Do geese need greens/grass in the winter also?

[redhen]

And if so, what do those of us do in New England? Right now i'm feeding my 2 Sebs an all purpose(chicken/duck/geese) grower feed that i bought at TSC. And i supplement with grass and greens from my garden. But it will soon be fall here..is the feed from the store enough for them? Also..do i give them layer when they start to lay. Thanks for any advice.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
yes they can live on bagged feed but they still like greens. Some people make deals with the produce departments of grocery stores to get any trimmings or other waste from that department. Some feed stores will have alfalfa pellets or cubes for horses. Soaked in water the geese will bill them to death. DO NOT GET RABBIT PELLETS, TOO MUCH SALT AND THEY ARE MADE ROCK HARD TO WEAR DOWN THE TEETH OF RODENTS. they are for rodents only not geese! Good green Alfalfa Hay will work too, the geese will eat the leaves but leave the stalks/straw. This can be expensive if hay is as high this year as it was last year. Don't accept moldy hay!
you should give them layer before they start to lay for best results. Oyster shell lets them produce shells for their eggs rather than stealing calcium from their own bones..

 

[redhen]

Thanks! I have a hard time finding good hay around here..like the real hay bales. But i bet i can find small bags of it in pet stores. Thanks again.

 

[banter]

Hello from Banter! How are the kids?In the winter, I have made great use of cabbage, which is cheap and they seem to like it. I look for sales on collards, kale and any other greens. Thawed frozen peas are a hit, and mine will eat carrots, just roughly chopped.

 

[Cottage Rose]

It's great to supplement greens in the winter but just wanted you to know they will survive fine without
them as well.
About all I give my geese in the winter for treats is apples and leafy hay but not everyday.
Maybe a few times a week.

 

[Wifezilla]

My ducks liked alfalfa cubes soaked in warm water over last winter.

 

[Cottage Rose]

I think I will try pellets or cubes this year.
I offer hay so they would have something to nibble on and pick through to help with winter boredom.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Awesome! Thats what i put in my garden for them! Collards, Kale, Romaine lettuce, Swiss Chard. THe babies are beautiful! I just love them! They dont like my piggys though..they goose 'um!

 

[redhen]

I was wondering about the hay...will it impact their crops?

 

[Cottage Rose]

Quote:
Some of those cold weather crops will last a long time if you mulch them with straw.

I've never had any problems with feeding hay.
They just pick off the leaves and leave the stems.

Just thought of something else my geese like in the winter....
left over baked squash and the baked skins.