Smallholder notes.
Geese need surprisingly little housing - a simple three-sided shelter, well-bedded, dry, and predator-proofed at night is enough for most temperate climates. The key dimensions are 8-10 square feet per bird, 3-4 foot ceiling, and ventilation at the top rather than the bottom. Material that doesn’t rot and a door that closes against night predators are the only non-negotiables.
What geese actually need
Geese are hardier than chickens and require less elaborate housing. The basics:
- Dry shelter - protection from rain and wind, not necessarily warmth.
- Deep, dry bedding - straw or wood shavings, refreshed weekly.
- Predator-proof at night - solid door with a real latch.
- Adequate ventilation - top of structure, not floor level.
- Access to outdoor space during the day.
What geese do NOT need: heated quarters, climate control, complicated nesting boxes. They are robust birds.
Dimensions
- Floor space: 8-10 square feet per goose. For a flock of 4, that’s a 6 x 6 foot shed.
- Ceiling height: 3-4 feet minimum at the lowest point. Higher is fine but not necessary.
- Door: 24-30 inches wide, 30-36 inches tall - sized so geese can pass through without ducking.
- Pop-hole (small entry door for the geese): about 12 x 16 inches.
A shed-style A-frame works well; a small garden shed adapted with bedding works equally well.
Materials
- Cedar - rot-resistant, lasts a decade outdoors, naturally pest-deterrent. Premium choice.
- Pressure-treated softwood - cheaper, lasts 5-7 years, fine if not in direct soil contact.
- Concrete or paver floor - easiest to clean; cover with bedding.
- Galvanised hardware cloth for any wire panels (NOT chicken wire - raccoons get through it).
- Solid latches at goose-neck height - hook-and-eye is not enough.
What to avoid: untreated softwood (rots), painted MDF (delaminates in damp), thin chicken wire as the only security.
Ventilation, not heat
The single biggest mistake is over-insulating. A draughty shelter is bad; a sealed shelter is worse. Geese produce humidity (and ammonia from droppings) and stagnant air condenses, soaking bedding overnight. Ammonia damages respiratory linings.
The fix: vents at the top of the structure (high gable, ridge vent, or upper-wall slots), keeping the floor and bird-height area still. Cross-ventilation at low level chills the birds; high-level ventilation removes moisture without draught.
Predator-proofing
The five things that actually matter:
- Solid door with carabiner or padlock latch - raccoons defeat hook latches.
- Hardware cloth (½-inch) on any wire panels.
- Buried wire skirt around the perimeter to stop foxes digging in.
- Roof that closes - both for owls and for climbing predators.
- Lock-up routine - geese in before dusk, every night.
Foxes, raccoons, and stoats are the main night threats in most temperate regions.
Water access
Geese need water year-round - even in winter. The shelter doesn’t include a pond, but a fresh-water container outside the shelter is essential. In freezing weather, plan for heated waterers or daily refresh.
Cedar Duck and Goose House
A starter shelter that doesn't rot.
A solid cedar nest-and-shelter unit. Good for a single nesting hen or as a winter shelter for 2-3 small geese. Hinged roof for cleaning, naturally rot-resistant material. Useful as a starter; larger flocks need a built-out shed.
- Solid cedar - lasts a decade outdoors
- Hinged roof for spring cleaning
- Mountable on a pole or sittable on the ground
Stovall · 5H Cedar
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The bottom line
Goose housing is simple: dry, draught-free, predator-proof, with deep bedding. Don’t over-engineer it. The biggest mistake is over-insulating; the second biggest is using chicken wire instead of hardware cloth.
For more, see cold-weather duck breeds and how predators get in.
