Goose Housing Questions

[3xhhheather]

So I'm definitely going to lock them up at night. Any tips on training them or wrangling them up to get them into the coop? Also, do you allow your geese to free range all day or do they stay in a run? I was hoping to have them free-ranging during the day but don't want to put them in danger if it's not safe. Thanks so much for all the advice!

Mine have learned the routine. They get a snack in the evening, and then when the sun starts to go down I open up the coop door and they're right behind me. Occasionally they need a bit of herding, but I just stick my arms out and guide them in. My gander needs a nudge in the butt to get all the way in, but he's kind of a jerk lol. I have a large-ish pen for them, I'm terrible at math, but it's a 260ft perimeter of electric fencing from Premier1. They free range while I'm outside doing chores, but they're typically underfoot trying to help while the other birds are wandering around.

 

[Leader Bee]

I don't have any experience with a farm or small holding, I'm in an urban area in the UK with very few predators if any so I'd be happy to just let my guys wander around in the garden all day long; I'd be inclined to let them free range but there's clearly different issues depending on how much land you have and where you live in the world I guess.

Getting them to go to bed is pretty easy - unfortunately my bad habits mean I don't always go to bed the same time each night so it generally means my geese don't either but they will understand "Goodnight, it's bedtime - see you in the morning" and they'll scoot over to what they consider "their end" of the living room and lie down (I never said it was theirs, they just decided to claim it!)

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Keep them confined in their housing for a week or so, feeding and watering them there. They then view that as their "home". I give them a handful of some treats and call and guide them in. If you don't do a confinement period they will fight you every single day.

 

[Goosebaby]

So I'm definitely going to lock them up at night. Any tips on training them or wrangling them up to get them into the coop? Also, do you allow your geese to free range all day or do they stay in a run? I was hoping to have them free-ranging during the day but don't want to put them in danger if it's not safe. Thanks so much for all the advice!

I have dog run mine hang out in if I’m away, otherwise mine free range around the yard because I’m usually outside working on something or my dogs are out to supervise. I no longer ever let them free range even in my yard without either myself or my dogs out to supervise them after I lost a gander and a drake to a coyote several years ago, on both occasions I walked inside for about five minutes and that’s all it took. Evidently the thing must have been just watching and waiting all day for an opportunity, coyotes are the worst.

I give mine a treat at night and say “IN IN” and they’ve learned it means bed time + plus a snack.