geese and ponds.

[macdoogle2]

I keep reading that geese do not need a pond and that a kiddie pool will suffice. Thing is I already have a 25x25 foot pond in my soon to be goose inclosure and it seems a shame not to use it. The cement pond has large cracks and needs to be resurfaced. It's about 3-4 feet deep in the middle. My plan is to place a pump on the bottom and run the water through an external filtration system and then recycling the water back in. Sound great doesn't it but does anybody have any suggestions on exactly how to do that? Also, I live in So Cal, South-East of San Diego and water conservation is a must around these parts. My thought was to add lilly pads and other aquatic plants to cut down on evaporation. Would that help? 2 turtles and some gold fish will be added as well. The 1500 foot inclosure will house 2 geese initially but I'm sure more will be added later. Main q is how to filter the water so that it can be recycled?

 

[Stiggy]

No its not a requirement but seeing as you already have something, like you said it would be a shame not to use it. Hopefully the geese won't eat the fish..... that or you could get some that they could eat. a filtration system sounds like a good idea and it will keep everything nice and clean, and water lillys would be a good idea. sorry I cant answer all of your questions as my knowledge on geese, and water pumps is limited but good luck none the less

 

[The goose girl]

Try finding a koi pond supply store.

I have a pond for my goose installed with a pump and a filter for koi ponds. Kois are supposedly almost as messy as geese. Mine are an Oase Aquamax 4000 pump and an Oase Filtoclear 3000 filter. This has worked fine for more than three years now. The filter is very easy to clean. I supply with using a fine meshed net once a week or so to rake out the worst poop and leaves, especially from the bottom and the surface of the pond. Only problem is I can't use the filter during the winter; it will freeze. But the pump alone keeps the water ice free most of the winter.

My pond holds about 400 gallons of water, and both pump and filter are a bit undersized for this. Geese poop a lot in the water! I share my goose with a friend, so she's only with me half the time. If she were staying with me all the time, I'd have to get a much more effective system. Right now I'm guessing the water quality is fine - a small colony of newts have moved in!

A couple of years ago I had to empty the pond - it had been invaded by lovesick frogs who continuously tried to mate with my goose's feet. She was so scared she wouldn't even go near the pond and she kept hissing at it. I relocated 36 frogs to other ponds in the neighborhood.

I'm not sure adding turtles and goldfish is a good idea. Both will contribute to polluting the water. Turtles are omnivores and may attack or bite your geese. Even the small ones have sharp "beaks" - I once had a 2" pet turtle bite a tiny chunk out of my finger. If the turtles thrive, they'll grow bigger and potentially more harmful fast. If they don't thrive, they'll die, rot, and pollute the water.

I tried planting Typha and Juncus last year, but both were gnawed down to stubs within a few weeks, and only the Typha has survived. Geese love to play with plants, even the ones they don't eat. Don't expect a goose pond to be a romantic decorative pond. I don't think lily pads will survive for long.

 

[macdoogle2]

Thank you for your reply. I found it very informative and also funny. Love the store of the frogs. Actually have another small pond/ fountain on the property that was full of tadpoles. None of them made it to frogs. Saw a snake in there that must have eaten them all up.

 

[Starfire669]

Thank you for your reply. I found it very informative and also funny. Love the store of the frogs. Actually have another small pond/ fountain on the property that was full of tadpoles. None of them made it to frogs. Saw a snake in there that must have eaten them all up.

I was thinking of adding a 125 gallon pond to my yard. I was going to see about making it part of a aquaponics set up as it wouldn't be near large enough for 8 geese and 7 ducks. Goose and duck poo are has made my grass greener, and if fish poo makes a great aquaponics set up then why can goose and duck poo? These are my thoughts anyway. Supposedly pumping the water to a grow bed filled with plants cleans the water and then the water is pumped back to the pond. The grow beds are dirt free, you use gravel instead. I haven't figured out all the logistics yet, but this might be a way to have a goose pond and a lovely garden as well.

