New geese question

[Duckedup]

So I drove about 4 hours round trip and picked up 3 pilgrim geese (a mated pair and an adult(?) male offspring) and am wondering how long I should expect them to be “settling in”? I imagine they are fairly stressed out but they have gotten in the baby pool and are drinking water, just not eating food. Could this continue for a couple of days? I’m also not sure what they have been fed in the past. I tried to give them some romaine lettuce and watermelon today and they didn’t look twice at the watermelon and only picked at the romaine? Just wondering what to expect, if anyone has experience. Thanks!

 

[dotporter]

Of all of the geese I've had, they've all done it different. Some settle right in and act like they own the place from minute one. Some take a few days and still act like you kidnapped them and they're waiting on a rescue. I've never had one starve itself to death though, so they should be fine.

(the ones that gave me the most trouble actually waited until I wasn't looking and were eating, so you might want to keep an eye on the food level to see if they're just being shy)

 

[sourland]

Can you contact the original owner and find out what they were fed ?

 

[Duckedup]

She just said layer pellets

 

[Linda Hicks]

Are you free ranging? I use gamebird/snowbird pellets. It is a soy product.

 

[Duckedup]

I am! They seems to be eating grass and they gave one of my ferns a haircut the other day! Also, they fly right over my fence, which I didn’t think they would do. They also love frozen peas. Their stool has changed color over the course of their stay with me to what I assume is more natural for them. I’m still supplementing with layer pellets but they aren’t eating it much.

 

[Linda Hicks]

I am! They seems to be eating grass and they gave one of my ferns a haircut the other day! Also, they fly right over my fence, which I didn’t think they would do. They also love frozen peas. Their stool has changed color over the course of their stay with me to what I assume is more natural for them. I’m still supplementing with layer pellets but they aren’t eating it much.

 

[Linda Hicks]

It seems to me that the laying pellets would have too much calcium in them for this time of year. Please correct me if I'm wrong on that. I would give regular game bird waterfowl pellets for this time of the year. My goose will only eat her calcium fortified grit when she is laying eggs, otherwise it's the regular grit. They just seem to know what is needed. It's good to know they are back to eating though.

 

[Duckedup]

Do you recommend a certain waterfowl food for them? And if so do you know where I might be able to find it?

 

[Linda Hicks]

I use gamebird/showbird by manna pro. You would have to go to the website to see if and where it is sold in your area. Also heard of a product called Mazuri. Ask for pellets for waterfowl and your feed store can help you. I free feed these pellets. They eat when they want them. When your goose is ready to start laying around February give her free feed calcium grit. She will know when and how much she needs. I also have grass hay broken into about 5" pieces, free feed. Letting them sit in a tub of water in the winter will bring up the oil from their glands which will insulate them. It's funny to watch them bathe in a snowstorm.