New to geese! Not sure about/how establishing a routine.

[Weeg]

Are you feeding any kind of free choice feed at the moment? Or are they just getting Whatever you toss in there? Isn't there a free choice Goose feed to can provide? Rather then scratch grains, wheat and veggies? That doesn't sound like a healthy diet to me, but again, I have never owned geese. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
@Isaac 0 may have more suggestions.

 

[Weeg]

Would this work free choice? That seems like the healthiest option to me.
https://www.kalmbachfeeds.com/product/duck-goose/

 

[Ganspaar]

Well, we've only had them 1 day.

There is grass in the pen, it's just not very nice grass. The gander was eating some of it though.

I can look into that ration, thank you. Our local feed store didn't carry anything like that, but on their recommendation I bought a bag of chicken ration and a bag of protein supplement. I'm supposed to mix those together.

The chicken scratch and the wheat are supplements, not the main feed.

Same with the assorted veggies.

At least that's the impression I'm under.

The girl at the feed store looked taken aback when I said the geese were 1 and 3 years old. I got the impression most geese around here are very young and table bound, not pets. So long term feeding isn't what most people are asking after.

 

[GranderTheGander]

This info is based on totally free-ranging domestic geese on a saltwater river. They lived on grass; whole corn; bird seed such as millet and milo; oats at times; lettuces, watermelon and cantaloupe; and less expensive Purina cat food, such as Indoor Cat Chow, year-around. They all lived to be at least 20. Not the type of diet those with pet geese usually feed, but just some extra suggestions if chicken feed doesn't work out. Cat food has more protein than geese need, but it seems to work out fine as long as it's not the only thing they eat. If your local feed store has limited options, it doesn't look like you have that many options in Canada for affordable shipped waterfowl food. You don't have Chewy.

P.S. They used plain dirt as grit and got some oyster shell grit during the spring and summer, if they wanted it. And they always really wanted some fresh bread year-around, and it didn't hurt them a bit. They had no shelter, but temps never got below high teens on winter nights.

 

[Ganspaar]

Thanks!

I suppose I'm just a little surprised - given the plethora of "must do" and "pet care schedules" currently available online, that there isn't a standard goose-care one. I don’t necessarily need one after I know what I'm doing, but it's nice to have one at the start.

Kinda like cooking. Once I'm familiar with a recipe, I can tweak it as needed.

I managed to herd them into the coop last night by myself. They still needed a helpful boost though (I had to pick them up and stuff them through the hatch). But they weren't upset.

I am going to try to train them to go in by themselves when I call out "bedtime"!

I am surpised at how heavy they are. By that I mean I know how heavy they are, but it's still a "whoa!" moment when I'm holding them.

 

[yesterDAYNE]

Do you have any access to all flock feeds if not waterfowl specific? My adult geese are all on All Flock 20% protein and do pretty well on it.

Unless they're stubborn they should get the hang of the bed time routine pretty quick. We got 3 new 3 month old geese and it took maybe a week/week and a half before they go in when they see the door entrance. It can still be a pain to get them over there, but we dont have to chase them down anymore lol

 

[Weeg]

I can look into that ration, thank you. Our local feed store didn't carry anything like that, but on their recommendation I bought a bag of chicken ration and a bag of protein supplement. I'm supposed to mix those together.

Got it! That makes a lot more sense.
Are you planning on feeding the two mixed together free choice?
Thank you for further explaining that for me!

 

[Percheron chick]

Geese diets should emphasize forage first. They can live just fine on grass and weeds during the growing season. I use feed as a bait/reward to get them in their run for the night. I feed a locally milled All Poultry 16% protein feed made predominantly with whole grains. I tried whole wheat berries covered with water and they never embraced it. For the most part it just kept the chickens and wild birds out of the feed. They don't care about pellets and have trouble picking up crumbles. I feed a lot of hay about 1# each/day in the winter. They prefer a fine alfalfa grass blend but they're not terribly picky. They eat cereal hays, straight grass, straight alfalfa... You have seen they love lettuce and zucchini. Mine will also eat winter squash, pumpkin, most all fruit, sprouts, peas. They aren't as good as chickens when it comes to kitchen waste but they are happy to eat a lot of it.

I place the hay in a hay rack to keep it off the ground or they will poop all over it. I had big snow drifts last winter and the geese could just walk over the fence into the chicken pen.
They are content to wander around in the snow. You do need to be mindful with their feet. They will get bright pink from the cold. Cover some of the snow in the run with straw where they can sit down and warm their feet with body heat. No matter how little a water bucket you give them, they will try to crawl in and take a bath. Hang the bucket as high as you can even if it means that they need to stand up tall to dunk their head. When you get a nice sunny day, fill a cat litter pan with water so they can get a quick bath. Dump the water and put the pan away. A bath once every 2 weeks will keep their feathers in good shape. If your husband's gone, you can also fill the bathtub and bring them in the house...

 

[GranderTheGander]

"If your husband's gone, you can also fill the bathtub and bring them in the house..."

LL

 

[Ganspaar]

Day 3 of geesing! I had to stuff them through the hatch, into the coop, again last night, at bedtime. I hope they're getting the idea though.

The hen scratch wasn't eaten. I hope they are eating grass in the pen. Other than a nibble here and there on the tall grass, I haven't seen them eat anything other than the dandelion and romaine head I gave them. Mostly they are just sitting in their tub. I'm worried their feet are going to start wrinkling.

Today I will try the chicken ration/protein mix.

I bought a 2g heated bucket yesterday. It's deep enough to head dunk, but small enough for me to easily carry and clean (during winter lockdown), and hopefully to discourage any attempts to swim in it. I think I know how to easily secure it; going to make a tip-proof stand for it (fingers crossed!).

I am reading every helpful suggestion!

Although - dunno if I'll invite them in the house for a bath in the tub. I've been known to share the shower with parrots, but they aren't quite as, well, poopy?