American(Buff, Blue, Lavander,etc.)goose thread! Post pics!

[Miss Lydia]

I do. It's amazing . They are still my lil nippers tho haha wow watch out LOL
Last night was the first night they spent the night w the ducks in a open floor- no cage- just their own nest beside the ducks . All went well! No one was bald when I opened the door this morning and the water wasn't dumped over - success!
Idk if they all slept together or ducks over there and geese over there but everyone was happy when I got to them

Question... I've been trying to keep the baby geese away from the ducks/ chicken feed because it is mixed w layer feed . 1 scoopFR & 1 scoop layer ... Then I was trying to feed the lil girls a half scoop FR .. Buuut they are dumping theirs or chickens are getting it and then geese are going for the layer mix ... Ugh..! What do I do? Will they be ok to have a lil layer since its not 100% just a lil .... Mostly they range...I was just worried since they are only 5.5 weeks and I know they are seasonal layers right ?
New pics of coloring !!

Lucy (left) buff Touluse mix
Lady (right) buff

Their coloring is so pretty, I don't think I'd feed layer till your girls are older close to laying which is around 8-9 months old. . I have lots of layers chickens and ducks and I only feed Flock raiser and put out oyster shell in a separate bowl for the egg layers. I usually have a few chicks and ducklings around spring and summer and from all I've read too much calcium is not good for them. I haven't seen very many soft shells or egg laying problems either. And one nice thing about FR is you can fed from hatch till end of life. Maybe since you mix it wouldn't be such a big deal but I don't know someone who has done it should weigh in on that.

 

[BarredRockGirls]

Their coloring is so pretty, I don't think I'd feed layer till your girls are older close to laying which is around 8-9 months old. . I have lots of layers chickens and ducks and I only feed Flock raiser and put out oyster shell in a separate bowl for the egg layers. I usually have a few chicks and ducklings around spring and summer and from all I've read too much calcium is not good for them. I haven't seen very many soft shells or egg laying problems either. And one nice thing about FR is you can fed from hatch till end of life. Maybe since you mix it wouldn't be such a big deal but I don't know someone who has done it should weigh in on that.

That's what I was going to do .. Just the FR and oyster shell . But the feed store told me that if I didn't feed or mix in some type of layer for my layers their eggs wouldn't be nutritious and there could be laying problems for both ducks and chickens ... Totally freaked me out! So I got a layer to mix in of course and oyster shell . I told them it says right on there " the whole life span" so would t that be laying age too?
So ok then no layer till this winter for the geese..? Do they go broody even w no ganders and no mating? Just wondered that's prolly a dumb question haha

 

[Miss Lydia]

That's what I was going to do .. Just the FR and oyster shell . But the feed store told me that if I didn't feed or mix in some type of layer for my layers their eggs wouldn't be nutritious and there could be laying problems for both ducks and chickens ... Totally freaked me out! So I got a layer to mix in of course and oyster shell . I told them it says right on there " the whole life span" so would t that be laying age too?
So ok then no layer till this winter for the geese..? Do they go broody even w no ganders and no mating? Just wondered that's prolly a dumb question haha

You know I don't know if they do or not. Some geese are better at brooding than others so I guess you'll just have to wait and see on that one. That's the craziest thing I have ever heard about the feed, course most folks that work in feed stores really don't have a clue. Oh and the brooding is a hormonal thing so if they lay eggs I'd say they could go broody.

 

[BarredRockGirls]

You know I don't know if they do or not. Some geese are better at brooding than others so I guess you'll just have to wait and see on that one. That's the craziest thing I have ever heard about the feed, course most folks that work in feed stores really don't have a clue. Oh and the brooding is a hormonal thing so if they lay eggs I'd say they could go broody.

