My Geese love their Hay

[psue]

It is difficult to find timothy hay here. Field after field of alfalfa. I remember living at home with my parents and we had horses. We could feed a bale a day at times. I didn't know if a flake or 2 is enough or should I feed more. Or do I just put it in something like Miss Lydia and then refill when they finish or have eaten what they like out of it? Thanks.

I give mine a flake or two at a time and just add more when they get low. Sometimes a flake will last 2 or 3 days and sometimes a week. Depends on the weather and their mood.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I give mine a flake or two at a time and just add more when they get low. Sometimes a flake will last 2 or 3 days and sometimes a week. Depends on the weather and their mood.

What do you mean by a flake or 2? not being a horse person i have no idea what that means.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

When you buy full sized square bales and cut the baling twine it comes apart in "flakes" which are pre sized sections that can be picked up and moved. The hay is baled by machines that fold and press the mowed grass into flakes that then get pressed together and tied to hold them until bought and used on the farm.

 

[flockman]

I give mine a flake or two at a time and just add more when they get low. Sometimes a flake will last 2 or 3 days and sometimes a week. Depends on the weather and their mood.

Thanks!

 

[Iain Utah]

A small square bale averages 70lbs. When the bale is pressed together, it cuts it into 16 pieces for ease of feeding. The pieces are called flakes. Here is a pic of a flake being broken off the open bale:

 

[Miss Lydia]

A small square bale averages 70lbs. When the bale is pressed together, it cuts it into 16 pieces for ease of feeding. The pieces are called flakes. Here is a pic of a flake being broken off the open bale:

I'd seen that before but didn't know it was called flakes. Thanks everyone.

 

[psue]

I'd seen that before but didn't know it was called flakes. Thanks everyone.

See we all learn new stuff on here all the time

 

[ChristineR]

Miss Lydia, I called your Asheville Southern States store. They carry 50lb timothy/orchard hay bales for $6.75 each, which would be perfect for your geese.

Wow! That's a good price and an orchard/timothy mix would be good. Miss L, don't waste your money on those tiny bagged "bales" meant for small critters! My mom buys those for her rabbit and insists they are a better quality, but they look the same as my horses hay.

They are so expensive when you figure out the price per pound.

It is difficult to find timothy hay here. Field after field of alfalfa. I remember living at home with my parents and we had horses. We could feed a bale a day at times. I didn't know if a flake or 2 is enough or should I feed more. Or do I just put it in something like Miss Lydia and then refill when they finish or have eaten what they like out of it? Thanks.

Can you find orchard grass? I don't know what's grown in your part of the country, but I think any fine stemmed grass hay that is horse quality would be good for geese. Stay away from legume hay for geese.

Stay away from hay that's meant for cows as it's usually a lower quality hay. Smell any hay you're thinking of buying. It shouldn't smell musty or moldy or overly dusty and you shouldn't see any little grayish spots on the individual stems that could be mold. When you get used to buying hay, stay away from any bales that feel a lot heavier than others of the same size. They are often moldy (baled while the hay was still too wet).

Buy the best quality you can find. One 90 lb bale should last 2 geese quite awhile. My horses eat about 25 - 30 lbs of hay per day and they are 1000 lb animals. I wouldn't think that a goose would eat any more than a couple lbs per day (that's assuming you're feeding them a pelleted diet and hay is just a supplement). That's just a guess, though. I've never actually weighed how much my geese eat. I generally just throw them handfuls of the hay that gets scattered all over the floor when I feed the horses.

You can usually find hay on craigslist during haying season. There is a wide range of quality, though, so you have to know what you're looking for. Usually, feed stores carry good quality hay, but not always.

Hope that helps!

 

[ChristineR]

And Miss L, you're chicken wire feeder is a great idea!

 

[squirrelbug]

Thank you Miss Lydia!

Have you noticed if your geese nibble on the plastic chicken wire? I am afraid that mine would tear it all apart

Thanks again

Joanne