Housing question

[bruceha2000]

I expect you can get that extra 4 weeks since it is only their bedroom. I don't know how big a 9 week old goose is, but they certainly aren't going to need more than the available 4 square feet each just to sleep.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Okay, I just realized that I have a pair of 6 week old goslings currently using the same sized kennel as a bedroom each night.

I don't know if all breeds of geese grow at the same rate, but I calculate that I will get 2-4 more weeks out of the kennel before larger quarters become necessary (Poms grow very quickly between 5-8 weeks....are 2/3 adult sized by 9 weeks) and I have to move them in with the older juveniles.

Now, I don't recall, but think you have a pair of Africans? If so, they are much taller geese than my Pomeranians. However, since I have no experience with them don't know their growth rates/patterns and accordingly cannot offer anything other than practical advice.

If the pair can stand up straight and lay comfortably in the kennel each night you should be okay for a while longer.

As soon as they can't fully stand without hitting their heads, or look overly crowded, I would move them. Sometimes I will sneak out with a light and check them well after dark and see if they have enough room and are sleeping comfortably. Now you have to be VERY quiet when doing this or all you are going to see is two geese standing there waiting for you to bring them something or visit.

Hopefully, you still have a couple weeks, so you have time to get their housing built.

 

[zooweemama]

Thanks guys! They spent their first night outside on the porch in the kennel. Hubby lined the inside up to 12 inches high with cardboard for squirty poo. And I covered the top with a sheet to help them stay warm and feel safe. They had SO much more room than the tub brooder they just got out of. They cried sooo much though. Lol. They were used to being inside. We held tough. Now we are trying to pick a spot for the house. Down by the pond? Up against the house? Near the chickens or the ducks? We use 2 of our acres currently and it's all sprawled out on there...I wonder if they would prefer to be pond side or house side?


Excuse my typos. Sent from my iPhone.

 

[SummerChick]

Okay, I just realized that I have a pair of 6 week old goslings currently using the same sized kennel as a bedroom each night.

I don't know if all breeds of geese grow at the same rate, but I calculate that I will get 2-4 more weeks out of the kennel before larger quarters become necessary (Poms grow very quickly between 5-8 weeks....are 2/3 adult sized by 9 weeks) and I have to move them in with the older juveniles.

Now, I don't recall, but think you have a pair of Africans? If so, they are much taller geese than my Pomeranians. However, since I have no experience with them don't know their growth rates/patterns and accordingly cannot offer anything other than practical advice.

If the pair can stand up straight and lay comfortably in the kennel each night you should be okay for a while longer.

As soon as they can't fully stand without hitting their heads, or look overly crowded, I would move them. Sometimes I will sneak out with a light and check them well after dark and see if they have enough room and are sleeping comfortably. Now you have to be VERY quiet when doing this or all you are going to see is two geese standing there waiting for you to bring them something or visit.

Hopefully, you still have a couple weeks, so you have time to get their housing built.

MrsMagoo, that made me giggle! I sneak in on my goslins, we have them in the bathroom of the house we are building ...quietly as possible I sneak in early morning and peak in on them but as soon as they see me, they are up and chattering! They are always so happy to see me and start checking out my hands for treats lol.

 

[zooweemama]

Mrs Magoo I love the story. They are like adorable little tattles tale bossy bosses. hehe! I hope my two are like that. Yours seems packed with personality. Love it!

 

[1MrsMagoo]

SummerChick and Zooweemama-

My geese amaze me in some new way every day. I often tell my husband that he is VERY lucky I started with chickens, or else I would have to transpose some of the numbers in my signature (would have many, many more geese and turkeys: they are a riot too).

The adult sized spring goslings are so much like human toddlers: They are into absolutely everything. Also, they have to put everything in their mouths: The lawn chairs, sticks, leaves, cover over the car (to keep the guinea from scratching it...they like to sun themselves on the hood....little buggers), even the corner of a window screen that had what used to be a very small hole in the corner (thanks to the geese I don't have to worry about that annoying hole anymore...now I just need to replace the screen).

My husband used to leave the garage door open sometimes while he would work on things in there. The last time he did that, he came back out to find half the geese in the garage "inspecting" his work. He immediately made two large panels with metal screen that he uses like a baby gate to keep the poor geese out: They were only trying to help!

 

[SummerChick]

I love hearing all the stories about geese, I know what to look forward to! We are in the process of building an area where our geese can be safe in while I am at work. I have to work out of town for 4 days and am going to miss them so much!

 

[myfinefeatheredfriends]

I love my geese! Mine are kind of spoiled. They have a fully enclosed 10'x30' pen and an attached 10'x12' coop to go into at night. I don't want those masked bandits sneaking a few so I make sure the pen is secure and predator-proof. I use hex wire on top of welded wire fencing to surround it. During the daytime, I have a small pasture (not sure of the exact dimensions) for them to graze in. It is probably a little much for the small amount of geese that I have but they are my babies and it is my job to ensure their protection

 

[NanaKat]

We have put up an 18 x 24 pen out of 2 x 4 wire and t posts next to an existing chicken pen and the garden. There is a rough shade house out of pallets and a cover over the wading pool. The 30 x 30 x 48 wire dog crate has a tent tarp over it. We are having 104 degree temps right now so Charlotte and Ninya are out during the morning hours and again in the evening. During the hot part of the day, we wet down their pen and the chicken pen next to them and run a mister. The girls love the sprinkler hose and come running to stand in the spray.

This is the west end of their pen. The pallet hut offers some shade and is temporary until I can get a proper coop/shade house made. Wish we had more trees near the pens and barn.


The shade cover for the pool is 1/8 inch thick hard plastic laid over a cattle panel and held in place with cinder block. The shadow travels west to east during the day so the pool water doesn't get too warm...we add fresh water to cool it down since temps are soooo hot. That is a jealous cockerel in the neighboring pen.