goose questions ...beware, long post!!

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sofaloaf

Joined: 20 Feb 2005
Posts: 18
Location: Kent

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 8:14 pm Post subject: goose questions ...beware, long post!!

For our christmas present, my bros and I were given a trio of geese, a white chinese goose, a white chinese gander and a grey and white farm goose. They are lovely looking and certainly make our garden more interesting for people walking in the field on 2 sides of our garden! However, a few matters have arisen that I would like to query with others to see if they have come across the same thing...
1. I am starting to get a bit concerned that our grass can't cope with the poo. Its now v.short (of course, it doesn't grow in the winter, but it has got much shorter since the geese started grazing it) and I reckon that for every sq.ft of grass there must be 4-5 goose splats! There's poo everywhere, and its a bit of an eyesore, to be honest. Do others have this problem? Originally we were just going to get the chinese pair, but when we got to the breeder we couldn't resist the grey+white goose too! Could the poo be due to overstocking? They have approx 1/4 of an acre to range in, about 3/4 grass, the rest is our gravel drive- is this realistically enough space? Our whole plot is just over 1/2 an acre, but we don't want them pooing on all of it. We have been wondering whether to stop them going on the drive, because various friends and relatives have (politely) mentioned having to hop around to avoid the plops, and clearing the poo off is difficult. The thing is, they have to cross the drive from their house (converted woodshed, the end part of our little thatched barn) to get to the grass, and vice versa! I have currently saved up about �120- maybe I should put this towards a moveable goose house to put on the grass?
2. The gander, Gandalf (haha). He drives us round the bend (and hates us being there- he now attacks you if you bend down, or if you don't move away). I admit, when I chose Chinese geese I knew that they were 'vocal'. But I never really appreciated how vocal. I'm surprised that the neighbours (on one side, the other side is an open field) haven't complained. I know that this is normal, but being barked at non-stop from the moment you come out of the back door until the moment you shut it, is a little scary (and irritating after a while)!! The chinese female 'moos' quite loudly too (but not v.often), but she's cute and I really couldn't bear to have to get rid of her! The farm goose barely makes a sound, she just does big poos (and she's cute too)! So, the point I am trying to make in a v.longwinded way is: Shall I get rid of the gander to a wildlife park nearby, where he can live with lots of other geese (equally noisy Africans) and swim in a massive lake (luxury)? I'm worried that he will pine for his mate and that she will pine for him, although they're only in their 1st year and I'm not sure how attached they are. If I did that, then two quieter geese would be much more manageable than three with one of them being noisy and aggressive. I'm sure that if Gandalf wasn't there to herd them away from us and to attack us if we try to approach then they might be more open to bonding with us.
What do others think? The alternative would be to get rid of all 3 (but I like the idea of having geese and want to try to get over difficulties, rather than to jst get rid of them) or maybe to start again with a pair of small geese (pilgrims maybe), but this seems a stupid idea, geting rid of some geese just to replace them when we could have made it work. HELP?

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 9:17 pm Post subject:
Damaged grass is usually a sign of overstocking, geese do prefer open pasture though. You could try feeding them chopped greens, kale, cabbages etc as an alternative to protect the grass for overgrazing.

Gertie

Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 1638
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 05 8:20 am Post subject:

Sofaloaf - love the sound of your geese ('scuse, no pun intended).

I know nothing about geese - apart from the fact that as a young child I was chased round the farm by a goose who took a shine to my wellington boots and proceeded to take chunks out of the back of my leg

Hope mrsnesbitt reads this post (I'm sure she will), she has two geese (Jo and Dolly - a male and female) and has written an article about them on downsizer.

Is it the chinese geese that have those strange protrusions on their heads?

mrsnesbitt

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1576

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 05 9:15 am Post subject:
Wot's that Jo................. Say hello to Gertie...........

mrsnesbitt

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1576

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 05 9:16 am Post subject:
Sofaloaf pm me if there's anything I can help you with. As you can see, I've had Jo for 13 years and he looks well to me! So I must be doing something right! Regards D

Gertie

Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 1638
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 05 7:50 pm Post subject:
Hey up, mrsnesbitt! Say hello to Jo and Dolly from me.

