Legal rules for goose farming
Goose farming follows the same formalities as the rest of poultry — flock registration, a veterinary number, welfare and Salmonella testing — but with a few differences. Geese have no separate EU directive like broilers do, yet there is a firm ban on plucking feathers and down from live birds. We have gathered the whole map of duties in one place — in plain language, with links to detailed pages. This is an informational guide, not binding legal advice: the law changes, so confirm key points with your local veterinary officer and the agricultural agency.
verifiedFrom the team that has organised work on poultry farms for years.
Goose farming in Poland is more than rearing — it is also a set of duties towards the authorities. Before you place the first goslings the farm must be registered, and you must meet welfare, biosecurity and flock-health requirements. This page is an overview — a map of duties showing what to arrange and where, and pointing to separate guides for the details. The whole process is covered in the hub on goose farming.
How do geese differ legally from broilers?
For meat chickens (broilers) the EU has a separate directive 2007/43/EC with specific stocking thresholds. Geese have no such directive — the general Directive 98/58/EC on the protection of farm animals applies, together with Council of Europe recommendations on ducks and geese, while the details are set by national law. In practice this means you assess stocking and housing for geese through the lens of general welfare (space, litter, access to water, protection from injury) rather than a fixed kg/m² table. Stocking is covered in the guide on goose stocking density, and welfare itself in goose welfare.
Where do you handle all this?
Three main places: ARiMR and the IRZplus system (flock holding registration and animal records), the local veterinary officer (veterinary number, welfare and biosecurity inspections, Salmonella testing) and your own farm records (flock register, treatment log, welfare documentation). The law is updated from time to time — always confirm dates, forms and thresholds with ARiMR and your veterinary officer before each cycle.
From registration to slaughter — what you must arrange
- 1
Register the flock holding in IRZplus (ARiMR)
The first step, even before placing birds: register the flock holding with the agricultural agency (ARiMR) and obtain a holding number in the IRZplus system. This underpins all later records — without it you cannot register placements or mortality. From registration you also keep a flock register (placement date, number of birds, origin, mortality, slaughter dispatch date). The IRZplus portal can be unintuitive, so the later status-change reports — placements and slaughter dispatches — can be filed in IRZplus for you by DlaFerm.pl, automatically, if you want; you can also do it yourself if you prefer. The step-by-step is in the guide on flock records in IRZplus.
- 2
Obtain a veterinary number and approval for the holding
As an operator in the food chain, a goose farm must be notified to the local veterinary officer and — depending on scale and type of activity — registered or approved, with a veterinary number (establishment identifier). This number identifies the farm in trade and is required by buyers and slaughterhouses. The procedure and required documents are in the guide on farm veterinary number — registration.
- 3
Meet general welfare requirements and watch stocking
Geese have no separate EU directive with a stocking table — the general Directive 98/58/EC applies, together with Council of Europe recommendations on ducks and geese. In practice you give the birds enough space, dry litter, freedom of movement, protection from injury and — important for geese — adequate access to drinking water (and, where possible, bathing water). You set stocking so the birds are not crowded and can reach feed and water. How to arrange this is explained in the guides on goose stocking density, goose welfare and housing requirements for geese, and programmes and subsidies in poultry welfare — subsidies.
- 4
Remember the ban on plucking feathers and down from live birds
This requirement is specific to geese and ducks: harvesting feathers and down by plucking live birds is prohibited. Feathers and down are taken only after slaughter, and the only permitted harvesting from live birds is gathering feathers that fall out naturally during moult, done in a way that does not harm the birds (gathering, not plucking). Plucking live geese is a serious welfare breach — inspected and penalised. How everyday welfare looks on the farm is in the guide on goose welfare.
- 5
Carry out Salmonella testing
Poultry flocks, including geese, are covered by monitoring and national programmes to control Salmonella serotypes (mainly Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium). The scope of testing depends on the use (breeding flocks, commercial flocks) — before dispatch to slaughter or during the cycle, samples are taken and tested for the serotypes covered, and a positive result means trade restrictions and mandatory measures. Confirm the scope and dates with your veterinary officer; the general rules are in the guide on Salmonella on a poultry farm.
- 6
Keep treatment records and prepare transport and slaughter
Every medicine given (especially antibiotics) goes into the treatment log, and before slaughter you must observe the withdrawal period — the time after which the bird’s tissues are free of residues. Geese often go to slaughter at the peak of the Christmas season (goose meat for St Martin’s Day and the holidays), so plan transport and slaughter in advance — rules on animal transport and food-chain information for the slaughterhouse apply. Details are in: withdrawal periods in poultry and poultry transport rules.
The most important rules for geese
Four pillars on which legal goose farming rests. Act names are given as a reference — confirm the legal position with your veterinary officer and ARiMR*.
Directive 98/58/EC + Council of Europe recommendations
Geese have no separate EU directive with stocking thresholds (like 2007/43/EC for broilers). The general Directive 98/58/EC on the protection of farm animals applies, together with Council of Europe recommendations on ducks and geese: enough space, dry litter, freedom of movement, access to water, protection from injury. Implementation and detail — national rules (regulations of the Minister of Agriculture).
