Unwanted Geese and how to care for them

[Eyelash]

Hi, help please. without going into too much detail, there was a man who lived at the end of the road in a ramshackle house with a huge field. He was a character. He had a gaggle of geese and hundreds of chickens. He'd feed his geese and chickens, the ones living in the area near his house, but the wild ones in the field I fed, along with another lady. With proper feed, and fruit. Now, sadly he has passed away suddenly. He has only a sister in law who doesn't want anything to do with the animals. So there is no one to care for the geese. They are starving. Myself and this other lady have phoned the animal shelter, national trust, environmental health, no one is interested. So, until we can find a home fort them, can you tell me what to feed them, what they like. Obviously I have been giving them some chicken feed, and bits of fruit, but I don't think that is enough for them.. It is such a shame as they were so iconic in the road, walking up and down in like a red arrow formation, it is an era gone now. We are also worried that they will be taken for slaughter as they really don't belong to anyone now. We just cannot find anyone to take them on. Thanks.

 

[Percheron chick]

Geese aren't that different than chicken when it comes to feeding and can make do with less. They will do fine how you are feeding them now. I would be more concerned with just getting calories in them in exchange for ideal nutrition. Things I would do to stretch my food $$ would be to cut equal parts corn,wheat or hen scratch with the chicken feed. See if your feed store will cut a deal with you or save the damaged bags. Horse,pig or goat feed? Doesn't matter at this point. Geese love lettuce, fruit, pumpkin... See if your local produce manager will give you the stuff that is damaged and unfit to sell. Geese love hay. A couple of bales of hay, grass or alfalfa, would be a more natural diet.

If they are hungry, they are pretty easy to lure into a pen to be caught. Do you have any livestock auctions around you? Getting $5 a bird to help buy more feed is better than nothing. A confined goose will eat about a1/2# of chicken feed a day.

Best of luck with them. Have you posted them on you state thread, for sale thread, FB, CL, 4H groups... Breeds?