Drought has dried up all my grass! What are you feeding?

[Cottage Rose]

Hey folks in the drought/dried up grass areas...
what are you feeding your geese this summer?
I've been supplementing with hay but mainly Alfalfa available around here so a lot of that goes to waste
because its stemmy.
I think this is the first summer ever I'm looking forward to winter.

 

[SummerChick]

We gave been getting rain this past few weeks but before the rain grass had started drying up, I set the sprinkler in a few areas so the geese would have green grass, I only have two geese. For now everything is green. For fall I plan to grow a bunch of lettuce and greens.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Vicky, can you run sprinklers at all to help green up some?

 

[Goose and Fig]

I am watering like crazy when its not raining. Have to take mine off the grass for a couple hours a day, or we'll have nothing left soon.
We found some really nice grassy hay for the horses and donkeys and the geese and ducks have been getting into it too.
I've been making lots of salads for them for when they are not on pasture, growing little plots of wheat grass and romaine.Turnip greens soon. Its not easy with a big flock!

I am going to work out some kind of greenhouse or cold frame so I can grow more during the cold months. Just need some lumber and cooler working weather.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Amy, ever thought of using PVC hoops that you pull back the cover and allow the geese access and then cover back over? Thinking the cold frame fabric in cold months would work well for you.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Thats the problem if you have a lot of geese.
If I sprinkled as much as I would need to green up the geese pasture land
my electric bill would be $1000. a month!
I shutter to think what my next bill will be due to the extra water for my ducks and geese
and the sprinkling I do.
All I've been sprinking is one flower bed by my house and a small vegetable garden.
I have some smaller flowering shrubs that look like they are on the verge of dying.
I have to get them some water soon.
All my lawn grass and pasture land is brown and dormant but it will come back once we get some adequete rainfall.
Hope we at least get some regrowth for fall.
This has been the worst drought since the late 80's.
We got a little rain last night but not enough to make a difference.
I really feel for the farmers that will be losing crops.
Feel for our wallets with the no doubt big increase in grocery prices coming soon.
Think I will do alot more canning this year.

 

[Cottage Rose]

I might to try sprouting some oats

 

[Cottage Rose]

If you do a search on how to build a greenhouse for $50. you will find a variety of websites that show you how to DIY with PVC pipe.
I've been wanting to do this for a long time now. Just make sure if you live in a cold climate to do the version thats reinforced to handle the weight from the snow
and be prepared to brush the snow off regularly so it doesn't cave in.

I am watering like crazy when its not raining. Have to take mine off the grass for a couple hours a day, or we'll have nothing left soon.
We found some really nice grassy hay for the horses and donkeys and the geese and ducks have been getting into it too.
I've been making lots of salads for them for when they are not on pasture, growing little plots of wheat grass and romaine.Turnip greens soon. Its not easy with a big flock!

I am going to work out some kind of greenhouse or cold frame so I can grow more during the cold months. Just need some lumber and cooler working weather.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

I am worried what feed prices will do because of the drought. Hope you start seeing rain soon Vicky. We could use a bit less water currently here.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Yep, no doubt feed will go up again.

I'm already paying double what I use to.
If this keeps up I may have to cut back on my flock even more
and not grow out as many annual goslings next year.