How much feed should you give to geese?

[chickensducks&agoose]

I'm sorry if I misread the GEESE FEED post... I was browsing and had just seen the 'call ducks allergic to water' post, which sounds ludicrous... so I think i may have sort of combined the two in my overly tired brain... My goose is a wicked sucker for pancakes, but we only use whole grain flours even there... White whole wheat is as wheat as we go, I only have a man goose, and he's only mating with my ducks... so even if he does get fat (how can you tell?) I don't think it will affect his activities... I think he looks quite handsome, and he gets lots of exercise herding my flock of chickens and bossing his ducky harem.

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
+1 with the Chel.

I feed my geese Purina flock raiser, a little scratch and layer feed mixed now that they are starting to lay eggs, oats, wheat and BOSS.

My geese do not overeat and often they barely touch the feed depending on the weather and browse they have available.

I have 15 geese right now and they are eating less than 5 lbs of feed a day - all of them together.

If you went through 750 pounds of corn in a couple weeks

- the geese are either eating because they are lacking essential nutrients are only eating because it is there and they have a primal urge to fill a body starving for nutrition.

or

- you have rats or other rodents filling their bellies full of your corn. Lots of night time critters will feast on corn.

A nutritionally sound, well cared for goose won't over eat like that.

 

[papagoose]

I agree with Miss Prissy.

My geese have been getting between 6-9 pounds of feed per day. When we knew the weather was going to be bad with temps down to -30, I would give 9 pounds of feed, otherwise it was 6 pounds.

I was neglectful in researching the proper nutrition for my geese, but I did NOT use 750 pounds of cracked corn for only my beloved geese as my DW said! I had to feed my DW's large flock of Piranna Chickens (about 75 birds) and the other 4-legged critters as well! I also suspect that we may have had a two legged rat get some of the missing corn as well. Our pole barn isn't locked and we have had things disappear before.

I am going to the co-op tomorrow (possibly Tuesday if I can't get there tomorrow) and ask about all the good stuff I hear everyone is feeding.

I would have to agree about feeding bread in moderation being ok for geese. I think it is like with all things, too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Bacon and coffee comes to mind when I write this!

 

[Wifezilla]

the geese are either eating because they are lacking essential nutrients are only eating because it is there and they have a primal urge to fill a body starving for nutrition.

or

- you have rats or other rodents filling their bellies full of your corn. Lots of night time critters will feast on corn.

I agree. Corn is lacking in many vital nutrients.​

 

[Cottage Rose]

Maybe you should consider cutting back on your numbers so you can afford to feed them what they need.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

chickens need more than cracked corn too...

 

[cajunlizz]

chickens DO NOT need alot of cracked corn , only in COLD months ..... and ONLY as a treat to warm their insides .....

 

[lilshadow]

Quote:
We feed layer pellets with a little bit of cracked corn for warmth. In the summer they free range with a daily treat of chicken scratch.

 

[lilshadow]

Quote:
It isn't that we can't afford to feed them, it's just that we didn't know what to feed them. Papagoose is new to raising geese, and we went by what the previous owner told us. That is why we are asking here, because you guys seem to know what you are talking about. Not intended to upset anyone.

 

[ShadyGlade]

Don't feel too bad about not immediately researching what your geese needed. I got my first geese six years ago through a friend of a friend when a family was looking to re home some geese whose owner had died. The geese were pastured all year round & given as much cracked corn as they could eat. I carried on the same way. It wasn't until the following spring when I lost a beautiful buff and autopsied to try to determine what killed her while she was sitting. She was in good feather & flesh never acted ill just died on the nest over night. She had yellow fat deposits around all of her internal organs and a sac of fluid around her heart.

I was devastated! I had virtually murdered my girl with ignorance. Its mighty easy to believe that someone who is doing something necessarily knows what they are doing. At least you sought help before you had a fatality.