How do I stop the holes?!?

[LindseyM12]

Hi all! I have a problem. I have to geese and they are destroying my chicken run. They take the water and spill it all over the place and make holes everywhere!

How do I make them stop?!? They are killing the grass and they spill all over the place inside the coop too. Help!

 

[BulachsCochins]

not much you can do, sorry

 

[floridaquilter]

My geese love to make holes. They dig their beaks in the ground and look for bugs and tender grass. I don't see how anyone can make them stop other than putting them in a pen just for them. My geese rule the whole front yard so walking must be done carefully to prevent falling. As for the waterers and feeders I have the big 30lb feeders and they can't tip them over when full of feed. they will tip them if it is empty. and for water I have a 3 gallon waterer and cement mixing tubs full of water. They are incapable of tipping them.
I also keep some toys out there for them.

 

[rainplace]

The best you can do is put pea gravel or sand around the waterers.

 

[LindseyM12]

Thanks guys!

 

[Olive Hill]

IMO, if they're demolishing the place and killing the grass they don't have enough space. Geese need a lot more square footage per bird than chickens do. You will need small sacrifice areas around the high traffic items -- feeder, waterer, pool/pond -- but if they have ample space only a small area around those things will be killed off.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You don't say how big your chicken run is, but chickens will kill all green stuff in a run and dig holes for dust baths. I doubt it is just your geese causing that problem.

The only way to fix a problem like this is to give them a tremendous amount of space, and, as Olive Hill said, they will still destroy the green stuff and dig holes in high traffic areas, whether geese or chickens.

Keeping ducks or geese with chickens is a little challenging because of the water issue. It's just the way geese and ducks drink and handle the water. They will make a mess. Keep your water out of the coop and arrange for good drainage around the waterer in the run. Building up pea gravel or sand in that area will help, but unless you are built on sand, the water needs some place to drain to. I can't tell you how to manage that.

Good luck!

 

[Cottage Rose]

I agree with Olive Hill, they need more space.
They won't drill as much if they have grass to graze on.
If you must keep them confined give them leafy alfalfa
hay and tree branches to nibble on and prevent boredom.
Good luck!