Geese, chickens, ducks together - will the geese prefer to eat grass?

[Rafnel]

Hello,

I've recently obtained 4 goslings that I'm going to keep with my chickens and ducks on about 1/2 acre that they free range all day. Currently the chicken and duck feed is free-choice in some hanging feeders near their coops.

I'd like the geese to primarily live off pasture. We have plenty of it for 3 seasons of the year. My question is - given that they will be living in the same area as the chicken and duck feed, will they still graze for most of their food? Or will they prefer to fill up primarily on the chicken/duck feed that I have out?

Thanks for the help!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I raise Pilgrims, and they definitely take right to the grass as soon as they're put on pasture. They do eat supplemental feed, but I think their preference really is grass and forbs.

Adults may get most of their nutrition from healthy pasture, but goslings will need supplemental feed and niacin until they're relatively mature to ensure proper development.

 

[Goosebaby]

Hello,

I've recently obtained 4 goslings that I'm going to keep with my chickens and ducks on about 1/2 acre that they free range all day. Currently the chicken and duck feed is free-choice in some hanging feeders near their coops.

I'd like the geese to primarily live off pasture. We have plenty of it for 3 seasons of the year. My question is - given that they will be living in the same area as the chicken and duck feed, will they still graze for most of their food? Or will they prefer to fill up primarily on the chicken/duck feed that I have out?

Thanks for the help!

What breed are the goslings?

 

[Rafnel]

1 African, 2 embdens, and a buff. I wanted an assortment for the flock

 

[Rafnel]

I raise Pilgrims, and they definitely take right to the grass as soon as they're put on pasture. They do eat supplemental feed, but I think their preference really is grass and forbs.

Adults may get most of their nutrition from healthy pasture, but goslings will need supplemental feed and niacin until they're relatively mature to ensure proper development.

Awesome, glad to hear. For now I'm providing starter feed for them.

 

[Goosebaby]

1 African, 2 embdens, and a buff. I wanted an assortment for the flock

Alright so Embdens and some Africans are large heavy breeds, Buffs are medium breeds. Heavy breeds have higher nutritional demands so I would definitely give them supplemental feed daily.

 

[Rafnel]

Alright so Embdens and some Africans are large heavy breeds, Buffs are medium breeds. Heavy breeds have higher nutritional demands so I would definitely give them supplemental feed daily.

Sounds good, I'll provide some sort of all-flock pellet like with the chickens and ducks. Hoping they still do a lot of grazing!

 

[Goosebaby]

Sounds good, I'll provide some sort of all-flock pellet like with the chickens and ducks. Hoping they still do a lot of grazing!

They’ll definitely still graze, grass is like candy to them!

 

[Jenbirdee]

How many chickens and how many ducks do you have there ? because 1/2 acre can get completely wrecked and become totally grass-less in a few short months by ducks and chickens!... then the geese wont have their grass. I have ducks, chickens, and geese also. My geese have their own half of my 1/2 acre and the ducks +chickens have the other half, which is, you guessed it, grass-LESS .

 

[Rafnel]

7 chickens, 8 ducks, and now 4 geese. I can always move the geese to a different section of the property (have about 2.1 acres) if they need more grazing grass. Will see how it goes I guess