Tired of wielding a heavy hoe every time you need to get rid of weeds in the garden? Then you should think about weeder geese for once.
This unique specialty unit does not work on every type of plant - or in every garden - but where it does, it's a great way to tackle pesky weeds and get your garden back in shape. All of that without chemicals or intensive manual labor!
Here is more information about weeder geese - and what you need to know to raise them successfully.
Geese eat many types of plants but prefer grasses. Since they generally dislike broadleaf plants, they can successfully weed various crops that are known to have weed problems. This can reduce reliance on herbicides, which are not only dangerous and expensive but also largely banned in organic farming.
In addition, geese are light on their feet. They do not compact the soil like humans or heavy machinery and work diligently to trample down weeds for you. They work every day, regardless of the weather, and can be used in situations unsuitable for heavy machinery.
For example, they can be used in wet pastures (where machines would get stuck and ruin the soil) and they can pull weeds from close proximity to crops.
And when the season is over, geese can still be processed for their feathers and meat. They'll even spread tons of natural, nitrogen-rich fertilizer for you!
These animals are most effective when allowed to graze on broadleaf plants. Some of the best are:
Some claim they can be used on bananas too! Of course, how and when it makes sense to use weeder geese depends largely on the time of year, the nutritional value of the weeds around the plants, and how you keep your geese.
Since geese are vegetarians, you can also keep ducks with your geese to control pests, snails, and slugs if desired.
Generally, you'll need at least half a dozen geese for an acre of land. Again, this depends on the crop. You may also need to adjust the number of geese depending on the season.
For example, in some places, weeds are heaviest in early spring. Therefore, you should use more geese at the beginning of the season and slowly reduce the number as the year progresses.
Toward the end of summer, many weeds lose their nutritional value. This may cause your geese to choose your crops as a food source of food. For this reason, good management is essential. You should remove your geese (they are easy to herd!) before this becomes a problem.
Instead of breed, pay attention to the age of your weeder geese. Goslings tend to be more voracious and have a lighter weight (which in turn causes less damage to your plants). They must be at least six weeks old before they are placed in the fields.
Of course, your geese may occasionally nibble on fallen fruit and unharvested plants. This is not necessarily a bad thing - your geese will get plenty of nutrition this way and eliminate fruit that would otherwise rot and attract pathogens and pests.
Once the weeds are depleted, you may want to offer supplemental feed. This is a great option. It's not a bad idea to give a small amount of supplemental feed each day to make sure your geese are getting enough to eat.
More importantly, make sure your geese have access to fresh water at all times. The easiest way to do this is to provide five-gallon buckets. They do not need water to swim in like other poultry species, such as ducks.
For many growers, predator control is a major concern. Therefore, you will need to build or purchase some sort of covered shelter for your birds. They are not quite as easily acclimated to a coop as chickens, but you can use an automatic system like the ChickenGuard to keep them locked in at night.
Many farmers use movable fencing to keep their geese where they are needed most. However, this can be costly and time-consuming when it comes to daily operations. You can also use materials such as chicken wire and rebar to confine your birds, but permanent electric fences are not very effective for geese unless they are of relatively high voltage.
It's also important to know that raising geese does come with some challenges. They can be a bit noisy and are not very effective with broadleaf weeds (remember, they do not like broadleaf plants). They should be raised carefully, and you should make sure you fence and monitor them effectively.
That being said, geese are a great choice for the modern garden. No work is required at all! Okay... some work. But it should at least be worth it!
Do you use geese for weeding? Let us know in the comments below!
This unique specialty unit does not work on every type of plant - or in every garden - but where it does, it's a great way to tackle pesky weeds and get your garden back in shape. All of that without chemicals or intensive manual labor!
Here is more information about weeder geese - and what you need to know to raise them successfully.
What Are Weeder Geese?
Geese have been used to control unwanted vegetation for many years. Although they are used primarily in Asia, they are also becoming increasingly popular in the United States, where they are proving successful in orchards as well as potato, mint, coffee, cotton, and berry plantations.Geese eat many types of plants but prefer grasses. Since they generally dislike broadleaf plants, they can successfully weed various crops that are known to have weed problems. This can reduce reliance on herbicides, which are not only dangerous and expensive but also largely banned in organic farming.
In addition, geese are light on their feet. They do not compact the soil like humans or heavy machinery and work diligently to trample down weeds for you. They work every day, regardless of the weather, and can be used in situations unsuitable for heavy machinery.
