Lots of feeding questions for new goslings

[NewGeeseMom]

Hi,
I just became a goose mom! I was given 2 Toulouse geese that are one week old and I am getting such mixed advice on feeding! Could anyone help me?

1. They are eating non medicated starter crumbles that says it's for chicks, ducklings, and goslings. It is 18% protein, but it only says "niacin supplement" in the ingredients and doesn't say how much niacin. Should I supplement? If so, how much?

2. When do I switch from starter feed to grower feed? I read that the purina flock raiser has too much protein (20%). What is a good grower feed and how much protein should it have?

3. What age do I stop feeding "grower" feed, and what do I switch to?

4. I also am feeding them grass I pick from my yard and put in their brooder. What is grit, and is it necessary? Do I put it on their crumbles?

5. I live on half an acre and when they have all their feathers I want them to be able to free roam and go in a 10x10 dog kennel at night, but I have 2 outdoor cats. Will that be a problem? How do I introduce them? Will they attack each other?

The geese have only known humans aside from them and a few other siblings, they were hatched in an incubator by humans. They follow me around and it's so cute!

Any and all advice for a first time goose mom please share!!

Thank you!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Expert info here.
http://www.metzerfarms.com/NutritionalRequirements.cfm?affiliate=undef&CustID=21569503

http://www.metzerfarms.com/RearingInstructions.cfm?affiliate=undef&CustID=21569503

 

[goslingluv]

Relax you'll do fine. Chick starter doesnt have alot of niacin you can buy 100mg tablets mix in a gallon of water. I let my graze in warm weather in a covered pen they get everything they need from the ground. they eat mixed flock starter when in the brooder.

 

[goslingluv]

Grit is just fine dirt they only need it when eating greens or soft food. The cats may be an issue if they like to chase prey but geese as adults should be fine with cats that are use to them. Get a toddler play yard or small rabbit pen type enclosure and sit out in the yard with them a little everyday they will graze and catch bugs and get grit just supervise. Mine will also free range on our land with everyone else and kennel up at night. There is risk with free range but also reward. Right now they are 2 weeks and stay out in a predetor proof pen in grass for upto 6 hrs a day i check on them regularly and can see the pen clearly from the house they have done great.

 

[NewGeeseMom]

Grit is just fine dirt they only need it when eating greens or soft food. The cats may be an issue if they like to chase prey but geese as adults should be fine with cats that are use to them. Get a toddler play yard or small rabbit pen type enclosure and sit out in the yard with them a little everyday they will graze and catch bugs and get grit just supervise. Mine will also free range on our land with everyone else and kennel up at night. There is risk with free range but also reward. Right now they are 2 weeks and stay out in a predetor proof pen in grass for upto 6 hrs a day i check on them regularly and can see the pen clearly from the house they have done great.

I just ordered an 8ftx8ftx8ft pet gazebo type kennel and it should he here in a few days! I'll have to add a bit of chicken wire to the door to predator proof it, but then it should work great. I just got 250mg niacin capsules, it was the smallest dose they had. How much should i put in their water? And should I put grit on their crumbles?

 

[goslingluv]

Put half that per gallon of water. They dont need grit with crumbles only with grass and veggie type food it sits in their crop and help grind up leafy food since the dont have teeth if your giving them grass just put a pile of soft fine dirt or sand in their brooder they know what to do with it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Grit is just fine dirt they only need it when eating greens or soft food. The cats may be an issue if they like to chase prey but geese as adults should be fine with cats that are use to them. Get a toddler play yard or small rabbit pen type enclosure and sit out in the yard with them a little everyday they will graze and catch bugs and get grit just supervise. Mine will also free range on our land with everyone else and kennel up at night. There is risk with free range but also reward. Right now they are 2 weeks and stay out in a predetor proof pen in grass for upto 6 hrs a day i check on them regularly and can see the pen clearly from the house they have done great.

Put half that per gallon of water. They dont need grit with crumbles only with grass and veggie type food it sits in their crop and help grind up leafy food since the dont have teeth if your giving them grass just put a pile of soft fine dirt or sand in their brooder they know what to do with it.

Grit isn't fine dirt, it is small sharp insoluble stones like granite or flint. About 1/8" the first couple weeks, 3/16" average till about 7 weeks and 5/16" or larger for older birds.
While they can typically pick up enough small stones on pasture, grit is very inexpensive so it doesn't hurt to get some.

I just ordered an 8ftx8ftx8ft pet gazebo type kennel and it should he here in a few days! I'll have to add a bit of chicken wire to the door to predator proof it, but then it should work great. I just got 250mg niacin capsules, it was the smallest dose they had. How much should i put in their water? And should I put grit on their crumbles?

Chicken wire won't predator proof anything. Chicken wire will contain chickens and other poultry but raccoons, dogs, coyotes, etc. can rip right through it. You'll need hardware cloth, expanded metal or something similarly robust.
Goslings typically don't need grit before a week of age. For chicks, I'll sprinkle some on the floor of the brooder with their food but after that, grit shouldn't be mixed with food. It either needs its own container or you can put some on the ground.

http://articles.extension.org/pages/67812/feeding-geese

 

[goslingluv]

Mine eat dirt and sand and do fine

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can you post a pic of your gazebo? a member on the duck thread had one and they had a raccoon stick his arm in and pull the heads off of 2 of their ducks after that they wrapped the whole thing in hardware cloth.