Farmed Goose Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Geese are farmed for meat and foie gras with significant welfare variations between production systems and regulatory frameworks.

Key Facts

Foie gras production involves force-feeding geese to enlarge their livers and is banned in the UK
Conventional goose production can allow more natural behavior than intensive poultry systems
Geese are highly social, intelligent birds that form long-term bonds and recognize individual humans
Access to water for swimming and bathing is an important behavioral welfare need for farmed geese

Welfare Considerations

Farmed goose welfare varies enormously between the most welfare-positive and most welfare-compromising production systems. At the positive end, geese raised with outdoor access, water provision for bathing and swimming, and social stability can express many natural behaviors. At the negative extreme, force-feeding for foie gras production causes severe distress and physical damage from repeated intubation and rapid organ enlargement. The UK ban on foie gras production reflects clear welfare evidence, though imports from countries with different standards complicate consumer choice. Water provision for bathing represents a species-specific welfare requirement that conventional welfare standards do not always adequately address.

What You Can Do

Avoid foie gras products in recognition of the severe welfare harm involved in its production
Support campaigns for import restrictions on foie gras in countries where production is banned
Choose goose products from farms with documented welfare standards and outdoor access
Advocate for water provision for swimming and bathing as a mandatory requirement in farmed goose welfare standards