Since geese live on the water, a lot of people do wonder whether geese eat fish. We suppose this makes sense, right? After all, most animals that live on the water tend to eat fish. However, geese do not. Let us explain.
Do Geese Eat Fish?
Definitely! Nearly every single breed of goose has been reported as eating fish. Although, the chances of any goose eating fish will be quite slim. This will be for several reasons:
- Geese are unlikely to need to eat the fish to survive. Geese will only eat fish if they have a nutritional deficiency.
- The goose is unlikely to be able to catch the fish. There are better protein sources for them (i.e. bugs) that will be a lot better.
- They are very, very picky eaters. While they are regarded as foragers, they do not really eat everything.
If you own geese, you will see that there are some foods that they will just never touch. This is a stark contrast to chickens who would eat your grandmother given the chance!
If a goose does decide to start picking animals out of the water, it is unlikely to be a fish to begin with. Most geese will stick with smaller crustaceans.
They are easy to catch and, we suppose, they are going to be a lot more palatable to the geese. You will likely find that they end up eating the crustaceans during the winter months of the year.
That isn’t to say that the goose wouldn’t kill a fish. If, at any time, the goose feels as if a particular fish is at risk to them or their young, then they wouldn’t have any issues attacking it and killing it. In fact, they are very good at this. It is just unlikely that they will eat it after.
As a result, this means that geese probably wouldn’t do well in areas that have aggressive fish in them.
Do Geese Eat Fish In Ponds? How to Protect Your Fish?
If you have domestic geese and a fish pond, then you may want to know how to protect your fish from being eaten, even if the chances of that happening are going to be incredibly rare.
Obviously, geese need water in order to survive. Although, they do not need a huge amount of it. They just need access to water that they can swim on.
If they do not have this, then they are just going to fly away and find somewhere else to live. Since geese are migratory birds, you always need to do your best to ensure that they are kept as happy as they possibly can be.
This means that covering up the water source where the fish is probably not going to be a good idea. This is unless you have one place where your geese can swim, and another where the fish can live.
This often means that many people with rare fish ponds will keep all off their best fish in the same location, completely covered. We know that it will ruin the aesthetics of the area, but it is probably going to be a lot better than having fish that have been munched on, right?
Of course, if the water isn’t covered, there is nothing that is really going to stop the geese from eating the fish. The chances of this are going to be incredibly low, but there is still a chance.
Perhaps your best hope in this case is to ensure that your goose has a decent diet of food. Make sure it is nice and balanced so they have all of the nutrients that they need rolling in.
If the geese are getting everything that they need from one source, it is unlikely that they will need to branch out and eat other foods.
Do Canadian Geese Eat Fish?
Since Canadian Geese are among the most popular breeds of goose in Canada, a lot of people do wonder ‘can Canadian geese eat fish?’. The answer? Probably.
Canadian Geese are more ‘vegetarian’ than most other geese. This means that if they do eat fish, it does tend to be somewhat of a last resort for them.
If you have domestic geese and you feed them properly, then the chances are pretty slim that they will eat fish. We are not saying that it is impossible that they are going to be eating fish, so if you do have a prized fish pond loaded to the brim with them then you may want to keep it covered, but the chances are going to be pretty slim.
Remember; no matter what breed of goose you have, there is always going to be the chance that they will eat fish.
Geese need to eat too. While they are primarily vegetarians, they will tuck into other food if they require it. However, surprisingly, geese are going to be very, very picky eaters.
This means that if you do catch them eating the fish, it is either down to the fact that they are really hungry, or they managed to get a taste for fish in the past.
Final Thoughts – Geese are Vegetarians
For the most part, geese are vegetarian birds. Even though geese may eat fish sometimes as we said before, they spend the bulk of their time eating grass, with a few berries and other plants thrown in for good measure.
If they are in a pond or lake that has a lot of plants growing, then they may also dip their head in and feast upon that. However, most of the food that they get is from the land.
This applies even if the goose is lacking certain nutrients. As you know, the vast majority of animals are never going to stick to the same diet. This is mostly carnivores that do.
If Geese find that they are lacking some sort of nutrient, or if food seems to be a little bit scarce, then they may look to alternative sources. This means that you will find a lot of wild geese munching down on bugs on occasion.
It will never be a main part of any geese diet, but will keep them going during some months, particularly during the winter time.
