SOS MY GEESE ARE BEING BRATS😂

[Paige2213]

Anyone have any idea why my geese won't go into the coop at night? I have a pair and they've gone into the coop every night since I got them when they were about 2 months old. They just started giving me a hard time with going in at night. This is the 3rd night, the female will go in after a nice little run down and some choice words but the male will not, I have to chase him around then I give up and leave the coop open for him and he still won't go in. Could it possibly be that my female started laying and they wanna keep the nest safe or something?
Also they are incredibly tame and aren't afraid of ppl, the dogs, or the other birds in the coop.

 

[Berd Man]

It could be they have a nest somewhere. But it also may just be they prefer the open sky at night. You may be surprised that geese really don’t need a coop. They can be out in all weather year round and do fine. I think some of the Africans and Chinese types may need some protection if the wind chill is bad or knobs could be frost bitten. Would they still be enclosed in some type of fence if they didn’t get shut inside the coop?

If you must put them in the coop, it may be time to offer food bribes.

 

[nuthatched]

Have you checked their coop for mites? Does it have ventilation?

 

[Paige2213]

Have you checked their coop for mites? Does it have ventilation?

Yes for both. The coop gets a deep clean twice a month. And they get offered dust with the rest of the birds

 

[nuthatched]

Yes for both. The coop gets a deep clean twice a month. And they get offered dust with the rest of the birds

Geese don't dust bathe, it won't work for them, unfortunately.

 

[Paige2213]

It could be they have a nest somewhere. But it also may just be they prefer the open sky at night. You may be surprised that geese really don’t need a coop. They can be out in all weather year round and do fine. I think some of the Africans and Chinese types may need some protection if the wind chill is bad or knobs could be frost bitten. Would they still be enclosed in some type of fence if they didn’t get shut inside the coop?

If you must put them in the coop, it may be time to offer food bribes.

No they free range. They only get locked up at night since we live in the woods. The last 3 nights they kinda just hang around the pond and in the wood line. They have never done this. And it did just recently warm up and their pond is finally ice free so maybe its just that they do like being out at night when the weather is nice. I just worry bc predators are bad out here at night. Its been awhile since we've had one but I dont wanna risk them getting killed or hurt.

 

[Paige2213]

Geese don't dust bathe, it won't work for them, unfortunately.

Yeah its offered but I've never seen them do it lol I had a gosling who would dust bath with the chickens but im pretty sure she thought she was a chicken and not a goose lol

 

[Tonyroo]

Did you check for signs of rodents in the coop. Most birds won't sleep in the coop if they know there's rodents running around.

 

[Paige2213]

Did you check for signs of rodents in the coop. Most birds won't sleep in the coop if they know there's rodents running around.

No rodents its a smaller sized coop and its about 2 ft off the ground

 

[Ourgosling22]

It could be they have a nest somewhere. But it also may just be they prefer the open sky at night. You may be surprised that geese really don’t need a coop. They can be out in all weather year round and do fine. I think some of the Africans and Chinese types may need some protection if the wind chill is bad or knobs could be frost bitten. Would they still be enclosed in some type of fence if they didn’t get shut inside the coop?

If you must put them in the coop, it may be time to offer food bribes.

They may not like being in coop at night but it’s for their own safety. I have hard time sometimes getting them in in evening. Harder if it’s dark. I think rule of thumb is get them settled an hour before sundown. I agree they might have a nest somewhere or maybe there’s something in coop that’s bothering them like a rodent like someone mentioned or something inside their coop is unfamiliar to them such as a crate or whatnot.