Geese won't stop honking!

[GardenerGal]

nanaluvsgps,
It's helpful to know that your geese are young. They probably aren't honking because of breeding season behaviors. My guess is that it's the rats.When I used to have to keep my geese outside at night, they would make a ruckus whenever a raccoon, opossum, fox or rat came by. Both females and males will be noisy for this reason. They are naturally alert to predators and other possible threats to them, their eggs and goslings. That is why they have different sleep habits than ours: they have to be able to be on the watch for danger at night in the dark, when they are most vulnerable (I think their night vision is far better than ours).

Rats can get in anywhere they can squeeze their head through, so it's very possible that they are scooting around in your geese's night quarters and setting off the "honk alarm."

 

[nanaluvsgps]

Thanks guys for all your helpfull information. Good news i have the cage rat proofed and have not heard any honking (except the occasional one every now an then)!!!!!!! I also put a bucket of water and a bucket of grain for druing the night!!!!!

 

[GardenerGal]

Yay!

 

[GardenerGal]

I just realized that you are in Australia, and it isn't breeding season there in the Southern Hemisphere! lol

 

[nanaluvsgps]

Bad news now they have started honking now but more toward early morning like 6am. Our neighbours have started complaing and I really don't want to give them away :'( but I will have to if they don't stop soon :'( because of our neighbours.

 

[wildpeas]

How close are your neighbors? Would it be possible to move the geese to a different part of your property? After reading your trouble it has made me worry a bit about my own geese when they go out into their house. Our nearest neighbors house is at least 200' away from the goose house but I dont know if that will be far enough from any noise they make in the night. Right now as goslings they are quiet at night so I am guessing as they age they will become noisier? My neighbors are really nice but they may not be if they are woken up early in the morning on a regular basis.

Good luck! I hope you are able to find a solution where you can keep your guys.

 

[GardenerGal]

Some thoughts. I am fortunate to have a small barn (20 feet by 12 feet) that is built into a slope, and the stall where my geese and ducks spend the night is below the soil grade. It not only is a great insulater against heat and cold, but muffles noise too. The foundation is concrete block and cement, the above ground structure is thick pine lumber. No one can hear my chickens or waterfowl when they are in the barn.

If you are on flat land, it's probably not feasible to have a partial earth-works structure, but what if you could get an insulated (but well ventilated) shed that muffles noise? If you can't build a shed from timber, maybe one of the resin-composite boards lined on the inside with gypsum board (we call it "sheet rock" in the USA) like used to make walls in a house. You could put in windows and vents for air and cooling. Shutters at night to muffle noise.

 

[nanaluvsgps]

Thanks for the advise. Theres only about 4 metres between the goose coop and our neighbours house, not much! I think they have goten the message now that they were too loud and they have settled a bit. OMG so strange I found an egg in my yard. We have 3 hens 1 female goose and one male goose, and we are pretty posotive two drakes... It was waxy and really smoothe. It had an greenish colour with really faint green blotches (not speckles) the top part is rounded not pointy like a chickens egg, its a different colour and I have no idea who laid it. it wasnt in a nest just in the middle of our yard. could it have been an ibis a wild duck soo soo strange. our ducks and geese are no older than 6 months and its... the season before wintr LOL dont know my seasons sorry. It was definately not our chickens. any ideas

 

[wildpeas]

Oh wow, 4 meters is really close. I'm glad they are quieting down, maybe its just the change in seasons?

As to your egg, I dont think geese lay green eggs(?) but I would think the size will give you an idea. Geese eggs are supposed to be substantially larger than ducks eggs, which in turn are larger than chickens eggs. Maybe you could post a picture?

 

[desertdarlene]

The egg sounds like a duck egg, perhaps a runner duck or maybe a mallard.