Geese will not use any shelter

[K.Riggs]

Well I'll be no predators but Dogs. Amazing. Dogs can be #1 predator for water fowl so don't let your guard down.

Yes i will get that electric tape on the fence this week. I hate her laying where she does, when it rains it floods her nest. I might get a large duck type house and see if i can herd them in at night, she will still lay in a puddle i bet
They are much better at herding now than when i got them.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Time and lots of patient training. It took my old goose about a year before she would lay in her house. I always had to herd them into the barn. Once in they settled quickly enough into a decent routine. As soon as they were back in their outdoor space they went back to being ornery geese.

I had a very very good dog that would help me gently move them to the barn in bad weather. As soon as as duck or goose would plop down in the snow she would give them a strong lift under their butts to get them moving again.
I miss both the dog and the geese. It has been many years since I had them but I remember it always being a bit of a chore to move them.

 

[buggymuffin]

Mine don't really seek shelter most of the time either. We lock them up in a 13x13 pen at night for security and they have a lean to style shelter if they want it, but they rarely use it, even when it is snowing. They do have a dog house for nesting that my goose uses, but most of the time they just stand in the rain.

 

[wamtazlady]

My geese also refuse to go inside no matter the weather. When it was -22 F (-30 c) they still spent the night outside curled up in the snow. The goose did lay her eggs in the shelter and am hoping she will use it this winter as she is used to it now. However, I have never seen the gander get near the shelter. They are surrounded by electric poultry netting that so far is keeping the 4 legged predators away.

The shelter is a 4 foot deep by 8 foot long by 4 foot tall straw bale shelter with the long side that is away from the wind open. The raised floor is covered with straw.

 

[K.Riggs]

My geese also refuse to go inside no matter the weather. When it was -22 F (-30 c) they still spent the night outside curled up in the snow. The goose did lay her eggs in the shelter and am hoping she will use it this winter as she is used to it now. However, I have never seen the gander get near the shelter. They are surrounded by electric poultry netting that so far is keeping the 4 legged predators away.

The shelter is a 4 foot deep by 8 foot long by 4 foot tall straw bale shelter with the long side that is away from the wind open. The raised floor is covered with straw.

Thanks very much. Very informative. Straw bale shelter might be the way to go with a raised palette floor.