Goose night time protection help please.

[34Fam]

4 adult Sebastopol geese. We live in the South, so hot and humid. Using this as their nighttime predator saftey enclosure. It has 2 feet of wire on the ground around it so it will be dig proof. My question is.... Can they sleep on the ground with just hayon there? Will the fire ants come up underneith the hay? Will that be easy enough to clean? Or should I build a lifted platform with their bedding on top, to air out the bedding and keep them off the ground? Would that help with air circulation and cleaning poopy bedding? Or by building a platform, will it cause a hazard to my geese and their feet or legs if they get spooked on the night? Thank you for your opinions and thoughts. We wanna think this through.

 

[The Phantom]

With the boards up they won’t be able to see out. I would use 3 strand electric wire instead.

 

[Abriana]

I'd be concerned about weasels, they can definitely fit into those wire gaps. The boards will prevent predators like foxes and raccoons from getting them. Electric netting around the entire thing (fence set up around the enclosure) would probably be good as well.

 

[The Phantom]

I'd be concerned about weasels, they can definitely fit into those wire gaps. The boards will prevent predators like foxes and raccoons from getting them. Electric netting around the entire thing (fence set up around the enclosure) would probably be good as well.

X2 weasels will fit right through that.

 

[TashaFrancois]

I would also raise it and make sure the litter is deep.

 

[aart]

Will the fire ants come up underneith the hay?

Yikes!!
Those are hard to deal with...and may even kill a goose.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Going to be awfully tight for 4 adult geese too. Yes fire ants will come up through the hay. I'd make a solid floor out of treated wood then place cheap vinyl flooring over that that will keep the wood dry and make for easy cleaning. Hardware cloth around all metal fencing on that house. That way they will have good ventilation which they will need in the south. Only thing is how are you going to keep rain out?

 

[Pinckney]

I use electric netting that I can move before the ground gets beaten up. They don’t need a roof unless they are in there during the day (I hope not) and that is their shade? What are your plans for daytime grazing?
Ideally you would have a woven wire perimeter fence with 2 strands of electric to keep out animals. Then the only issue would be fire ants. I’ve never dealt with fire ants so can’t help with that.