Will geese go to their coop at sun down?

[CartierChicken]

I have a pair of Toulouse geese, a pair of American Buff, and an Italian Skåne mix female. I just got them over a week ago, and I know that at least 2 of the 3 females are laying eggs. Each evening we walk them to the run, and they seem to get the idea. Yesterday, they decided they wanted to hang out at the neighbours garden. We have waterfront property, so the geese can swim where ever their little hearts desire. Anyways, my husband went over to the neighbours to try to get the geese into the water. When he got there, they had just entered the water and were on their way home. When he got back to our property, they were on the beach, and could then be herded on up to the run. So this evening, we are wondering if we even need to walk them up. I am watching the water, and they are taking their sweet time to get their butts over here. I have been told by other that guess do not put themselves to bed, like chickens. Am I going to have to run over, or take the boat out to round up these duffs, or will they return on their own?

 

[CartierChicken]

Well I have a partial answer. Right after I posed my question, the little suckers decided to come home. I saw them get out of the water and begin to walk up the garden, but then they stopped to feed on the grass. I decided I need to hurry them along, as it is foxing hour. I am in Sweden, so it's evening already. As soon as they saw me, they started toward their run, but right before it, they decided to test me. Like teenagers, they wanted to go in, but because I wanted them to also go in, they suddenly didn't want to go in. So they gave me their hissing fits, made a lot of noise, but I was not going to have it. I armed myself with a branch, and got their little bums in the run. Tomorrow I will see if they will make it into the run without me. I had a nice bowl of tomatoes and strawberries in there waiting, so it's not like I'm a horrible person

 

[gooselove]

I have a pair of Toulouse geese who wait around for me to escort them to bed every night. Maybe your geese will go to bed without help, but mine do not.

 

[servpolice]

They will get used to getting in their home after a week.
My container is open all day where they sleep in and they sleep outside the door even though it's open.
One clap and they go in.
Geese are incredibly intelligent animals.
Lately we've a fox around so once dark hits they race in the container.

 

[servpolice]

Geese also love sleeping under light such as your sitting room light at night or a flood light.
If you have a light in your coop they will love that

 

[CartierChicken]

Oh, that's good to know. I have a sensor light that goes off if there is movement. I often see it on in the middle of the night, either set off by the fox or the geese. I can arrange for another lamp, if that is going to make them come in. I usually have the coop light on, but they refuse to go in there. I don't have chickens, since last years attack, but will be getting some soon. I need to arrange a fencing divide in the run, so the geese don't bother the chickens.

 

[The goose girl]

Geese are very much creatures of habit, so they can be trained to go to their coop at sundown with very little coaxing. They also have very good memories, so if I were you, I'd be very careful stressing them with a branch. They are excellent at remembering, i.e.: "This is the exact location/situation where we felt anxious yesterday - something must be scary about it." And they'll take forever going in for the next ten days.

Luring with treats and gentle herding generally works better.

 

[CartierChicken]

Just to be clear, I never used the branch to poke at them. I used it as an extension of my arm, to wall off an area, incase they decided they wanted to go in that direction, then I would take baby steps toward them to make them move away from me toward the run. They would not come with treats, however, I place the treats inside the run so they will understand that going to the run each night is a good thing. I guess using the word 'armed' made it sound like I was herding them aggressively.

 

[The goose girl]

Just to be clear, I never used the branch to poke at them. I used it as an extension of my arm, to wall off an area, incase they decided they wanted to go in that direction, then I would take baby steps toward them to make them move away from me toward the run. They would not come with treats, however, I place the treats inside the run so they will understand that going to the run each night is a good thing. I guess using the word 'armed' made it sound like I was herding them aggressively.

I never thought you did - poke them, that is. I just wanted to emphasize on the need not to make them anxious near their coop - they'll do that plenty on their own .

Just yesterday, I had to herd my goose along a new path, as a guy with two loose dogs was approaching us. And even though this path is virtually identical to the one we usually take, my goose totally refused to go. Luckily, I have only her, so I could pick her up and carry her the ten feet to known territory.

 

[GoudaBirds]

mine go into their pen by themselves at night but they've been in the same pen since they were babies and have had the same routine for a long time... except sometimes if it's a particularly nice night they will huddle under the yard light, like servpolice said, they like that. maybe if you got a dusk to dawn light and started getting them in the habit of going to the light at night they will get the idea to head that way when it comes on