When can goslings go outside?

[PrinceSandwich]

At what age can a gosling go outside without heat?

 

[Kim65]

When they are mostly feathered in (about two months). I see you live in Alberta. I'm in WA and it's just now in the fifties and sixties during the day, down in the 40s at night.

Most important is they have a dry place, away from strong drafts. They play in their water so much they get soaked and with out a mother goose, they have less oil on their down/feathers to make them waterproof, so they can get chilled and die from it.

After about three weeks goslings are pretty tough. But they could still get chilled without those mature feathers to cover the down.

I'm sure others are braver than I am and put them out sooner than two months. You know best what you can handle with your set up

In my avatar, my goslings were two days old, and outside. I was right there with them, of course, and it was a short time, and dry outside. If the weather is mild, take them out anytime, just supervise them. To leave them outside without heat indefinitely, they should be much older.

 

[SDChef]

I just put mine outside at 13 days old with all my ducklings that are the same age. 3 nights thus far and they are looking better every day. I do however live in san diego and it has been 55 at night. They have no light but a nice cozy wooden shed full of hay to bundle up with. during the day they are outside in their pen.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Mine are outside all day long and inside at night. They range in age from 1-4 weeks, and they are all doing fine. They don't have any heat light inside either.

 

[triggfamily5]

I don't know what the real answer is, and I think it also has to do with your weather.

I have 2 mommas right now with their goslings, and they are outside with them after 3 days, but they really baby them for a week. I was amazed last week when we had a snow storm (more like a short rain storm, but with snow and wind instead) come through and one momma laid on the ground, facing the wind, and put her babies behind her wing as a wind barrier (2 weeks old), and the other momma and her babies just kept munching on the weeds (3 weeks old).

the 4 goslings we are hand raising are "outside". There is a lean-to next to the chicken coop with a heat lamp (2 extension cords are ran out there). Not insulated, not water proof (they do have a spot to get off the ground). We keep them in there all night, runs about 75-80 the last couple of nights directly under the light (30 at night). During the day, I crack open the run door, and they go back and forth. MIL goes out their 4-5 times a day (more if the weather is nice) and walks them around to get more weeds/grass, and play in the pond. They have a little dish to play in the run also. This is being done even though we were in a winter storm this week, and outside temps never got over 35 and the wind and snow was flying for the last 4 days.... Our goslings are 2 weeks today.

 

[JordanFamily]

I'm in Mo and have my 4 shipped goslings outside all the time with just a dog house with hay in it, to get out of the weather... They are 4 weeks now and have been out there since two weeks of age. Lowest temps here have been 47 F ... Lots of rain here lately... but they are all doing great!

 

[Golden Valley Farm]

Ii would wait until they have some feathers coming in before they go outside with no heat. I would keep all the goslings in a covered pen for quite sometime as owls think they are delicious and you will loose them.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Mine have been outside since week one. They are now almost 3 weeks and they dont get heat during the day, unless its chilly and raining.

 

[marathonmultiplesmom]

I have been putting mine outside during the day and I bring them in at night... mostly to avoid chills, rain and predators but I am thinking I will let them stay out at 6 wks.

 

[crash0330]

I take mine outside during the day but just for short periods of time, there 6 days old, but I live in southern california we get 90F and up during the day so cold weather its not an issue here!