How to Keep Geese Quiet at Night

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Our five Sebastopol geese are kept in a shed in our backyard at night, not too far from our bedroom sliding door. Two sides are solid wood and the other two sides are chain link and hardware cloth. Several times a night (maybe more, i don't know, i'm sleeping) one or more will go off with loud honking. If i hear it, i listen to make sure it isn't a distress call, then go back to sleep. My husband, however, is greatly disturbed by the honking. It wakes him up, he gets upset, can't go back to sleep. He does wear earplugs and also uses a c-pap. You would think that would drown out the sound for him. He also closes the sliding door, which helps to muffle the sound. But i would like to enjoy some fresh air at night.

Any suggestions for how to keep them from honking?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Our five Sebastopol geese are kept in a shed in our backyard at night, not too far from our bedroom sliding door. Two sides are solid wood and the other two sides are chain link and hardware cloth. Several times a night (maybe more, i don't know, i'm sleeping) one or more will go off with loud honking. If i hear it, i listen to make sure it isn't a distress call, then go back to sleep. My husband, however, is greatly disturbed by the honking. It wakes him up, he gets upset, can't go back to sleep. He does wear earplugs and also uses a c-pap. You would think that would drown out the sound for him. He also closes the sliding door, which helps to muffle the sound. But i would like to enjoy some fresh air at night.

Any suggestions for how to keep them from honking?

completely enclosed house is my only answer. Once I put mine up inside their house I never hear a word out of them[their house is actually attached to ours] unless of course I sneeze. They probably hear all kinds of things going bump in the night and it's scary to them.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i know we have cats that wander through the yard at night, and a skunk. i have string lights on in the back so i can see what's going on out there at night. It might be better if they couldn't see anything. i may try putting sheets up over the chain link sides tonight and see if it helps.

i was also doing a search and found someone posted a while back about putting a "Bark Off" ultrasonic device in their goose pen at night and it kept them quiet. Found and ordered one of those on ebay just now.

i wish the honking didn't bother my husband so much. i want them to make noise if there's a problem so i can go help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

i know we have cats that wander through the yard at night, and a skunk. i have string lights on in the back so i can see what's going on out there at night. It might be better if they couldn't see anything. i may try putting sheets up over the chain link sides tonight and see if it helps.

i was also doing a search and found someone posted a while back about putting a "Bark Off" ultrasonic device in their goose pen at night and it kept them quiet. Found and ordered one of those on ebay just now.

i wish the honking didn't bother my husband so much. i want them to make noise if there's a problem so i can go help.

I know it does help if they can alert you. I hope the sheets and Bark Off works,.

 

[Jipus5]

I am quite new to the geese ownership position....but I do know that I read in a lot of places that geese will never know how to put themselves to bed. So, after we got our two Grey Africans, I took out the lightbulb that I had the chicken coop. My chickens roost anyway, and the geese have their own 'area' with nice bedding, so I put them in there every night with NO LIGHT, and heck....even my Roosters are quieter! It is the lights...I believe. When they hear noises they cannot see, they wait for a reason to panic (honk) (such as a fox or dog actually breaking in which wont end up happening) since they can't see what it is anyway. If they have a light of some kind, they feel comfortable walking around in the night; freaking out about the noises they hear. I would try total darkness first, see if that helps. Kinda like a kid going to bed....they will try to milk the clock and read a book- play with a toy when they can see. But in the dark they would pass out!
Best of luck!!!
Jenn

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Thanks Jenn, and Miss Lydia. They are like little kids. i was moving pavers from one side of the yard to another on Sunday with a dolly. They followed me every step of the way, looking suspiciously at the dolly. They are a hoot. i put the sheets up last night, and amazingly, they were quiet until sun broke in the morning. So, that may be our tactic. i know complete darkness would be best. i just feel so much safer with some patio lights on out there at night.