Getting geese in at night?

[AGeese]

I’ve been having a lot of trouble with this. it was easy when they were younger but now that they’re about 20lbs it’s nearly impossible. They love me and follow me everywhere but when it comes to being corraled or picked up they just won’t have it. The last few nights they’ve just slept outside because I couldn’t get them in. I check on them a lot but I definitely want them in at night. I’ve tried their normal coop (elevated 1’) and a large dog crate on the ground but neither works, they freak out and hurt themselves as I catch them and by the time I’ve gotten the next one they’ve all gotten out again. Does anyone have advice for this? thanks

Need pictures. My geese tend to avoid openings they have to duck for. And when it's time for bed I've got a long bamboo trunk I hold behind my back and direct them with carefully or they pitch a fit.

 

[froggyphore]

Thanks for the great replies everyone. They’re in my front yard which is like... 300-400sqft? and has a 7’ wood fence thats smooth side out with a 2’ chicken wire overhang escape guard on the inside. I also have my cats out there full time. (reason for the escape guard) never seen anything get in but still want to be as safe as possible of course.

They’re right outside my bedroom so I can hear them. Theres an outdoor light by their coop but they prefer the light from the kitchen window, they sleep against the bush underneath it. They’re able to see pretty well from it afaik, they intermittently sleep by the window and go back to doing goose stuff all over the yard like it’s day time.

I have 3, 7 weeks old and nearly fully feathered on the body, I’ve had them outside for over a month at this point and was able to get them in fine until 2 weeks ago. Since then they seem to have had enough and they’re too tough to pick up now.

I’ve had my father try a number of times and he had no success, haven’t tried it together yet though. The “baby coop” isn’t terribly small but perhaps it is a space issue, I might just try to finish their adult coop soon and see if they prefer that.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

The only goose I ever had was a rescue, came with some Indian Runner ducks. They'd already been trained to the coop. Last to bed at night, of course, but I just tapped my rattly stick on the ground to herd them, and repeated "Go to Bed! Go to Bed!" and in they'd go.

What I used with my Cornish X chicks (who never wanted to get their fat butts off the ground to move to the coop) was a couple of flattened cardboard boxes. I made a chute, or funnel, on either side of the ramp. Then a third flat box I held in front of me to herd them toward the ramp, shifting it right or left as needed to encourage the right direction to go.

You might try making a small pen around their coop, and get them used to getting a treat while inside the pen. Rattle a butter tub or coffee can, or call to them with a specific sound/call when it's treat time. When they're used to that, then like another suggested, tossing treats into the coop might work.