Geese??

[Rusty Hills Farm]

We live in rural Alabama on over 12 acres. About 6 acres are cleared and the rest is overgrown timberland. Hardly a day goes by that I do not find fox tracks around my chicken yard. It is double-fenced plus has a poultry-net roof, so at least so far I haven't lost any chickens. I would dearly love to have a trio of American Buff geese, but I'm very certain the only way I'd keep them alive here is in a pen.

What kind of a pen--what size, what facilities--would I need to keep them happy? Yeah, I want more for them than just alive. If I cannot give them a good place to live, I will forget about geese. But since I've never had geese, I have no idea what they need to be content as well as safe family pets. No, I don't really want any goose dinners--just some happy, honking friends

Any input will be a great help!

Thanks.

 

[snowydiamonds]

I have a small barn for mine as they are territorial w/chickens and the goslings. I'll winter six and have a small pond which I mean to build bigger opnce done w/chicken coops and pens.

I used chain link fence panels so can reconfigure easily and still need to cut the pop doors a bit bigger as they fit standard chickens easily so geese squeeze thru.

I placed sand down for ease in raking up, barn is filled w/straw for bedding. Mine know my truck and honk and run for the gate when they hear but cannot yet see the vehicle LOL.

They're a bit messier than chickens but I LOVE them and everyone in town drives by to see them, all ages of people. At first my son who owns the property kept asking; "Do you know that person or those people?" LOL!