can geese live entirely off pasture?

[fowlsessed]

I read that they don't need additional feeding if they have enough good grazing, is this so? And would this be all breeds? cause I think I want sebastpools, if they aren't "special needs".
Thanks,

 

[Oregon Blues]

If you have high quality pasture, that should be all they need, as long as they have full time access to clean water.

They like young tender grass and don't do as well when the grass gets older and tough. Different types of grass have differing feed value, so I would suggest a good quality forage and pasture variety of grass.

Not too many places in the USA have good young grass available 365 days of every year.

 

[fowlsessed]

so what do you do when they don't have optimal grazing conditions? just give 'em some corn?

 

[1MrsMagoo]

so what do you do when they don't have optimal grazing conditions? just give 'em some corn?

No. Corn is not nutritionally sufficient nor a complete feed for geese and will cause them to put on a lot of fat. During times where no grazing is available, you can feed a mix of pelleted flock raiser (or layer while they are breeding), wheat, oats, black oil sunflower seeds, and a bit of corn. Basically, whichever grains are readily available with some corn, but not primarily corn. CelticOaks has her feeding mix listed on one of the threads here and her website.

Breeding season also happens in the spring, sometimes prior to the new grasses erupting for the season. If you have females, whether they have mates or not, they will need some extra feed and during this time and make sure to provide a balanced layer rations and possibly extra calcium: I also top dress their rations with brewer's yeast.

Some folks feed leaf lettuce (romaine, oakleaf, buttercrunch...not iceburg), kale, and chopped cabbage or sprouts during the winter as well. I have heard mention of hay, but am not sure since I live in a temperate area where I can grow grass year-round. Hopefully, someone that has no winter grass will chime in.
Also, their is a thread started by CottageRose I believe here in the goose section, dealing with having no grass due to the drought: You may want to check there.

Good luck.

Edit....I just looked in Holderread's Book of Geese and according to studies, geese not given any grain or layer pellets will lay far fewer eggs than those given the other foods. For the geese tested, White Chinese, that were reared on pasture only, the average was 14-20 eggs, pasture+grain rations 22-36 eggs, and pasture+layer rations 60-100 eggs.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Sebastopols are not a toss out to pasture and never do anything for them again goose. They dont shed water like other geese. No tossing them some corn is not adequate feed for them. Being in TN, you will need to provide additional feed to them since you have seasons and wont always have pasture.

We feed very little to the sebbies, but have green pasture year round allowing them to graze all day before being locked up at night for their protection.

 

[fowlsessed]

So what breeds are "toss out and never do anything for them again" geese? Not that I don't want to ever do anything for them again, but I'm curious.

 

[jdywntr]

I'm new to geese but I don't think there are any "toss out and never do anything with them again" geese. Readily available geese are domesticated animals and as such, require some care. The exception maybe canadian geese but they are migratory so to toss them out would be to see them go.

I'm curious why you would want to "toss" them out? I have a hard time understanding why people would go to the trouble and expense of purchasing and raising babies to then leave them to fend for themselves.

I feed my goslings once a day and they are free to graze from dawn til dusk. I am lucky though and except for about 2 weeks, we have had regular rain so the grass is green. I know that in winter, I will need to provide them with more feed when and if there is snow on the ground.

 

[fowlsessed]

You didn't read my post correctly, it's not that I want that, I plan on taking care of them(feeding, providing housing, med. ect) and interacting with them. It's just that if there is a breed like that, then I want it, 'cause it's apt to be much hardier and more of an "easier keeper" than most.
Just clarifying that.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Hatchery africans can fend for themselves very well in a pasture life as long as they have fresh water provided. Ours live most of their life in this manor.

Our sebastopols are on pasture all day with pools that are dumped, cleaned and refilled daily to keep their feathers in proper condition. They are locked up each and every night, as are the dewlap toulouse and americans.

We have Great Pyrenees LGD's so if the Africans wont come in from the rear pasture they are left out for the night, but they have the dogs to protect them. Most nights they will come up and pick a house to sleep in, but there are nights they dont, and I dont stress over them. They also do not eat much feed and maintain good body weight and feather condition.

 

[jdywntr]

You didn't read my post correctly, it's not that I want that, I plan on taking care of them(feeding, providing housing, med. ect) and interacting with them. It's just that if there is a breed like that, then I want it, 'cause it's apt to be much hardier and more of an "easier keeper" than most.
Just clarifying that.

Oh. I misunderstood.