DarrenG

Joined: 26 Dec 2004
Posts: 110
Location: Lincolnshire Fens

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 05 7:34 am Post subject:
firstly we have about 30 geese that we allow access to about 3 acres, and the grass isnt foul, so I cant understand why yours is, have you tried raking it up, and if the gander has suddenly become agressive keep your eyes open for eggs, often buried under the strangest of things

sofaloaf

Joined: 20 Feb 2005
Posts: 18
Location: Kent

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 6:07 pm Post subject:

Darren, I'm not sure whether our grass is foul or not because I don't know what foul grass looks like. Today I was thinking to myself, it may not be as bad as it looks, because we got the geese in december after the grass had stopped growing, so it has not been able to grow new shoots to recover itself (is this a good theory?) So that you and others can pass judgement on the state of our grass, whether it is overstocked or not, I have included some photos I took of it today...Sorry about the size, but I wanted you to be able to see detail!
Here's about 1/4 of their grass...

here's 2 pics from the worst bits where they like to congregate...

And here are 3 pics of the average grass, wot most of the lawn looks like...

What do you think??

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 7:00 pm Post subject:

I lived with a pair of (elderly) geese for 5 years. Their "paddock" was perhaps the same sort of size as your *photographed* space. But the poo density maybe wasn't quite as bad...
Are they eating grass only? Geese don't fully digest the grass and so produce quite a lot of poo. But its pretty innocuous stuff, and quickly biodegrades after a bit of rain. (I think worms love it and pull it underground - not much worm activity right now.) In dry weather much of it can can be raked up or collected with a (flymo-style) mower! I doubt their appetites will keep up with growth on that area once the grass gets going...
Feeding them some corn would reduce the amount of grass they were cropping, and so would reduce the quantity of poo.
They like lettuce and really soaking bread as treats, as well as the odd extra handful of grain. Getting them to come to you for such treats (rather than a confrontation) should be mutually rewarding!
The gander is going to be a bit 'boy-sterous' from spring until the egg season ends. He is just doing what comes naturally. He can't help it! If you carry a garden cane you can "parry" (fencing term = deflect) his lunges, but yes, you will have to mind your backside. You might achieve 'respect' once he recognises that you are bigger and badder than he is, but don't count on it!

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 7:02 pm Post subject:
Just a thought, but they have been saying we've had very little rain this winter. More rain would help disperse the droppings.

sofaloaf

Joined: 20 Feb 2005
Posts: 18
Location: Kent

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 8:20 pm Post subject:

Thanks for your replies, they've really helped! I will see if I can get hold of some alternative greens for them to eat, as well as corn and bread (I fed the gander quite a lot the other day by way of a bonding exercise-he seemed very happy in my company...until I ran out of bread! The result...instant attack! the two females are much harder to bond with) I will be more accomdating towards poor Gandalf as he's only doing his thing. Now I see that the change in his behaviour pattern has coincided with the breeding season, as he seemed pretty friendly when they arrived in Dec. I think I try and get hold of a movable goose house to put on the grass part, rather than the geese having to cross the drive, and fence of the drive bit with the electric fence so that all droppings are confined to the grass, where they're easier to deal with! Ta everyone!

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 05 8:22 pm Post subject: geese

i had a pair for a while on our 1/2 acre. we folded them round using flexi net which worked well though the dog couldn't get it through his head that if he taunted me conehead by barking, the goose could strtch the flexi net to peck at him.

mrs conehead was a fine laying bird. she layed form late feb till july time and we (sorry i made my husband do it) used to brave his nastiness during the breeding season to collect the eggs. he was so vicious that i refused to go into the pen in the end but we found that if you came in low and waggled your hand like a goose head while you hissed at him in return he wasn't nearly so brave. and always remember.............if he comes at you with one wing forward and one wing back he is serious about killing you. that back wing packs a hell of a punch.

but don't let that put you off of course

DarrenG

Joined: 26 Dec 2004
Posts: 110
Location: Lincolnshire Fens

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 05 8:05 am Post subject:

the grass doesnt look to bad either to me just use a grass rake on it occassionally, if you are going to use alternative greens altho the frosts have knocked them back a bit try to use spring greens, (sliced for goslings) they absolutely love it and its full of iron, its also a great food for week old goslings and they consume it with great gusto
btw I think you'll still be mowing that grass come the summer

DarrenG

Joined: 26 Dec 2004
Posts: 110
Location: Lincolnshire Fens

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 05 8:05 am Post subject:

mrsnesbitt

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 1576

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 05 9:29 am Post subject:
I noticed our geese enjoy the fat balls which dropped from the tree.you know the wild bird type. Yesterday Jo took quite a time to happily peck away at it..............so once you've given him some bread this would hopefully keep him occupied. Maybes feed him the bread in a type of challenge situation...so he has to forage for it..get my drift? D

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