Feeding geese questions

[breezy]

I got a pair of african goslings a week ago. Im smitten by the little buggers. Im wondering what adult geese eat? Right now they are eating a mix of flock raiser by purina and meat bird crumbles by nutrena. What do I need to feed them as adults? Also I need ideas on how to keep their water clean as adults. I plan on giving them a kids pool ...do I just need to dump and fill daily? Do they need a pool in the winter and if they do how do I keep it from freezing? Ive got chicken experience but geese are a new adventure and Im on a bit of a learning curve. Please feel free to offer any other advice you think I need to keep my birds safe and healthy

 

[EvenLater]

I got a pair of african goslings a week ago. Im smitten by the little buggers. Im wondering what adult geese eat? Right now they are eating a mix of flock raiser by purina and meat bird crumbles by nutrena. What do I need to feed them as adults? Also I need ideas on how to keep their water clean as adults. I plan on giving them a kids pool ...do I just need to dump and fill daily? Do they need a pool in the winter and if they do how do I keep it from freezing? Ive got chicken experience but geese are a new adventure and Im on a bit of a learning curve. Please feel free to offer any other advice you think I need to keep my birds safe and healthy

Geese from day 1 are grazers. As they grow grass (and/or greens) becomes the majority of their diet. Do you have room for them to graze safely protected from predators? At a week old, they can be eating greens now, as long as you provide grit to help them digest. Dark leafy greens like collards, kale, and spinach are great. Also things like melons, apples, grapes. Just make sure things are chopped appropriately sized because they can't bite off pieces like when they graze on their own, and you don't want them to choke.

For keeping water clean with geese...good luck

For drinking water, I have found that elevating the dish as they grow helps keep them from swimming in it, while still allowing them to submerge their bill and head (which they MUST be able to do to clear their nostrils out). As for pools, yea, you'll be refilling it often, but from what I've learned, geese unlike ducks do not NEED to swim daily.

By the way....You are in trouble! WHERE ARE THE PICTURES?!

Lol

 

[jtn42248]

I got a pair of african goslings a week ago. Im smitten by the little buggers. Im wondering what adult geese eat? Right now they are eating a mix of flock raiser by purina and meat bird crumbles by nutrena. What do I need to feed them as adults? Also I need ideas on how to keep their water clean as adults. I plan on giving them a kids pool ...do I just need to dump and fill daily? Do they need a pool in the winter and if they do how do I keep it from freezing? Ive got chicken experience but geese are a new adventure and Im on a bit of a learning curve. Please feel free to offer any other advice you think I need to keep my birds safe and healthy

First of all I love your avatar picture. Now, congratulations on being smitten by geese. It is something happens and, I believe, makes us better for it.

Geese are, by nature, primarily grazers. They will get their primary nutrition by grazing so long as there is grass available to them. Because of this they, like cattle, tend to leave a lot behind and you may find their pen to be in need of cleaning regularly. You can put out something like flock raiser and a little cracked corn sort of free choice for them and allow them to range and graze to their hearts content. In the winter months when grass is sparse the flock raiser along with corn and lettuce will keep them happy and healthy. While they do not require a pool so long as they have a good supply of clean drinking water, they will appreciate the pool for their bathing and mating rituals. I clean and change the water in my goose pools daily. Partly because they do muck it up, not as bad as ducks, but also to assure they have a place to clean and preen. Our winters here do freeze and what I do is just break up the ice on the top and they seem just fine with ice cold water to get in, bathe and go about their day. I had three Toulouse, now 11 since they have presented me with 8 goslings, and they seem to do really well with the above. They have a couple of acres to range over, plenty of shade and sun, clean water to drink and play in.

Good luck with your birds, pictures are alway a nice thing to see as well.

 

[EvenLater]

Now I have a question! I thought corn is a relative "no no" for geese, because it's like feeding a toddler candy? It's empty calories right? I used to feed cracked corn to my Cornish Cross meat chickens because the goal was to raise them quickly for processing.

Correct me if I'm wrong please, I'm learning too!

 

[breezy]

I have been letting them outside while its warm to graze but its been cool these last few days. When do they no longer need to have a heat lamp? What temperatures do they need? They are still in down...I cant seem to load pics which are on my tablet onto here, any ideas?

 

[jtn42248]

Now I have a question! I thought corn is a relative "no no" for geese, because it's like feeding a toddler candy? It's empty calories right? I used to feed cracked corn to my Cornish Cross meat chickens because the goal was to raise them quickly for processing.

Correct me if I'm wrong please, I'm learning too!

I give corn as a treat during nice weather and when it is cold and grass is thin I mix some with their feed as a supplement. Usually the mix is about a half cup to a pound of feed.

 

[EvenLater]

I have been letting them outside while its warm to graze but its been cool these last few days. When do they no longer need to have a heat lamp? What temperatures do they need? They are still in down...I cant seem to load pics which are on my tablet onto here, any ideas?

Goslings don't need the lamp nearly as long as chicks or even ducklings, from my experience. Last week, we had Cas only with the light on at night and off all day. It's staying around the 65-70 range outside here now, and we are "no AC til it's sticky!" people lol

This week, he's done with his light completely. He doesn't like it totally pitch dark tho, so we put a normal household bulb in for him at night. (Yes, my silly goose is afraid of the dark! LOL)

Cas is just about 2 1/2 weeks old. He's still down covered, but is just beginning to get tiny little feathers on his tail, wings, and shoulders. He's also now the size of a nearly adult duck! For his temp, I watched him and went by what HE told me. When I noticed he would pant, he was hot so I'd turn the light off for a little while. When he started staying towards the sides and not under the light at all anymore, that's when I knew he didn't want it anymore.

So let's see, if you got yours about a week ago, I'd guess they're about a week and half, or going on two weeks old? At this point (unless they huddle and seem chilly) you could start turning the light off for a period of time during the day. I started an hour off then an hour on, etc at first. Goslings grow so fast, you really kinda have to listen to them when it comes to their comfortable temp.