I wish they would know more! Since they are selling the feed! Ugh! When I told them I had read ( from here actually ) that a lot of ppl actually just use FR and oyster shell and they couldn't believe that! That's when they started going on about how the eggs won't be good . I could eat them if I wanted but there's really no point. With out layer they won't have the nutritional value they would with it . And the shell and layer problems and for the general health of my birds... Omg ... I've raised broilers but never layers so all this totally freaked me out....
But if your saying that's not the case I'd love to go back to just FR and oyster shell ? . .. Less hassle and cuz of my geese... and well it's cheaper haha

 

[Miss Lydia]

I wish they would know more! Since they are selling the feed! Ugh! When I told them I had read ( from here actually ) that a lot of ppl actually just use FR and oyster shell and they couldn't believe that! That's when they started going on about how the eggs won't be good . I could eat them if I wanted but there's really no point. With out layer they won't have the nutritional value they would with it . And the shell and layer problems and for the general health of my birds... Omg ... I've raised broilers but never layers so all this totally freaked me out....
But if your saying that's not the case I'd love to go back to just FR and oyster shell ? . .. Less hassle and cuz of my geese... and well it's cheaper haha

I have fed Flock raiser since I started with ducks 9 yrs ago, and honestly I haven't had any problems with eggs or my birds. Lost a couple hens to ascities [sp] but that had nothing to do with feed. and people that get my eggs comment on how beautiful the yolks are. I just started adding some whole oats into their feed about 10% and will add more as we get into fall. I also give my flock chopped kale and Romaine lettuce occasionally, more so in the winter when foraging isn't so good. I spoil them rotten actually,. They even like chopped collards.

all has the calcium the girls need. But foraging is the best for them all right now. It's like one time I asked an old timer who actually has chickens and works at our only feed store what was the best to worm the chickens with, he told me to put bleach in their water. He was serious.

 

[flockman]

L

...

I do. It's amazing . They are still my lil nippers tho haha wow watch out LOL
Last night was the first night they spent the night w the ducks in a open floor- no cage- just their own nest beside the ducks . All went well! No one was bald when I opened the door this morning and the water wasn't dumped over - success!
Idk if they all slept together or ducks over there and geese over there but everyone was happy when I got to them
Question... I've been trying to keep the baby geese away from the ducks/ chicken feed because it is mixed w layer feed . 1 scoopFR & 1 scoop layer ... Then I was trying to feed the lil girls a half scoop FR .. Buuut they are dumping theirs or chickens are getting it and then geese are going for the layer mix ... Ugh..! What do I do? Will they be ok to have a lil layer since its not 100% just a lil .... Mostly they range...I was just worried since they are only 5.5 weeks and I know they are seasonal layers right ?
New pics of coloring !!

Lucy (left) buff Touluse mix
Lady (right) buff[/quote
Lady's coloring with the white is not the normal buff coloring. It is pretty though.

 

[flockman]

American Buffs don't usually have white like that. The white markings make me think of Pomeranians.

 

[BarredRockGirls]

I have fed Flock raiser since I started with ducks 9 yrs ago, and honestly I haven't had any problems with eggs or my birds. Lost a couple hens to ascities [sp] but that had nothing to do with feed. and people that get my eggs comment on how beautiful the yolks are. I just started adding some whole oats into their feed about 10% and will add more as we get into fall. I also give my flock chopped kale and Romaine lettuce occasionally, more so in the winter when foraging isn't so good. I spoil them rotten actually,. They even like chopped collards.

all has the calcium the girls need. But foraging is the best for them all right now. It's like one time I asked an old timer who actually has chickens and works at our only feed store what was the best to worm the chickens with, he told me to put bleach in their water. He was serious.

Ah! Bleach in the water? Lol ok I think after the bag is gone that's what I'll do then . My whole flock forages awesomely alllllll day and I give them kale , romaine and other treats from the garden every couple days or so ... Mine are beyond spoiled haha I'd rather mix oats than layer - cheaper and safer for geese and I don't have to separate feed . Thank you so much!

 

[zekii]

Our Lav & Blue gooslings are growing quickly, they are 6 weeks old now, we really like their personalities, they are the most friendliest birds we have
had so far, hope we don't regret it during breeding season...

Here's a recent picture.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Our Lav & Blue gooslings are growing quickly, they are 6 weeks old now, we really like their personalities, they are the most friendliest birds we have
had so far, hope we don't regret it during breeding season...

Here's a recent picture.

They are beautiful