Geese and Water Hyacinth, any issues?

[Crossy]

We put some Water Hyacinth in the goose pond hoping that it would help keep the water cleaner than it currently is.

Of course the geese promptly ate the lot.

Since they like it and we have a ready supply is there any issue with feeding them it regularly, they still get their goose food and grass from free ranging?

[TPI]

We have a dozen geese and they free range in the Klong, our only problem is keeping the goslings alive...they die off with startling regularity! In my opinion if they eat it it can't be too bad for them??

[cornishcarlos]

I'll 2nd that...

Most animals won't eat things that don't agree with them...

TPI, why are your goslings dying ?? I have been struggling to hatch them, 2 out of 6 on the last batch but the survivors are thriving

[Crossy]

Cheers chaps, that was my thinking too, they certainly seem to like the stuff.

Goslings need lots of fresh water and shade.

We don't seem to be able to hatch many (none of the last clutch hatched) but those that do survive just fine.

Not a commercial exercise, the beasts (and they can be beasts) are my wife's pets, sometimes I wish she would keep crocodiles (they never bite her of course).

[cornishcarlos]

It was my wifes idea to get our geese, as security

Backfired on her as they really took a dislike to her, mob attack every time she goes near them...

I spend a lot of time with them, just sitting and chatting with them. They are great animals..

[Crossy]

Well, the water hyacinth was a bad idea.

Once the geese had nibbled off the floaty bits the roots sank to the bottom of the pond and created a nasty black gunge that clogged up the pump.

Happy Saturday spent draining and removing all the goop

[tim armstrong]

Love geese - we rescued a bunch, let them free range but had to fence them in around the pond. Amongst the group that was rescued was a young duck, that the geese thought was odd, but were very protective of it. As it grew, two of the ganders though it was female and competed for its attention. The poor duck could be seen hiding, anywhere, to get away from them. Eventually we had to intervene as the duck was losing weight fast. So the geese were given to another home and we kept the duck. I would still like some but my wife got tired of their constant noise 24/7. They would eat most things, but really liked chopped up fleshy banana tree stalks. Is hyacinth the same as water lettuce ? as we have a lot of that - fish love it.