Best grass for pastured waterfowl

[TwistedTayy]

So I’m setting up the coops for the baby geese and ducklings still in brooder… there are quite a few bald spots around the yard so I thought I may as well plant some grasses (and herbs) that they’d like to forage around. Bermuda grows well (I’m in Georgia near Atlanta) and rye grass fescue etc.. I know they’re going to annihilate their runs so I was thinking of mulching the inside of the goose run (they will all range during the day). But the duck pen could potentially have grass possibly. Anyways I’m curious what y’all think. I’m going to plant herbs around for them in pots to nibble at. But the grass is a conundrum.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Why are there bald spots? Shade, too wet, hard pan? You need to plant something that would grow in those conditions or change the conditions. Or are they bald because you just changed something there? It won't do any good to plant something there that won't grow.

In general it's usually best to plant a native grass they will eat. Bermuda sounds good for your area. Rye grass or fescue should work. They will eat clover and lespedeza but that may not look that good in your yard.

I'd wait for them to annihilate their runs before I did anything in there. I don't know how big the runs are or how much they will be locked in them since you plan on ranging. Many people turn their runs into a compost pile. I don't know how well that will work with ducks or geese as they are both water fowl. They may keep it too wet.

 

[TwistedTayy]

Why are there bald spots? Shade, too wet, hard pan? You need to plant something that would grow in those conditions or change the conditions. Or are they bald because you just changed something there? It won't do any good to plant something there that won't grow.

In general it's usually best to plant a native grass they will eat. Bermuda sounds good for your area. Rye grass or fescue should work. They will eat clover and lespedeza but that may not look that good in your yard.

I'd wait for them to annihilate their runs before I did anything in there. I don't know how big the runs are or how much they will be locked in them since you plan on ranging. Many people turn their runs into a compost pile. I don't know how well that will work with ducks or geese as they are both water fowl. They may keep it too wet.

Im not sure actually, we just moved in. The previous owners were an older couple and I think they were cutting the lawn too short, so it didnt have a good root system in our clay soil and weren't adding seed.

The duck run is 10 x 10 and the goose (a pair of pilgrims) will have a 5x5. The plan is to let them out in the mornings and then in the early evening put them in their run and then at sundown lock them into their coops at night. The geese will just have a dog house in theirs because apparently they prefer to sleep outside anyways unless nesting. The runs will be predator proofed with a skirt of hardware cloth so I was debating letting some ground cover grow through that or build a small 1' x ? garden bed around the perimeter for security and for herbs (bug repellent and healthy munchies for them).

I understand both geese and ducks need something sturdy for them to stomp on but geese prefer to eat "soft" grasses. I just haven't been able to figure out example of what's what!