ACK! Goose Herding is making me crazy...

[Cybercat]

Does anyone have any good ideas for introducing a flock of geese into a new night time shelter? The new shelter is on the other side of the pasture from the old one, and I spent an hour last night trying to drive the geese into the new digs. I admit I now hate my geese.

I've been doing this for a week now, and the geese are not obliging me.
I've tried lights in the new shelter, I've carried a flashlight (they usually follow me when I have one) I have my shepherd's crook...I've had three people in the pasture trying to direct the birds...

The first night I actually caught and carried each bird into the new pen, and each bird was SURE that death was immiment. They told me so by the shrieking, snaking necks and flailing wings bonking me in the face and head...I went through this TEN times with TEN geese. I have a knot on my forehead just above my eyebrow where I got nailed by a really strong wing. I am NOT in the mood to do this twice.

I put some scratch into the pen last night and left the door open to entice the birds in (as I was chasing them and cursing.) Well, my miniature horses think this shelter is just right for them, and cruised in to mooch the grain.

I am SO tempted to just leave them out all night, but I tried that a couple years ago and lost two birds to a coyote, with not a single squawk from the flock...

I am really frustrated, can you tell?!!

 

[Blackbird]

I know how you feel.. but not to that extent! Each spring we herd the geese to the back pasture and each fall we herd them back to the winter pen, theres usually only two of us to do it.
Maybe you could try locking them up in the shelter for a day or two and feeding them in there until they get used to it as home? Either that or I'd move the shelter, if possible, to the goose pasture.

We lost a goose to a coyote last year too, we didn't even notice until we found the wing on the opposite side of the yard right being the chicken coop Whats worse than that, we had our whether and buck out there with them, so we moved everyone until we can get the donkey out there..

 

[me&thegals]

Hi Cybercat and welcome!

I don't have geese, but this is what I do with my chickens to lure them places they don't think they want to go: I carry a big scoop of their favorite treats like wheat berries or sunflower seeds and sprinkle them in a trail that leads right to the place where I want them to be. Takes a while for them to eat their way down the trail, but they get there. Good luck!

me&thegals

 

[Wifezilla]

I would leave them in the shelter for at least a week(maybe 2 if they are slow learners). Then when you let them out at night I bet they will see the pen as HOME and you wont have to goose wrestle anymore

I did this with my ducks when I got them.

I also did this for indoor/outdoor cats I adopted or when we moved. 2 weeks inside and no problems.

 

[sylvie]

Could you tie a dog or something unfamiliar and scary to the old shelter, as if it moved in? Then entice with treats to the new location. I agree about keeping them in a few days. You'd also have to let them see the scary thing at the old shelter a few days to discourage.
I used to have geese, but now have the occasional Canadian
geese that I need to chase from setting up housekeeping in our pond.
I do this with a mop, rake or broom in each hand waving like very long extended arms. That's what I mean by scary.

 

[Cybercat]

Well, tonight's round-up went a little better- instead of one hour chasing geese, it only took about half an hour. And it WASN"T raining....

The geese are amazingly sensitive to my movements. If I raise my arm thirty or forty feet away, the flock adjusts their position. These birds are three years old, so I ought be be used to them by now. I just need to spend a little more time fine-tuning my own technique, I think. In the old shelter they put themselves away at dusk like the chickens and all I needed to do was shut the door.

My hubby keeps saying that the geese are stupid, but I tend to disagree. They know darn well that we want them to go into the new shelter...they are just VERY good at avoiding that Evil Door of Doom :/