Providing grit

[gilmeryote]

I have 3 African geese that are 2 weeks old. I've been letting them have some grass every couple days and my question is about grit. I can get sand where I work, coarse and fine. I'm thinking coarse is better. Do you just put it separate in a pan off to the side?I'm worried they'll lay into it and just get a belly full of sand,can't imagine that being good for them.What do ya'll do?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have 3 African geese that are 2 weeks old. I've been letting them have some grass every couple days and my question is about grit. I can get sand where I work, coarse and fine. I'm thinking coarse is better. Do you just put it separate in a pan off to the side?I'm worried they'll lay into it and just get a belly full of sand,can't imagine that being good for them.What do ya'll do?

If they are able to be on the ground they can get their own grit but if not then yes grit should be provided for them. I only give grit in the winter months when the snow sticks around and getting grit is hard to find, Make sure the sand has nothing added to it. and when I feed it , it's in own separate bowl. Not sure on coarseness of the sand since i've not used sand for grit

 

[gilmeryote]

Thanks for your reply Miss Lydia.

 

[The goose girl]

This is a picture of the grit found in a male Greylag Goose. Each square measures 2x5 millimeters. Note that there's some very fine sand. I say give your geese a mixture of fine and coarse grit and let them pick and choose.

 

[gilmeryote]

Thanks, the sand I got varies from coarse to almost powder fine, it doesn't have any kind of additives so I should be good to go.

 

[Ultra]

For goslings just play it safe and buy a bag of granite chick grit for 6 bucks at your local feed store or TSC. You really can't tell what is in the sand and powder fine silica should be avoided.