How many acres of grass do I need per goose?

[denasfarm]

I am moving to the woods, beautiful place with a lovely creek that I know my 10 geese will LOVE, however there is NO grass!
So if I am going to clean off a spot and plant grass How much do I need to to plant per goose?
Also any ideas on keeping them on MY part of the creek without them going up or downstream too far?

THANKS
Dena

 

[Kim65]

I think half an acre to an acre would be plenty. As far as keeping them in YOUR part of the creek . . . hmmm . . . . that's going to be tough. LIKELY they won't go too far from home, but you can never count on that. Predator wildlife likely visit your creek too. I live with a river bordering the back of my property, and my geese don't know it exists and never will.

I imagine installing hog panels at your property lines would provide containment without interfering with the creek, but depending on where you live, there may be ordinances prohibiting interference with waterways, etc. I suggest fencing the grassy area you make for them and finding out if you legally CAN put barriers on or near the creek. My river would have my geese out to the Columbia in a jiffy, but I'd try something like you are considering for a creek. Good luck!! Sounds like your geese will have an idyllic goose life

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

We have a creek that surround three sides of our property. The ravine that leads to the creeks is very deep/steep so the geese do not go into the water. According to the guy that surveyed our property when we purchased it...we own one half the creek. Our neighbors "own" the other half. So depending upon your state laws maybe you can put up some type of barrier right in front of your creek. I don't think there's anyway you can fence the creek unless you own the property on the other side of the creek as well.
Your geese may have to settle for a kiddie pool or three

!

It sounds like a neat place - good luck with your move. I bet your creatures will love it!

 

[denasfarm]

We own 19 acres and the creek flows down the middle so I own both sides. I thought if I could do something with chicken wire but not submerge it all the way so I dont hinder the flow just keep the geese in my area. Its not a huge creek, more like a big stream. You can jump over some of it but its waist high in other spots.

 

[Kim65]

Geese like to dive underwater, and they might dive under the chickenwire! I'd use a hardier substance, like hog panels, and set them down inside the water. You'd just have to watch for branches and other things that clog.

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

I vote for the hog panels too. Only I'd put them in the stream upside down. This would allow smaller objects to flow through and yet keep the geese where you need them to be. Hog panels have graduated spacing...it gets smaller at the bottom. I'd put the larger spaces in the water.

 

[denasfarm]

Well Hog panels it will be! I suppose Tractor supply will have just what I need!
Now as to the grass, lets say I plant an acre, what breed of grass would be best for a goose?
or should I do a mix with clover and stuff like a green field? I have yard grass, hay grass, clover and assorted weeds here (3 acres). This was a horse farm before I made it a poultry farm.
This starting over from scratch is hard!

 

[Terri O]

My geese seem to like regular yard grass the best, well and my neighbor's corn! I cant seem to convince him that they only eat the tops of the plant though...

The one problem that I think you might have is that you will need to keep them off for a while until it gets established so they dont pull up the roots! There is sure to be some type of pasture mix at TSC when you get your panels. (man, that is a cool store!) Good luck with the creek thing! Terri O

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

Your grass will go further if you fix a system to rotate the geese on it. Divide the planted area into maybe thirds. Let them on one area until it begins to look like they are doing damage to it and then move them to the next section, then the next. That will give each section a chance to regrow while the geese are chowing down on another section. Geese are really good at totally killing out grass and other plants. I have seen them work at a plant root until they get it out of the ground to eat it. And they clear the closest section first - lazy critters.....

This is where chicken wire should work just fine if they do not need predator protection, or even the easy to move electric mesh.

 

[denasfarm]

I thought about planting feed corn(and sunflowers) along the edges of the area to be grass but that may invite racoons and such. I have two Am Bulldogs that should keep all 4 legged predators away. They cant be everywhere at once but they try. Problem is they ignore sky danger. Where we are now I have the geese in a chain link fence at night and anytime we leave. They have free range the rest of the time and basically stay right around the 1 acre the house is on and chill on the front porch or back patio. I know YUCK but Id rather they be close and I have a hose.