Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Goose poo and fish?

Every winter we get geese and ducks on the pond. By any chance do any of you guys know if their poo is used by forage fish as a food source? Will schools of bait follow a swimming flock around, which in turn creates a pattern for the larger fish following them?

I have not heard of goose or duck poo being eaten by any fish.

I do believe it adds to the nutrient load in your pond.

Further, goose poo on the land around your pond is a major irritation factor.

30 geese pooping in your pond is equal to one cow pooping in your pond.

That's a lot of poop.

ONE goose pooping in your pond for ONE day can add enough nutrients to grow 115# of algae.

Besides, I sure wouldn't want to eat any fish that were eating goose poop, even once removed goose poop.

Goose poop everywhere I've kicked it in a pond to clear a surface and I can tell you that the GAMs ... went to town ... on it. Scarfed it right down, little herds of them chowing down and pigging out. I have never observed them following geese for the next bowel movement but have seen footage (I think on National Geographic) of TP doing just that to hippos.

Geese forage almost exclusively on land. They also poop all day long much of which is not in the pond. One reference states they eat around 4 lbs of grass (I assume in dry weight) per day. In sufficient numbers they can definitely impact water quality. Is a goose's daily poo worth 115 lbs of algae? Don't know but if a fraction of 4lbs of grass is enough nutrients to grow 115 lbs of algae ... then yes.

I think density matters. A pond near me had a very intense bloom in September. Cause for concern. Something like 13" or so. As I walked around the pond I found the reason behind the bend. About 30 geese were hanging there. Not sure how long it took them to get the water in that condition but goose pooh is volatile and its nutrients will quickly be taken up by water to stimulate bloom. They have since left and now the water has clarity to about 2 1/2 feet. The pond is about 3 acres in size.

Here is more on the topic of nutrient loading caused by geese.

This is exactly why I refuse to eat fish, shrimp, or crawfish raised in Asia. China in particular!

We have resident Canada geese in our area that don't migrate. I hate them.