# Goose droppings.can they make cattle sick?



## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

We rent 8 acres two doors down from us. My daughter's 4H heifers are going to be released from the tiny pasture they are in today and have access to half of that property. The part of the property they are going to graze has an adjoining neighbor who has always had a bit of access to the pasture for his geese. There is a small meadow where the geese completely graze down the grass and poop all over. There is no easy way for us to block that off, but we EASILY can block the hole in his fence so his geese can't come over. However, we are not interested in starting any kind of trouble with him Aside from his geese "stealing" our grass, is there any infectious issues with goose guano and calves? If so, can someone point me to an article or something I could copy?


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

For the most part I would say no. Cocci is endemic in poultry, but also in cattle. Usually a stressor causes an outbreak so even if the geese do carry cocci and your cattle do not (unlikely) then some other factor would have to occur to cause an outbreak in your cattle.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Growing up in WA state we had huge migrations of waterfowl in our pastures with the cows every year and their droppings were never a problem.


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## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

Same here. I have Canadian geese which come to my pond every year and I've had (19 or so years) not a problem which could, in any way, be attributable to them.


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## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

Same here. I have Canadian geese which come to my pond every year and I've had (19 or so years) not a problem which could, in any way, be attributable to them.


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

http://www.clemson.edu/psapublishing/PAGES/ADVS/LL52.pdf


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/18835/fda-urged-to-ban-feeding-chicken-litter-to-cattle


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## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

OK, ew...just ew.


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## bigfoot2you (Oct 3, 2007)

Here in Maine we get the Canadian Geese every spring. One particular dairy farm I know of had a terrible time with them. The goose droppings caused, (yes, proven by the vet) the dairy cows to abort............the farmers got small cannons to set off loud bangs to try to get rid of them. Worked for a while.........beautiful but pests!


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## Jcran (Jan 4, 2006)

I wonder what it was that caused the abortions...salmonella?


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