Geese, like most birds, are busy. Geese do not sleep much as a dog or cat will. Geese need toys to keep out of trouble. In fact, a goose with toys is less likely to pull at it's own diaper holder or harness. Part of teaching your goose to wear a diaper is distracting it when the diaper inside the diaper holder is fist put on the goose.

What type of safe toys do you goose? There are a lot of human's toys that geese enjoy. Some will play with the soft squeaky toys made for dogs. Fabric, skinnier cat toys also amuse geese. Handcrafted feathered, fabric or rubberbanded toys are fun for geese too.

Deron and I have found with our own geese that the birds are more amused when the toys are hanging on a rubber band. We have them hanging from the backs of chairs, file cabinets, table legs, any surface heavy enough to endure the pulling of the goose on the toy without upsetting the items holding it.

Some toys are also training tools or trick props. These are usually items that the goose will only be allowed to play with while a person is with them. Since the person is with them and working with the goose, these will become the goose's favorite toys. Geese like items that do things. Things like make music, wiggle when pulled on, pop up. Some of these items you will introduce to the goose slowly or the items will, at first, scare the goose. And no. It is not fun for your goose to be scared.

This is called a wiggle worm and is/was the very favorite toy of the housegeese we have owned. It is a human toy found in the toy department for less then $5 and worth every single penny. We attach ours to a piece of yarn and tie it to the filing cabinets between our two desks. Not only dose the goose playing with it get much amusement, so do Deron and I as we work. The wiggle worm has a ball that lights up with knocked against the cabinet and I am not kidding when I tell you, we are convinced the geese figure this out and try to light the ball inside the wiggle worm.

From time to time the wiggle worm light battery dies, the ring at the top for mounting breaks, and or the little "hairs" wear off or are bitten off. I can not tell you how many of these toys we have purchased. And when a new one is hung......the fun begins all over again!

Baby Goslings and Geese of all ages LOVE stuffed animals. Some love them just to be mean to them. Goslings snuggle with them to sleep after they pick at the face and legs. Geese Love Stuffed Animals! But. Geese should be watched with stuffed animals. Some might pull off pieces or the stuffing out. You do not want them to eat or even choke on the toy.

If you are in the Pet Store, or Pet Department of your favorite stores, look at the parrot toys, dog toys and cat toys. Many are safe and very entertaining for geese. When buying bird toys for your goose, make sure they are tough enough and the attachment is strong enough for a big ole goose. And of course, I should not have to add, but for the stupid, check the toy now and again for wear that could harm your bird. Make sure there are no sharp edges, nothing that will pull away and choke your bird, no plastic parts that will break apart as the goose plays with them.

Something as simple as a milk jug ring can become an interactive toy for a housegoose. Some can be taught to fetch the ring. This however, of course, is one of those toys that can only be played with when a human is involved or it might become dangerous to the goose. You could also take a few of these rings, tie them together with elastic or a very thick rubber band, and mount them from a table leg for endless hours of play.

There are so many ideas for making safe, easy to make, inexpensive toys for geese and other house birds. Goslings love to pull on rubber bands. Just make sure you use large thick, safe rubberbands. You can loop the rubber bands together or just use the rubber bands for hanging other toys from furniture.

The Goose Pom Pom Toy shown in the photo is easy to make with no sewing. Just a bit of Polar Fleece and a pair of scissors. There are step by step instructions with photos on the Goose Crafts page at this site. Have a look, this toy will keep your Housegoose Happy for hours.

Geese without their own toys will, Will, WILL, take your stuff. They will play with items around the house. They will chew, pull, walk on your stuff.

There are, of course, toys that should not be in a goose's crate or pen. Items mounted with a loop would be the first on the list. The goose could get it's long neck caught in the loop while you are away from home or sleeping. Small toys that would have the potential to choke your goose should also not be (used at all) left in the pen with the goose. Use your common sense, and if you have any doubt, any at all, do not leave the toy with the goose.

The contents of this page for Goose Toys is still under construction. Please check back.

-- The House Goose Team
Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:49:14 -0500