Housing? How Do I Do It??

[echix]

I have 4 Toulouse running a muck! I have a small pen / house I put them in at night. I need suggestions on what to do here - do you put them up at night like chickens on little and clean out the coop weekly and such or what?

Will they learn to go in on their own when it gets dark like the chickies??

They keep getting in the pool drinking pool water - can't leave them outside alone at all! Pool is a saltwater pool and for those who know that it is not like the ocean saltwater it is saline and better than chlorine pools - they keep tasting it!!

I have a nest - 2 geese and 1 nest - do I need 2 nests? they are laying in same nest but I know that isn't going to work long huh?

Help - need direction on housing and how to handle these GEESE!!

--- it all started when a lonely gander who lost his mate a month ago wandered up. Louie ... I had to find him a mate and ended up 2 weeks later with 4 geese!!!!

 

[echix]

We have fence around entire property but they are wandering all over from front to back. Are they just checking out their territory?

 

[nsanywhere]

well, I can offer a few ideas, all just my own opinion/experience.

I wouldn't keep them in with the chickens. Not only is is very messy, but I found that my geese attacked my chickens and it made for unhappy animals all around. Mostly it was just pecking order kinds of stuff, but it got much worse when geese were on a nest - the dads showed no mercy to my poor hens.

I made a house for my geese where I keep there food, nests, and a shelter for bad weather, but most of the time they like to sleep outside. If I swoosh them into the house I can pen them for the night, but many nights I don't bother (safe from predators here, knock on wood).

I have a smaller pen attached to the house so they can come out before I wake up, or sleep out if they want. Then, I let them into a larger grazing pen with my sheep during the day, about a 1/2 acre. They graze and paddle in a kiddie pool and have a grand ol' time, then its back into the smaller pen/house at night.

My best advice for you is to set up a fence either around the pool to keep them out, or to fence in a large area for them to live in. There is no way you can train them to stay out of your beautiful pool

The general rule is more space is better, so give them as much as you can. More space means the poop will be spread around, they will have plenty of grass and treats to much on, and they won't get bored. Geese don't need heavy duty fencing to keep them in, but heavier well set fence may be needed to keep predators out.

Hope that helps.

 

[echix]

I guess we're just going to let them run free - they are drinking pool water (which is probably not bad for them considering the birds drink it and so does the dog...) they have a huge pond but prefer to wander the property - maybe because it's new and they're exploring. I guess I don't need to worry about them eating plants that aren't safe..... we have some plants all over the place and I don't know if they're bad or good for geese but I guess they'll figure it out.

I'm going ot get a barn/shed to put them in at night w/ a pen like you talked. Do I put litter shavings on the floor like the chicken coop to make messy cleanup easier?

Any suggestions or photos would be greatly appreciated!!!