Ban on plucking feathers from live birds
Harvesting feathers and down by plucking live geese and ducks is prohibited. Feathers and down are taken after slaughter; only gathering of feathers that fall out naturally during moult is permitted, done without harming the birds. Plucking live birds is a serious welfare breach, inspected by the Veterinary Inspection.
IRZplus / ARiMR — flock holding registration
The Animal Identification and Registration System (IRZplus) run by ARiMR. Duty to register the flock holding and obtain a number before placing birds, keep a flock register and report events (placements, slaughter). Basis: the act on the animal identification and registration system.
Salmonella monitoring and programmes
Goose flocks are covered by monitoring and — depending on use — by programmes to control Salmonella Enteritidis and Typhimurium serotypes. Sampling and testing follow the requirements; a positive result for covered serotypes means trade restrictions and mandatory measures. Basis: EU rules and national programmes. Goose diseases under surveillance are worth noting too — see the hub.
The most common formal shortcomings
These slip-ups recur at inspections — worth knowing before the veterinary officer visits.
Placing goslings before registering the flock holding
The birds are already on the farm, but the IRZplus holding number has not been issued yet. Registration is done before placement, not after — otherwise you cannot register the placement on time and a gap appears in the flock register. How to handle it is in the guide on flock records in IRZplus.
Plucking feathers or down from live geese
Harvesting feathers and down from live birds by plucking is prohibited and treated as a serious welfare breach. Feathers and down are taken after slaughter, and from live birds only gathering of feathers that fall out naturally during moult is permitted. More in the guide on goose welfare.
Not observing the withdrawal period before slaughter
The flock received an antibiotic, but dispatch to slaughter started before the withdrawal period ended — especially risky in the Christmas season when time pressure is high. This risks medicine residues in the meat and is a serious breach. The withdrawal period is counted from the last dose and recorded in the log — details in withdrawal periods in poultry.
Neglecting welfare: no access to water and wet litter
Geese are waterfowl — limited access to drinking water, dirty or wet litter and crowding are typical welfare shortcomings flagged at inspections. The general Directive 98/58/EC requires that birds be given adequate conditions. How to arrange this in practice is in the guides on goose welfare and housing requirements for geese.
Frequently asked questions about goose farming rules
Does a stocking-density directive apply to geese as it does to broilers?add
No. The separate directive with stocking thresholds (2007/43/EC) applies to meat chickens. Geese are covered by the general Directive 98/58/EC on the protection of farm animals and Council of Europe recommendations on ducks and geese, with details set by national law. You assess stocking and housing through the lens of general welfare (space, litter, access to water) rather than a fixed kg/m² table. How to set stocking is explained in the guide on goose stocking density.
Can I pluck feathers and down from live geese?add
No. Harvesting feathers and down by plucking live birds is prohibited and treated as a serious welfare breach. Feathers and down are taken only after slaughter. From live birds, only gathering of feathers that fall out naturally during moult is permitted, done in a way that does not harm the birds. More on goose welfare is in the guide on goose welfare.
Do I have to register a goose flock?add
Yes. The flock holding is registered with ARiMR in the IRZplus system, usually before placing birds, with a holding number issued. You also keep a flock register (placements, mortality, dispatches to slaughter). We cover this step by step in the guide on flock records in IRZplus.
Does a goose farm need a veterinary number?add
Yes — as an operator in the food chain the farm must be notified to the local veterinary officer and, depending on scale and type of activity, registered or approved with a veterinary number. The number identifies the farm in trade and is required by slaughterhouses and buyers. The procedure is in the guide on farm veterinary number — registration.
What about Salmonella testing in geese?add
Goose flocks are covered by monitoring and — depending on use (breeding, commercial flocks) — by Salmonella control programmes. Samples are taken and tested for the serotypes covered (mainly Salmonella Enteritidis and Typhimurium); a positive result means trade restrictions and mandatory measures. Confirm the exact scope and dates for your flock with your veterinary officer — the general rules are in the guide on Salmonella on a poultry farm.
Is this binding legal advice?add
No. This page is an informational guide — it organises duties and points to the details, but it does not replace the regulations or an authority decision. The law is updated from time to time (forms, deadlines and thresholds change), so always confirm key points with your local veterinary officer and ARiMR before each cycle.
Sources & resources
- linkChief Veterinary Inspectorate — welfare, biosecurity, disease control programmes (wetgiw.gov.pl)
- linkARiMR — Animal Identification and Registration System (IRZplus) (gov.pl/web/arimr)
- linkCouncil Directive 98/58/EC concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes (eur-lex.europa.eu)
- linkCouncil of Europe — recommendations on domestic ducks and geese (coe.int)
- linkInternet System of Legal Acts — national poultry regulations (isap.sejm.gov.pl)
Keep your paperwork in one place
DlaFerm.pl keeps your flock records and IRZplus data in one place, and can file the status-change reports in IRZplus for you — automatically, if you want. Along the way it tracks production indicators, watches mortality and feed, keeps the whole cycle history and a Flock Card, plus a farm entry log and a treatment log — without paper chaos. Create a free farm account or write to us.
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