geese eating my new trees

[2dancingrats]

planted Dogwood and River Birch. The geese won't leave them alone. Is there anything I can do to make them less attractive to them? Husband doesn't want to use wire "cages" around the trunks.

 

[dieselgrl48]

Sorry but nope.If you dont put cages up they will nubbed them down good lol.I had Toulouse for 2 year's and I didn't have a flower in sight.I Don't have geese this time and I DO miss them but I dunno if I will get anymore but then again I had 14 along with 12-20 on avg duck's and ducklings and the chicken's.NO GRASS NO PLANTS!If it's green or colorful they are most likely going to pluck it.

 

[DaveK]

If he doesn't want to use cages he can try the flexible corrugated drain line. Not attractive either but if it can be split and slid over a trunk high enough that they can't reach bark it will work. Like putting a protective sleeve on the trunk.

 

[duck walk]

oh those geese do so love to nibble everything...last year, Barney the gander would grab the trunk of the peach trees and shake vigrously to get the peaches for his babes...it was hilarious...he has kind of left them alone this year and has focused on the grape vines...oh well...the only thing you can do is wrap them or confine the geese...

 

[2dancingrats]

Thank you, everyone, for your replies. I think I'll try to talk him into the drainline for the dogwood. Riverbirch has multiple truncks so he'll probably have to go with the cage.
I love the story about the papa gander. Its the babies who are chewing the trees. The older two just watch. Our babies were "adopted" by our pair. They were so pleased when we brought the babies home. Our gander has turned out to be quite the dad.

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Our two were chewing everything in yard. As they are aging they are learning what to eat / chew-on and what not. We have three Cumquat trees. They started nibbling the trunk but have stopped. They still love reaching leaves and tiny branches but have cut way back on that also. I laid 50 squares of grass sod. 15 about 10 weeks go, 18 about 8 weeks ago and another 17 about 3 weeks ago. First batch is completely eaten or dead, second is almost completely gone and the last batch is about ¾ gone. Two Ganders and two ducks. And they get lots of processed food and various other green growing things. The geese are picking the foam insulation out of the seams of the greenhouse. They don’t eat it just love to bite and spit pieces out. I’m hoping they soon loose interest. I think they are getting even with momma, my wife, when she doesn’t pay enough attention to them.

anything that is green and thin gets chewed up.

 

[2dancingrats]

My older geese just LOVE dandelions. I could kiss them for that. The babies were probably 2 months old when we got them. I think they were being fed the "good stuff" and aren't as fond of weeds as the other two. They are murder on my corn plants.

 

[CMV]

I have my waterfowl parked on a weird, over-grown hill that has always been miserable to mow. I knew they were notorious for eating everything, so I figured I'd put that habit to work for me. I am thrilled with the job they have done. They pulled out all the invasive plants that had sprouted there and left a beautiful, clear bed of ground ivy. I had several types of invasive weeds and the geese and ducks either ate them or just pulled them out of the ground and left them. They also ripped out all my forsythia off-shoots which I was less than thrilled about, but I can't complain too much in light of the work they saved me.

 

[Baybrio]

Could you use the decorative wire garden fencing around the trees - the type that is about 1.5 feet tall that you push into the ground?