For example, they can be used in wet pastures (where machines would get stuck and ruin the soil) and they can pull weeds from close proximity to crops.
And when the season is over, geese can still be processed for their feathers and meat. They'll even spread tons of natural, nitrogen-rich fertilizer for you!
Plants to Graze
Weeder geese are most effective on crops like cotton, corn, and strawberries. The goal is to select plants that the geese will not touch - they'll focus on the weeds instead.These animals are most effective when allowed to graze on broadleaf plants. Some of the best are:
- Sugar beets
- Onions
- Blueberries
- Hops
- Carrots
- Evergreen and deciduous nursery crops
- Most orchards
- Cotton
- Mint and other herbs
- Tobacco
- Potatoes
- Strawberries
- Garlic
- Cane berries (like raspberries)
Some claim they can be used on bananas too! Of course, how and when it makes sense to use weeder geese depends largely on the time of year, the nutritional value of the weeds around the plants, and how you keep your geese.
Since geese are vegetarians, you can also keep ducks with your geese to control pests, snails, and slugs if desired.
How Many Weeder Geese Do I Need?
How many geese you need depends on the type of weed you are growing, how prevalent that weed is, and what type of plants you are growing. Of course, your climate also plays a role.Generally, you'll need at least half a dozen geese for an acre of land. Again, this depends on the crop. You may also need to adjust the number of geese depending on the season.
For example, in some places, weeds are heaviest in early spring. Therefore, you should use more geese at the beginning of the season and slowly reduce the number as the year progresses.
Toward the end of summer, many weeds lose their nutritional value. This may cause your geese to choose your crops as a food source of food. For this reason, good management is essential. You should remove your geese (they are easy to herd!) before this becomes a problem.
The Best Breeds of Geese for Weeding
Any goose breed can be used for weeding. However, White Chinese geese are the most commonly used. They are active foragers and have long, nimble necks that make it easy for them to get to all kinds of plants. They are also very light, which means they cause minimal damage to plants in the area.Instead of breed, pay attention to the age of your weeder geese. Goslings tend to be more voracious and have a lighter weight (which in turn causes less damage to your plants). They must be at least six weeks old before they are placed in the fields.
How to Care for Weeder Geese
1. Feed
If you do your job right, you should not have to give your weeder geese much extra feed. They will eat all kinds of weeds but prefer grasses such as:- Puncture vine
- Chickweed
- Horsetail
- Clover
- Bermuda grass
- Sedge
- Nut grass
- Johnson grass
- Horsetail
Of course, your geese may occasionally nibble on fallen fruit and unharvested plants. This is not necessarily a bad thing - your geese will get plenty of nutrition this way and eliminate fruit that would otherwise rot and attract pathogens and pests.
Once the weeds are depleted, you may want to offer supplemental feed. This is a great option. It's not a bad idea to give a small amount of supplemental feed each day to make sure your geese are getting enough to eat.
More importantly, make sure your geese have access to fresh water at all times. The easiest way to do this is to provide five-gallon buckets. They do not need water to swim in like other poultry species, such as ducks.
2. Housing
As far as housing goes, you do not have to do much for your geese. Ideally, they should have access to a shaded area so they can escape the hot sun during the day. However, this does not mean you need a coop - even a few shady trees or a hedge can be sufficient.For many growers, predator control is a major concern. Therefore, you will need to build or purchase some sort of covered shelter for your birds. They are not quite as easily acclimated to a coop as chickens, but you can use an automatic system like the ChickenGuard to keep them locked in at night.
Many farmers use movable fencing to keep their geese where they are needed most. However, this can be costly and time-consuming when it comes to daily operations. You can also use materials such as chicken wire and rebar to confine your birds, but permanent electric fences are not very effective for geese unless they are of relatively high voltage.
Are Weeder Geese Right for Me?
While weeder geese are very effective for use in fields, they may not be as well suited for smaller gardens. If you only have a small patch of garden that you need to weed, sorry! Then the hoe may be a better choice for you.It's also important to know that raising geese does come with some challenges. They can be a bit noisy and are not very effective with broadleaf weeds (remember, they do not like broadleaf plants). They should be raised carefully, and you should make sure you fence and monitor them effectively.
That being said, geese are a great choice for the modern garden. No work is required at all! Okay... some work. But it should at least be worth it!
Do you use geese for weeding? Let us know in the comments below!
