Geese are highly intelligent, social waterfowl farmed for meat, eggs, and foie gras. Their welfare needs are complex and often poorly met in commercial settings.
The most critical welfare deficiencies for farmed geese are denial of water access for bathing and swimming, and the practice of foie gras force-feeding. Without water deeper than their bills, geese cannot maintain eye health or plumage condition. Overcrowding prevents normal social hierarchies and causes feather pecking. Geese are not domesticated to the degree of chickens and retain strong behavioral needs for foraging, pair bonding, and environmental complexity. Higher-welfare goose farming provides paddock access, water sources, and maintains stable social groups.