Building a Shelter for My Geese
My gaggle of geese now has a large new shelter in their yard.
Currently, I have 18 beautiful geese - Sebastopol geese, Toulouse geese, African geese, Chinese geese, and of course my Pomeranian guard geese. A few months ago, I moved them all into their own enclosure right next to the peafowl and pigeons, where they could have more room to roam. The next step was to build them a proper goose coop. Unlike chickens, most domestic waterfowl tend to sleep on the ground; however, low, sturdy, and shady structures can provide good shade in summer, protection from strong winds in winter, and a safe place to nest and lay eggs.
Enjoy these photos.
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- This yard, adjacent to the fancy pigeons and peafowl, was not being used, so I moved all my geese to this enclosure. It is located right outside my stable, where they can be watched closely during the day. I am very happy that all my geese get along so well – most of the time, they travel around the yard together.
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- I have always had a separate hutch for my geese, but since the gaggle is growing, I decided it was necessary to build them a larger one. I instructed Pete and Fernando to create a coop that was about 20-feet long by about five feet wide. Here, the sod from the area was cut and removed from the measured space.
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- Once the ground is cleared and level, Pete and Fernando place eight strong posts equally spaced along both sides of the coop located in one corner of the yard.
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- The floor of the coop is then framed and filled with gravel.
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- Fernando holds a wooden beam as Pete positions and secures it to the existing frame for the roof.
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- Everything is measured twice – remember the adage, “measure twice, cut once.”
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- The ends of the rafters are all cut equally. A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural beams that extend from the ridge or hip in a downslope to support the roof shingles, roof deck, and its associated loads.
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- The frame is assembled using two and a half inch screws. Pete and Fernando are excellent carpenters and do many of the smaller building projects around the farm. Fernando holds the wood in place while Pete screws pieces together.
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- Next, the two create the roof using good quality plywood boards on top of the frame. Then, the roof is covered with roofing felt underlayment – a layer of protection installed between the roof deck and the roofing shingles. It provides shingle ventilation as well as a backup waterproof membrane in case of leakage.
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- Pete prepares the shingles for the roof. He places a few down on the underlayment, temporarily holds them in place with the nails, and makes sure these first few are in perfect order. These will provide the base formation for all the other shingles.
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- In another part of the yard is Dawa, who cares for the geese, chickens, pigeons, and peafowl. All the birds flock to him whenever he arrives, especially at feeding time. Geese are grazing birds which means they eat a variety of different items. They eat roots, shoots, stems, seeds, and leaves of grass and grain, bulbs, and berries. They also eat small insects. I provide them with fresh greens from the gardens every day and also fortify their diet with a mix specifically made for waterfowl.
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- Here is a wide view of the shelter with some of the shingles secured on top. The shelter will not only keep the birds dry and free from drafts, but also provide shade and additional space for nesting.
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- Pete lines the next row using twine. Pete makes a straight line across the entire roof, so the new shingles overlap the first row completely straight.
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- Next, Pete uses a pneumatic nailer to secure two nails into each shingle. The cedar shingles will darken to gray over time.
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- This part of the process takes longer since all the shingles are nailed individually, each overlapping the one above it. Fernando works from the opposite end positioning the shingles in another row, so Pete can nail them.
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- This goose is more interested in its pool than the new coop project.
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- Here’s a closer view of the attached shingles. Each one is rectangle and about 16 inches long. Wood shingles are thin, tapered pieces of wood primarily used to cover roofs to protect them from the weather.
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- Here is the roof of the goose house all complete – nine rows of shingles on the north facing part of the roof. This roof is asymmetrical and is longer on the back side than the front. This provides more shade and space for the geese. Asymmetric roofs also rid themselves of snow and rainwater more quickly than other roof types because of its shape.
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- Sturdy wire is placed several inches down in the ground around the entire perimeter to keep burrowing vermin away from the structure.
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- Here is the inside of the new shelter – it is coming together very nicely. The main difference between waterfowl housing and a chicken coop is that geese don’t need roosts. They are happy in a quiet corner on the ground. Geese also don’t require nesting boxes. Ducks and geese lay their eggs on the ground, pulling hay bedding or leaves around them to hide their eggs, and selecting areas that offer privacy and security. The coop is also lined with plenty of hay.
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- Here is the back of the coop – the walls are secure and painted my signature “Bedford Gray.”
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- Pete nails in the last pieces on the side of the coop.
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- And here is the new and finished goose shelter – ready and lined with bedding for comfort and nesting. I know they will love this large size where they can all gather together – they have become a close group.
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- On this day, the temperatures were very pleasant, and the geese preferred to play in their pool instead of rushing for any shade. While both ducks and geese love water, geese don’t require a pond or large swimming pool – they swim much less than ducks and are content with a small dipping pool where they can dunk and clean their noses and beaks. This weekend is expected to be warmer, with temperatures in the high 80s. I’m glad the shelter is ready for them!
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