Geese do not need a pond, but they will use one if it is available. Geese do have to have water available for their drinking and bathing needs, also, they will stand in shallow water and paddle around to keep clean.
Geese like to be near their pond because it gives them a place to warm up if they get too cold. They do this by taking a step or two into the water and then flapping their wings rapidly to get warmer. Then they fly back onto the ground, lift their wings high in the air, extending the feathers out, and turn side-to-side to catch as much of the sun’s rays as possible. After this “sunning”, they return to standing in the shallow water area of their pond or swimming pool with their near continually open beak (from which steam is coming out) and flexing “panting”; stretching out/extending all of its body parts as much as possible while its working hard at keeping warm.
They will also stand in the shallow water area of their pond and flap their wings rapidly to get cool on hot days. Geese are very good at keeping themselves comfortable. And they do not like to be hot or cold; they do not like extremes.
Some sources say that a number of times per day, geese should be able to go from full sun to full shade, but other sources state that geese should have a place to go where they can take shelter from the sun if it gets too hot. Regardless, geese need some type of shelter from the sun in hotter weather and they need access to large trees or bushes where they can get out of the sun into shade if possible and vice versa as necessary. (And, because of this fact, it is very important that goose owners make sure that their geese are never tethered up outside and left unsupervised by an owner who cannot keep track of them.)
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Why A Pond Is A Good Thing To Have
Ponds with lots of water, provided that they are not too large (especially in the early spring as we are discussing here), provide geese and other wildlife with a good supply of fresh water all year long in their natural habitat. Ponds also serve as a good spot for geese to take shelter from the sun and then to cool down.
Ponds also provide geese with a safe from predators such as foxes, raccoons and snakes, so that can graze on bottom grasses and other vegetation near ponds and geese will not have to be alarmed about the predator being right there in the pond with them.
How Long Can Ducks Live Without Water?
The absolute maximum time that a goose can stay without water is 8 to 10 hours, but this is all dependent on the individual and the weather, obviously.
By keeping them longer than this time frame, the risks of them dying from dehydration become much greater.
How Much Space Do Geese Need Outside?
The average minimum space needed for a goose or gander to live comfortably is 300 square feet (27 square meters). In terms of actual calculation, this means minimum space of 5.5 to 6.5 square yards (about 623 to 736 sq ft).
Space needed for geese varies with the size of goose/goose/goose that you are keeping. For example, among the biggish goose species such as Canada Goose and Mallard, they need around 4 x 4 or 10 x 10 feet area in order to feel comfortable in their own little space.
The best rule of thumb is that the larger the flock the bigger the area you will need for them.
A safe amount of space for a nesting couple to raise young geese or ganders is 100 square feet, but an average size family will need at least 200 Sq ft.
Can You Keep Geese In Your Garden?
You can keep a goose in a garden, but it needs to be a very big garden. And you will need to give the goose plenty of room to get out of the sun if it gets too hot and into the shade if it gets too hot. Plus, there should be plenty of room for the goose to get out of the wind and into somewhat cooler air if it gets too cold.
And, you need to take precautions so that the goose is not able to escape from your garden or yard and cause havoc in your neighbors’ yards by becoming a pest.
Large fenced yards are best for geese. If you have a very small yard, you can keep a goose in your yard with some careful planning and decision making about where you place things.
