Goose lovers – please help!!

[1MrsMagoo]

Thanks so much for all the information. I am working right now on plans to make a rolling goose house and a fence we can pick up and move to where we want it. I want the fence not so much to contain the geese as to protect them, as sometimes there are packs of dogs who wander around here. I don't want to lose them to any predators. I was considering using the horse step-in posts as well, with T-posts on the corners. Do you find the step-in posts last very long? How long are your step-in posts?

Thanks!

I don't know about how long step-in posts last in Utah, but here I get about 2-3 years out of them. After that, they become brittle and start to break from the constant UV exposure. However, they are SO affordable, that they are cheap to replace when they finally do break.
You could also use the smaller U posts that they sell at Lowes if you need something sturdier. They come out fairly easy, but not as easily as the step-in posts.

 

[Iain Utah]

Thanks! Celtic gave me the idea! The ones on Spirit's pen are 10ft long with a T piece and center stabilizer, with a 5ft panel as a gate. I used hardware cloth for the wire. Then there is a 3 strand electric attached to extra pieces of pvc pipe running about a foot along the outside of the fence so that they can share the backyard with my dogs as well as provide them extra protection.




As for the step in posts, I find they only last a few years, but they cost less than the cheapo alum posts and easier to use.

Celtic, yes. Hubby is making another 25ft of panels to create 2 pens. We plan to put our africans in the coop and our dewlaps in their garage pen. Then we will have a pen cornered off inside dewlap rescue yard and a 2nd pen in the horse courtyard for the rescue africans. The adults get a free pass on this event, as they were already tested.

 

[redev]

Of my two buff dewlaps, the older one started developing a dewlap 2 or 3 weeks ago. At first, it was seen only from a side view and now I can see it a little when facing him/her. I am assuming/hoping it will continue to grow. The younger one is still in the "filling out" process and has a little fullness in the dewlap area from a side view so I am hopeful it will continue to develop as it should. They are both still somewhat afraid of us, but have adjusted to being penned up at night and are usually waiting outside their pen. If not already waiting, when they see us in the evening, they start strolling in the right direction. It is so precious to see them do that and know they have learned so easily. I will post pics later.

Having a hard time finding hay around here. Partly from the drought but also because most people around here bale the round bales, which we can't handle. I ended up last year buying it from Atwoods, and it was quite expensive. It was Alfalfa and the geese didn't like it much.

 

[Iain Utah]

Redev, I'd love to see pics of your babies!! Bummer about having a hard time finding hay. Perhaps you could try timothy cubes or chopped hay? Or see if you can work out a deal with your local grocery store to get their "reject" produce?

 

[redev]

Lain, thanks for the suggestions regarding hay. I'll keep that in mind if I can't find any good square bales within driving distance.

 

[LightningTFarm]

Iain - I have decided to make panels similar to yours. What size is your PVC? In the pictures it looks bigger than 1/2", but I can't tell if it's 3/4" or 1". My dad and I have decided to go with Schedule 80 instead of Schedule 40, as it is thicker so it will be stiffer and stronger. I have decided to make my panels all 5' long, so it will be easier for me to handle alone, or for my daughter to help me with them.

You have been a wonderful inspiration, as has Celtic. You two rock!!

 

[LightningTFarm]

I don't know about how long step-in posts last in Utah, but here I get about 2-3 years out of them. After that, they become brittle and start to break from the constant UV exposure. However, they are SO affordable, that they are cheap to replace when they finally do break.
You could also use the smaller U posts that they sell at Lowes if you need something sturdier. They come out fairly easy, but not as easily as the step-in posts.

Thanks for the input, Mrs Magoo, as your climate and mine are similar. Don't you love it when you wake up and the humidity is 100% and it's not even raining? I did have a question for you about the step-in posts you use. I looked on the TSC website and they have posts made from fiberglass and some made from polyolefin - which do you use? I'm wondering if the fiberglass would last longer down here?

Thanks, and I'm glad you escaped the hurrican with minimal damage!

 

[psue]

You have been a wonderful inspiration, as has Celtic. You two rock!!

x2

 

[Marty1876]

Hello everyone, old friends and new.

I've been so busy rearranging out fencing to fall areas near the barn, that I've hardly been on. I've just been reading back since the other night when I was here. Glad the unpleasentness has passed, and been replaced by lots of fence info. I do like the portability factor of Celtics and Ians fence system. Personnally, we've got some small light duty fence posts that go in easy and come up easy, and then some 6 foot fence (thats 1" too long but we bend it out and down to dissuade area dogs and coyotes) thats also lightweight and in 150" lengths. Spent most of this weekend pulling it up and moving them, one fence at a time, while the occupents (usually ducks here) wandered around and stole the free range hens food. You know what opportunists ducks are.

I've cept all the geese togather this last week, since Celtic told me to just leave them, and sure enough, everyone gets along now. I'm glad they are all such gentle geese (toulouse and sebbie) as I think until January or early Feb (mom says her geese don't start laying until early March) I'll keep them togather and only divide for breeding pairs then. HEY CELTIC: Do geese, like chickens, need 3 weeks togather alone before any previous mating potentials are gone? I don't want SebasToulouse goslings!

I may have to think on the Celtic/Iain fencing for springtime, if the ground will let me stick anything into it.

 

[LightningTFarm]

I may have to think on the Celtic/Iain fencing for springtime, if the ground will let me stick anything into it.



Marty - in my research into the best step-in poles to use I was reading the reviews of some TSC customers about them. One guy said whenever he needed to stick them into hard ground he first hammered in a big spike to make the hole. We have bought some really big nails (over 6" long) to put landscaping timbers together, and I know Lowes and Home Depot have them. That might help.