Surprising things geese eat

[FoodFreedomNow]

I was very surprised to see my geese gnawing on hedge apple branches and wild rose bushes seemingly without noticing the thorns (and for those who are unfamiliar with hedge apple trees, the thorns are huge and sharp). The girls also like to eat worms, and will make a beeline for the ones out after a rainfall. Definitely not strict herbivores!

What kind of unusual or surprising things do your geese like to eat?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I was watching mine shove a willow branch into the muddy water, than they were stripping pieces off and eating them.

 

[telandra2]

I thought it odd they were worm hunting like the ducks, then realized they were digging out the taproots of invasive weeds. Go-go-go geese!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I thought it odd they were worm hunting like the ducks, then realized they were digging out the taproots of invasive weeds. Go-go-go geese!

When I was first learning about geese I thought they were like ducks. I was surprised that they mostly eat plants and grass. They are a very sustainable critter, and are easy on the feed bill for half of the year. Mine also pick through the hay we feed the goats and forage that way in winter. They are interesting critters.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Agree that they're very economical to feed, especially when pasture is available.

Mine help themselves to the hay bales in the barn when the grass isn't growing here, too. That's completely fine, except that they delight in sawing through the twine holding the bales together and then the bales fall apart. Sometimes, they drag the twine around like a toy, leaving in at the bottom of a pool or some other random place.

We have a fair amount of bindweed here, too, and they'll eat it. Hooray for fenceline-clearing helpers!

 

[Miss Lydia]

My goose Missy likes dry dog food and meal worms. Her favorite is foraging grass.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

My goose Missy likes dry dog food and meal worms. Her favorite is foraging grass.

She eats dry dog food? Interesting!

 

[Miss Lydia]

She loves it. All my birds eat it for a treat. My Muscovy would probably live on it if I let them. It's fish-based maybe that has something to do with it

 

[Callender Girl]

Mine like to eat wood -- the house trim and a used-to-be-lovely settee have been among their "treats." I'd rather they eat all the fallen tree branches from this spring's numerous wind storms.

 

[Goosebaby]

Mine love wild lettuce.
One of mine “Dandelion” has developed an obsession with pruning my Buddha hand, she doesn’t eat the leaves but she’ll rip off any leaves she can reach, little stinker!