Feeding Oats To Geese

[Oneacre Homestead]

Hi, I know this would not work in winter, but how about sectioning off a piece of goose pasture and making a little garden bed then pout down solid seeds and then cover with a thin layer of dirt and water. I do this in trays to make buckwheat and sunflower sprouts for our salads and it is easier than sprouting seeds in a jar or bucket, which often ends in the seeds drying out or going moldy.
When you have your bed of sprouts, move the fence and let the geese have at it, then when it is desimated , start over! I think you could do it a bunch of times in the same spot because for sprouts most of the nutrients are from the seed.

Also, OB, my geese loved the steamed oats Then the next day I tried just plain cold water on the oats and they cleaned them all up, just with less enthusiasm.

PTwoody, the whole point of this place (to me) is to ask questions. I know plenty of people who would not know that rolled oats don't sprout, including me a few years ago.

 

[Oregon Blues]

That would work very nicely.

Or you could do exactly that and let the plants get established well enough so that the roots don't pull out easily. Then you let the birds trim the plants and then pen them out until the plants re-grow from the roots.

I planted a bunch of chard this wear to cut for the geese and every day the wild quail come in and nibble off the growth. Several months and the chard is still only 1/2 an inch tall. It's still trying to grow, so it can take a lot of close trimming. My lettuce (for me) didn't survive the close haircut given by the quail.

 

[birdboy508]

thanks maybe ill try that.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Quote:
I've been doing this with shade grass seed- when I don't have a free spot to plant I use hay bales with a 1/2 inch of garden soil on top. Within a week its a few inches tall, the gesse go to town, and then I start over. I really want to try the oats though- have to see what our co-op offers. Last winter got awfully expensive buying greens at the grocery store after the birds overgrazed everything.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Happy Mtn. what a great tip!

I've been meaning to try growing stuff on hay or straw bales.
I understand you can plant vegetables on them too.
I've found that the whole oats I feed my geese are very easy to grow.
If some spills on the ground and you leave it there you will soon have oats.

I feed newborn goslings rolled oats and then eventually whole oats.
You can feed goslings up to 20% rolled oats added to their starter or grower ration.
I feed my adults 1 part whole oats to 2 parts multi flock ration.

Hey ptwoody
The people who are bothered by questions aren't worth worrying about.
The only dumb queston is the one you don't ask.
As for those snooty self appointed experts that intimidate beginners, this is what I have to say to you...

 

[Miss Lydia]

I know we're talking about oats here and I use oats in my ducks, goose and chickens feed also, but I am wondering if anyone has used Comfrey as feed? I don't have alot of plants but I read somewhere that it is a good food to feed to our birds. and should it be dried or fed fresh?

 

[Oregon Blues]

I would feed comfrey fresh. Unless I had a lot of it, and then I might feed it fresh plus dry some for the winter.

I would do a small test of dried to make sure they liked it before I invested a lot of time in drying. Comfrey probably should be limited to a small part of the diet.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Thanks Oregon, I think i'll cut some leaves and shred to see if they like it. It grows where they have acsess but they don't bother it, but it could be because there is so much other things to eat at this time of the year.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Quote:
Comfrey has some toxic properties and its not recommended for human consumption so you might want to look into it before offering it to your geese.

 

[bluejeans]

whole oats sprout quickly in a green house in winter and is great greens for geese and ducks .

no green house? i think it may be worth a try sprouting some out doors in glad garbage bags with a little soil on the bottom . before water is put in the bag ..

mix oats and dirt in bag by hand to hand motion then add water and seal bag,, check on it every 3 days and when growing well open bag for sunlight during day ..

you may even want to make a square wire frame that can be inserted in bag for a larger growing area and easier opening for sunlite during day . if this works you can have several bags growing greens during winter.. oats grass is much more cold tolerant than many think.. you may even want to try puting nursery cans in garbage bags to grow these greens..

whole oats, milo, barley, rye, and wheat .. you may enjoy growing this way for ducks and geese..