What Do The Geese Do All Day?
Geese clearing the paths – if only!
Goslings are tricky to raise on a small site because the geese are clumsy parents. Goslings die very easily. Hawks and crows find them very yummy. Hand raised goslings need a very careful diet including fish oils, no dairy and definitely no chocolate cake at Christmas.
Geese can sneak up on you when you are out in the garden picking herbs and give you a bit of surprise attack in sensitive areas. Geese don’t harm humans as viciously as dogs, simply because they don’t have teeth. They can still traumatise, scratch and bruise you. They can kill small creatures such as chickens, rats, snakes and lizards.
Geese don’t eat meat so they are not inclined to hunt. They are more fond of parading and attacking in defense. Our hand raised geese are great company in the garden except in late winter, spring, and summer. So, the cuddly days are very short.
Geese can be poor mothers if the house is small because they often tread on the goslings. Geese are not suitable in areas where you plant herbs and vegies in your permaculture garden because they are clever and will carefully pull at a plant until they find the tuber (as with waterchestnuts) or the berry or corn on the stalk.
Our Geese Are The Doormen
If you work at home, have good hearing and can handle large birds, sure, we would love to recommend geese, but if you work off-site or have small children – don’t risk it.