 

[macdoogle2]

That's an interesting concept. I've been doing more research and finding all sort of good ideas. For that to work the plant bed would have to be outside the geese in closure or raised up so that they have no access to it. I hear some people use lava rock to filter the water and some kind of fiber mesh too. What kind of plants would you use?

 

[Starfire669]

That's an interesting concept. I've been doing more research and finding all sort of good ideas. For that to work the plant bed would have to be outside the geese in closure or raised up so that they have no access to it. I hear some people use lava rock to filter the water and some kind of fiber mesh too. What kind of plants would you use?

I am looking into talipia fish, they eat poop, and in turn are edible. I would probably plant some duckweed. I know it's a pest, but with the fish, ducks, and geese all eating it and keeping it in check it could help clean the water. That's in the actual pond. For the grow beds I'm looking at regular garden veggies, tomatoes, bell peppers, maybe some strawberries, those kinds of plants.

 

[macdoogle2]

I like the telapia idea. I hear cat fish are good bottom feeders as well.

 

[The goose girl]

I am looking into talipia fish, they eat poop, and in turn are edible.

They don't actually eat poop. Poop causes algae to grow rapidly, and the Tilapia eat algae - and other vegetable matter.

I know ducks eat duckweed - my friend's two runner ducks completely cleaned her pond of duckweed in a couple of weeks, and there was a thick layer of it all over the pond when they started. But I haven't seen geese eat it, and I know my breeder regularly has to scoop it out of his goose pond to keep it down. So I'm guessing duckweed would be a better choice than lily pads to keep down evaporation in a goose pond.

 

[Starfire669]

They don't actually eat poop. Poop causes algae to grow rapidly, and the Tilapia eat algae - and other vegetable matter.

I know ducks eat duckweed - my friend's two runner ducks completely cleaned her pond of duckweed in a couple of weeks, and there was a thick layer of it all over the pond when they started. But I haven't seen geese eat it, and I know my breeder regularly has to scoop it out of his goose pond to keep it down. So I'm guessing duckweed would be a better choice than lily pads to keep down evaporation in a goose pond.

Sorry, I was so tired last night, my brain wasn't working, lol. I suspect that talipia may eat some goose poo as I have seen my geese have green poo (grass) while foraging and talipia eat lots of plant matter. Also, talipia tolerate high stocking densities and poor water quality, and eat foods many other fish don't. Talipia are know to eat duckweed, algae, and Mosquitos for instance. But growing talipia to a size for human consumption is supposed to be problematic. I have read that if a single female talipia is present then the fish reproduce at a very high rate and stay small. There are chemicals that keep the fish all male, but these chemicals could be harmful to the ducks and geese. If I get beyond the research phase I may use talipia anyway, the ducks could eat some of the babies even if my family can't. I just need a way to have a small 125 gallon pond keep itself reasonably clean for the geese and ducks. Talipia and duckweed are both highly invasive species, but I have no lakes or rivers close to me. The duckweed I will probably have to design some kind of mesh or duckweed nursery in a small corner of the pond as 7 ducks and the talipia will eat it all. After figuring out which aquatic plants and fish to stock the pond with, then have to get a strong pump to pump the dirty water up to the grow beds. The grow beds I am planning would be raised off the ground, not sure how high yet. I was thinking of using gravity to push the water from the grow beds back to the pool. Maybe with the ebb and flow system that has a couple PVC as the bell to start and stop water flow. I would most likely use small lava rocks as my grow media. And since I have a ton of Rubbermaid totes, those would become my actual grow bed housings. As for plants, as said I would plant tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries, beans, herbs, jalapeños,even corn as I hear it does well in a deep enough grow bed. I don't think you can do plants like potatoes since they grow beneath the soil.

Sorry if my thought process isn't clear, I haven't had my morning coffe yet.