Geese suddenly refusing to go in at night

[MichaelN]

Hello,
I would be so pleased for any help. My Embden's, mum, dad & 3 goslings (which are almost as big as parents now) were given to me about 6 weeks ago, maybe 8, and I was also given a good supply of straw.
The geese have settled in fantastically and have got to know us and endure our company, have been very good at going to bed each night, of course with a little prompting, but no problems, all calm and gentle, very civilised.
I have kept their house nice and clean but 2 days ago I had run out of the straw which was given to me from their farm.
My neighbouring farmer has given me some straw and I did my usual clean out, wash down, dry and then put in the new straw.
That night, the geese did not appear to want to go to bed, they usually go in themselves around 22:30hrs when it starts getting dark.
They would not even go in when my partner went out to "herd" them in - normally they would go in straight away and wait for the door to be closed, but they just evaded the entrance all the time. Even when I went out to help, with 2 of us it was still hopeless, they just would not go in. Not wanting to panic or stress them, we left them for 20 mins and then tried again before it got too dark - no success. In the end they retreated onto the stream which runs behind their house and out of our reach, so our only course of action was to leave them, regretfully. Our only predators in West Cork are foxes and I do believe that Binda (the male) would give a fox a good beating.
Anyway, they were all ok this morning, happily munching away at the hen's food from the treadle feeder!

Does anyone have any idea why they did this, was it because the straw was "unfamiliar?" and will they refuse again tonight?
I cannot force them to go in at night and I don't want to pressure or stress/scare them, so if they suddenly decide that all the hours of work I did on making their house is not good enough, what can I do??

Thanks to anyone who can help
Mike

Picture below is about 3 weeks old, the "babies" are almost as big as mum and dad.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Geese don't like change, it takes a few days for them to accept it. The best thing to do is use a fence panel and push/herd them into the house. A goose/gander are no match for a fox who will gladly make a meal of them.

They may protest, but once inside they will settle down.

 

[myfinefeatheredfriends]

I had the same problems with my geese so I placed them with a group of chickens. Chickens always go inside to roost at night and if the geese get along well with them, they may think of them simply as flock mates and not another specie and will follow them inside.

 

[MichaelN]

Thank you for your input.
I think we became a little complacent because initially, the geese, much like the hens, went inside on their own accord towards dusk. Then they started to stay out longer, but were easily herded home.
My guess is that as our "evenings" are starting to draw in, (it used to get dark around 11pm but now it is pretty much dark at 10pm) and because the geese were used to being directed home, we have all left it too late, and now the goose house looks like a black hole to them. We actually decided to put them to bed at 8.30pm for the past 2 nights, when it is still daylight, and they have all gone inside without any problems, apart from a few disgruntled "oinks" and hisses!

So I wonder if it was actually the lack of desire to go into a black hole that put the geese off.

Keep fingers crossed for continuing easy "home runs"!
Mike

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Congrats Mike! You can always get a solar light for inside as the days grow shorter.

 

[MichaelN]

Hey, now that is a grand idea! As I made their house longer than it is wider, it does appear to be gloomy inside when dusk starts coming in.

Thank you.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Welcome, I know our ducks and chickens go in easier when the light is on. The geese tend to head to their houses while we herd the ducks.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i notice if i don't get my geese in at dusk, they hesitate going in if it gets too dark. They seem afraid. i also put their feed in with them for several hours after i put them to bed. They get feed in the morning, then i take it up, then put it down in their pen when i want them to go to bed. Knowing they have pans of food in their sleeping coop, they are generally lined up and chomping at the bit to get in.