Can my geese get enough food from my pasture?

[jmurno]

So, for a while now, my geese, despite my best efforts, have been eating organic broiler crumble with my broilers every day. However, now the broilers are gone and I am trying not to give the geese any feed so that they graze and forage. 16 geese. They have access to roughly 7 or 8 acres of pasture, 2 little ponds, a stream, and a little cattail swampy area. The pasture is not great, but there is a lot of variety.

So, I am trying not to feed the geese any feed, but they are so used to feed and will follow me around chirping and honking demanding feed. What do you all think? Just let them pout and get them used to grazing and foraging more?

 

[sourland]

I'd gradually wean them from the feed -

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Are your geese adults? If so, theoretically, they may be able to get adequate nutrition from just healthy pasture (grass and forbs), but, again, that's under optimal conditions...I still offer some supplemental feed - usually soaked grain in the non-laying seasons - even when they have access to good pasture.

As @sourland already said, you may wish to begin reducing the available feed and monitor to ensure that they're eating the greens available to them.

Best of luck!

 

[Jenbirdee]

Yes. what ^^ @FoodFreedomNow ^^ said.

 

[jmurno]

Are your geese adults? If so, theoretically, they may be able to get adequate nutrition from just healthy pasture (grass and forbs), but, again, that's under optimal conditions...I still offer some supplemental feed - usually soaked grain in the non-laying seasons - even when they have access to good pasture.

As @sourland already said, you may wish to begin reducing the available feed and monitor to ensure that they're eating the greens available to them.

Best of luck!

They are about 2 months old

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

At that age, I would definitely offer supplemental feed (and niacin), especially if the pasture isn't great.

What breed are your geese?

 

[jmurno]

They are White Embden. The pasture is varied. Some areas areas are wet and have plants that suit the soil, others are dry, and other parts resemble a lawn.