Outdoor access for farmed geese enables the expression of natural behaviors including grazing, foraging, and water bathing that are fundamental to goose welfare and cannot be replicated in indoor systems.
Goose outdoor access welfare addresses the fundamental behavioral needs of waterfowl who evolved in open landscapes with access to water, vegetation, and open air. Indoor confinement without these resources may meet nutritional needs but denies the behavioral diversity that characterizes goose flourishing. The welfare case for outdoor access in geese is particularly strong because of their specific need for water bathing that indoor-only systems with troughs cannot adequately fulfill. Certification standards that require genuine outdoor access with water provision create the market conditions for goose welfare improvement at scale.