Geese will not use any shelter

[K.Riggs]

Hi, my goose and gander worry me a bit they will not use shelter at all no matter what the weather. When they have access to the barn they wont go in. In their day pen they can get under the deck but wont go under. They have a big kennel with dry straw but the goose lays her eggs outside the door of the shelter and pulls the straw out to make a nest whuch then just gets wet when it rains. I can herd them into different pens easily but not into an enclosure without causing a lot of distress to them and a lot of carry on if i lock them up. They are easy to work with if i don't try to force them under cover, they came from a farm with hundreds of geese on large acerage where they didn't use shelters at all. If they are happy to stay out in it should i just not worry?

 

[K.Riggs]

I should add that we have had heavy frost and i have gone outside thinking surely they have sought shelter but nope they are sitting on the white grass with their bill tucked under their wing. Out in the open

 

[kayceb]

I don't have any geese myself but I'd imagine that for the most part if they don't mind, don't worry. Now say the frost gets too bad, then I'd say thats the one time you allow them to be uncomfortable being locked up for their wellbeing. As soon as it's conditions they can tolerate, free them.

 

[jtn42248]

They learned to be outside and you will need to retrain them to go inside. Try putting a favorite treat (mine love watermelon and romaine lettuce) inside a shelter. Leave them alone and let them learn that it is safe to go inside and they get a treat for doing so. Eventually they will go in willingly. Geese are actually pretty smart and learn easily. Just give it time.

We get some nasty ice and snow here in the winter and mine will go out in the morning just like it was a normal day and sit in the snow like little fools.

 

[K.Riggs]

They learned to be outside and you will need to retrain them to go inside. Try putting a favorite treat (mine love watermelon and romaine lettuce) inside a shelter. Leave them alone and let them learn that it is safe to go inside and they get a treat for doing so. Eventually they will go in willingly. Geese are actually pretty smart and learn easily. Just give it time.

We get some nasty ice and snow here in the winter and mine will go out in the morning just like it was a normal day and sit in the snow like little fools.

I will also need to train them to like treats, they were never fed anything. They actually have learned the morning routine very well. The hang around the gate to be let into the day pen at the same time each morning. They also are now eating wheat and expect it in the morning, i used it to train them to wait at the gate so i didn't have to go up the yard and herd them. Worked in three days. I will just persist, try to get them to go under the deck with wheat and put a door over it and sneak up and lock it behind them in bad weather. They will have to be out in it until i train them, but we just hit spring so i have nearly three seasons before the cold and frost comes again.

 

[K.Riggs]

Other than that i worry about a stray dog coming along one night. It would be the only predator i would be worried about here. I wish they would sleep in the barn so i didn't have to worry. I am thinking of putting electric tape around the top of their night pen on the outside to help stop that happening? It is a very large area though so i'm not sure i can afford it depending on the cost.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Predators are the biggest worry before weather. Herd them in and let them alone they will eventually get use to being in a secure pen much better than being eaten alive and you finding them that way some morning. The colder it gets more preds will be hungry since normal prey will be hiding under ground.

 

[K.Riggs]

Predators are the biggest worry before weather. Herd them in and let them alone they will eventually get use to being in a secure pen much better than being eaten alive and you finding them that way some morning. The colder it gets more preds will be hungry since normal prey will be hiding under ground.

The only predator we have is just if someones domestic dog jumps my fence. I have never seen a dog around here in the two years i have been here either. The hawks wont go near my geese, the havent even gone near my chickens since i got geese. I am going to put electric tape top and bottom on the outside of the geese fence. I am going to try to train them to get locked under my deck at night but right now they are so happy and quiet all night i wont do it if they protest and wake the kids and the neighbourhood.

 

[K.Riggs]

I should add i am in Tasmania, we don't have any of the predators you have in the States. We don't even have foxes unlike Mainland Australia.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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