Winter housing for Geese question???

[farmdude]

I have 7 geese. 3 are ganders. They are free range on my 3 acre property with large pond. They get along great, never any fighting. In the winter time I pen them up in the barn (large pen) to protect them from the elements and predators. Come late February/early March the dominate gander and dominate goose beat up on the passive gander and I seperate them. The goose lays eggs (which are not fertile) and sets. My question is; should I just seperate the sexes as soon as I pen them up for winter since they don't breed anyway? Or will the ganders still fight even without the females?
I was told they need water to breed and that is why the eggs are infertile. But here in NE Wisconsin, the ice doesn't melt off the pond until the females are already setting.

 

[Eroc1_1]

I will try answer some of your question as best I can. There is no need to separate the sexes over the winter as far I can see. They still might fight to establish the pecking order/dominance. It would help to let them have some water to breed in to increase the fertility rate. It could be a small kiddie pool no more than 8-12 inches deep. It doesn't have to be super deep.

 

[zzGypsy]

you could also pull the eggs from the early laying to keep the goose from setting quite so early, not letting her set until a couple of weeks after they've had access to water or you see them breeding. geese aren't long season layers, but you do have a bit of wiggle room there.

 

[roboboy]

I was told they need water to breed and that is why the eggs are infertile.

Completly untrue. They don't need water to breed. It does generally help increase fertility, but they can breed and have fertile eggs without it. My geese don't get anything other then puddles in the yard and their 4 inch deep water dishes that only one can fit into at a time anyways. Usually mine breed right next to the dish. Goose on the ground, head in the water with the gander on top. Fertility was great too, hatch over 91 goslings from 25 breeders. Anybody need geese?

My geese are outside in their pen in the elements all winter. They have trees they can go under if they want and we have made wind breaks from them. Also if they really want to, we have an old truck topper on the ground for them, it also doubles as a nest hutch in the spring.​

 

[farmdude]

Perhaps my ganders are just to old to breed. I've never even seen them attempt to mount any of the goose girls. But they really beat the crap out of the passive Gander. His back was bloody and stripped of feathers. I had to seperate them. I don't really need them to breed. They are just pets. My ducks are the opposite, they can't get enough sex.