Feed costs

[Leader Bee]

To those of you who have to supplement your geese with feed if you don't have enough pasture, what would you say the average cost per goose is to you per month?

thanks!

 

[Iain Utah]

I have pasture in summer and hay in winter, but still supplement with grain year round. Grain amounts taper off in spring, but increase in fall. I feed a mix of mazuri, Flockraiser and whole corn. On average, it costs approx. $5 per month, per goose.

 

[Leader Bee]

Thanks Iain,

I know i'll be needing to supplement my geese year round (there'll be a gardens worth of lawn for them) but just wanted to find out just how much extra I'd be needing to supplement them and what the costs would be; I knew they were cheap but $5 per month is next to nothing.

 

[Iain Utah]

My quote is also on high end, because I feed mazuri. But it does start to add up when you have as many birds as I do. I have 34 geese, 34 ducks, and 12 chickens, and feed between 150-200 lbs per week (depending on season), which costs an average of $80 per week.

On the other hand, my 3 dogs with their food/treats, supplements and meds, cost an average of $90 per week.

 

[Leader Bee]

Yeah I can see how that would add up - i'll just be getting two to begin with (pets) if I have room for three I might add one later - not interested in keeping them as produce birds but I thought with work that it'd be something easier and fairer to keep than dogs.

 

[bluemerle]

I live in the States, so my cost will differ, but I have been keeping track: for my pair of Africans, a bag of Flock Raiser ($21.95 locally) will last them about 34 - 37 days.

So if you figure about four weeks of food, they cost $5/week. This might increase slightly as we head off into winter, where grass will not be available .... but I plan on growing them supplemental fodder, which will be an extra cost but will make the feed last longer as well.

 

[Leader Bee]

I think it's probably a bit unfair to the animals but is it possible to raise geese on feed alone? I.e no grass at all?

 

[Gray Farms]

I think it's probably a bit unfair to the animals but is it possible to raise geese on feed alone? I.e no grass at all?

Yes it's possible

 

[ColtHandorf]

Mine much prefer grazing all day in the yard, but they do love to scarf down any scratch grain, pellets, or crumble that I might be handing out to the chickens. They seem to prefer grain to crumble, and crumble to pellets.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I live on the side of a mountain and have no grass mostly rock and shallow soil. I also have chickens and anything I have tried to plant they pretty much take care of. Mine eat mostly grain and I supplement their diet with greens I buy at the grocer. I did buy poultry forage seed and planted it in an area where the chicken and the rest of the flock can only be on when I am with them but they didn’t seem to excited by it. Mine have done great on what they eat my gander is going to be 13 next spring his mate will be 8. I would love for them to have pasture though.