractor - moveable for fresh grass each day with water and chick starter.....I want some idea's for a permanent setup where I don't have to move these rascals every day! Oh, they follow me everywhere I go, but now are refusing to enter their daytime pen - they want to stay out and chase the chickens and play in their pool all day. I am looking for something secure and permanent - please post some of your goose quarter's/houses/pens. Help!

 

[MissPrissy]

Mine have a goose house and a chainlink kennel for night. They graze my pasture during the day under the watchful eyes of my goats and sheep.

 

[tnkinhunting]

Do you keep a pool for them? It seems as if I am changing their water in their pen all the time. Do they have to swim? I have heard it said that geese do not require a pool - tho they love it!

 

[tnkinhunting]

MissPrissy, what kind of watering setup do you have for their nighttime pen? I have a large stainless steel thing that holds about 4 gallons of water and they get in it and it's filthy by morning and the same with their daytime pen. And when I let them out in the backyard, they can get in their pool and play submarines.....

 

[MissPrissy]

I have deep fortex buckets for water by their feed and they have 2 kiddie pools. They don't have to swim and they don't swim as much as ducks. The like a good dunk and to preen then nap nap in the sun. Mostly they need deep buckets to keep their nares clear.

 

[tnkinhunting]

Thanks, I will go the deep bucket way and stop the swimming in their nighttime pen - it's getting messy and also may give them the run of the backyard but I do worry about hawks.

 

[MissPrissy]

Geese and ducks are not like chickens. They are very active at night. A midnight swim is what they do. They don't have to have it but it is very normal activity for them -even in the dead of winter. LOL

 

[Sparrow]

You can see some pictures of my duck/goose nighthouse in the thread I just posted here called Portraits of my Chinese Geese. It is the blue structure in the background. It is made of 2x4s, 2x6s, metal roofing, and very small squared strong hardware cloth. The bottom is dirt covered with heavy cement pavers. I hook a tarp up across most of the front of the house to a little above their eye level, so they don't have to look at things going onoutside while they sleep. It also makes it easier for them when I walk away after closing them in. If they see me, they scream and honk and want to come with me. This way,they just go in and fall asleep. They seem to like their accomodations.

 

[tnkinhunting]

Thanks Sparrow, I like your Chinese geese and ducks! I also like your pen idea - I just need to re-think and redo some facets of my pens. I have to say, I do love my geese, they have such great personalities! I need to get them some toys also - I have a blow up kiddy pool and they are forever pulling the plugs out and deflating the pool!

 

[HENS-and-MARES]

Mine are in a old horse stall.