What do I feed my geese?

[livininbrazil]

I have organic chickens so I want to make sure they get the best of the best. My geese however are my freerange yardbirds. In fact they range all the way to my neighbors pond. I love all of my animals, and so far I have had good luck giving them scratch, corn and layer food. They graze everywhere on the property. I love these big yard bird. The amish farmers think I am crazy, because I have a kiddie pool for them and worry about their nutrition. These birds are pets, they are never going to be eaten. They are my watch geese. Gabby hisses at the dogs, and at me at times, but she is all hiss and no bite. She does protect my baby chicks
They are majestic birds. I love watching George as he comes out of the pond flapping his wings. They are easily herded, and know what is expected of them if i have to go down the road to gather them.
The farmer I bought the geese from said they would do good on what ever I fed my chickens so far he was right.

Both were adult geese when I bought them. They eat a lot of scratch, they don't like layer food that much, they do eat it, and they eat higbprotien baby chick feed at times.

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They´re lovely. Adult geese are pretty resilient. It´s the goslings that can present a challenge at times.
Glad you´re enjoying them so much. hey´re so lovely to watch, aren´t they?

 

[liliyfield]

Thank you, they are beautiful birds. I enjoy them so much, the male is George, and the female is Gabrielle, or Gabby for short because she is loud and usaually spits at everything she sees, including my border collie. Both know their names. Love to respond to bidd



because they know they are going to be fed too.

 

[livininbrazil]

Thank you, they are beautiful birds. I enjoy them so much, the male is George, and the female is Gabrielle, or Gabby for short because she is loud and usaually spits at everything she sees, including my border collie. Both know their names. Love to respond to bidd



because they know they are going to be fed too.

Beautiful. what a lovely place you have there for them, too. Will you increase the number of geese? You certainly have the space!

 

[cathys1951]

One of mine is getting the floppy wing I believe is what you call it. How do I correct this, I just noticed it yesterday.
Thanks Cathy

 

[Miss Lydia]

One of mine is getting the floppy wing I believe is what you call it. How do I correct this, I just noticed it yesterday.
Thanks Cathy

Do you mean angel wing where the wing stick out from the body/ how old ?

 

[ChickenTender31]

Hi, I've been searching the internet and forums for a while and, maybe I missed it, but I can't seem to find the answer to my question so I figured I'd ask on here. X3

Can ducks and geese eat the same type of feed that chickens do? I was hoping to get some geese and ducks and wanted to know BEFORE I got them. I'll be keeping the ducks for eggs like I do with my chickens, and the geese for pets and I'll be getting them as babies too if that helps. I'm not asking because I'm lazy, but because I just want them to be happy and healthy and not end up getting angel wing or anything, but at the same time I don't have a lot of money too (but really, who does?) so one feed would be helpful, but if not then one type of feed both ducks and geese could eat would also be helpful and the brand name you use if you please.

Thanks in advanced.

 

[jtn42248]

Hi, I've been searching the internet and forums for a while and, maybe I missed it, but I can't seem to find the answer to my question so I figured I'd ask on here. X3

Can ducks and geese eat the same type of feed that chickens do? I was hoping to get some geese and ducks and wanted to know BEFORE I got them. I'll be keeping the ducks for eggs like I do with my chickens, and the geese for pets and I'll be getting them as babies too if that helps. I'm not asking because I'm lazy, but because I just want them to be happy and healthy and not end up getting angel wing or anything, but at the same time I don't have a lot of money too (but really, who does?) so one feed would be helpful, but if not then one type of feed both ducks and geese could eat would also be helpful and the brand name you use if you please.

Thanks in advanced.

Geese are grazers so they will need to have access to plenty of grass to graze on. You can supplement the grazing with a quality feed. Ducks will need a feed. Even though they are great foragers most of us do not have the environment that will provide the proper nutrition to ducks. You can feed them, and your chickens, a quality mixed flock feed like Purina Flock Raiser or anything similar (Tractor Supply has their own brand). Be sure to add niacin (brewers yeast) to the waterfowl feed for the first couple of months to help prevent bone and nerve problems. Have available free choice calcium like oyster shell for all your birds. Where chickens lay eggs pretty much year round ducks will taka a brake in egg laying and geese will usually only lay during their breeding season.

Good luck with your birds.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi, I've been searching the internet and forums for a while and, maybe I missed it, but I can't seem to find the answer to my question so I figured I'd ask on here. X3

Can ducks and geese eat the same type of feed that chickens do? I was hoping to get some geese and ducks and wanted to know BEFORE I got them. I'll be keeping the ducks for eggs like I do with my chickens, and the geese for pets and I'll be getting them as babies too if that helps. I'm not asking because I'm lazy, but because I just want them to be happy and healthy and not end up getting angel wing or anything, but at the same time I don't have a lot of money too (but really, who does?) so one feed would be helpful, but if not then one type of feed both ducks and geese could eat would also be helpful and the brand name you use if you please.

Thanks in advanced.

Welcome to BYC!

I have ducks/chickens and geese and they all eat the same feed. and all flock made by Purina [Flock Raiser] geese are grazers so if you have grass they will be happy to munch away on it and feed will be second this is as they begin to mature, goslings need a good diet of feed along with grazing too. and if you decide to use food formulated for chickens then I would add Brewers yeast or nutritional yeast to their feed daily till they are 10 weeks old because chick feed doesn't have the niacin that water fowl need for strong legs and healthy brain. Ducks are similar to geese as far as nutritional needs except they aren't grazers like geese are. they will forage but most of it is bug hunting and eating. They do like greens especially in winter when there isn't anything growing I give my flock chopped romaine chopped kale and other greens like chopped collards just for a healthy treat I even hang heads of cabbage and watch the fun begin.

Flock Raiser is a feed formulated for all poultry too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

As usual jtn our brains work alike.

 

[jynxster]

JTN sounds very knowledgeable about the questions here too but heres my two cents LOL
As stated before, geese chicken and ducks are different animals. Geese and ducks have different needs especially for the first 10 to 12 weeks of life than chickens. Chickens have multiple choices for feed usually medicated chick feed when small however I feed my geese NON medicated chick feed when small, they do not need the medication that's in chick feed. Also GEESE NEED GRASS throughout their entire lives. They are grazing animals, grass is their main source of food and the feeds should be secondary at about 10 weeks you will see they prefer grass to any other feeds. I know ducks like grass too but usually picking and looking for bugs. Chickens will look for bugs too but not the grass. It is inhumane to put geese in an area where there is no grass to forage. In the winter if all grass is covered they still need the greens is essential for their health. I live in southern CA there is always grass for my geese. I no longer have the chickens or the ducks. Geese are the BEST I think. Smart funny and interactive. For ducks and geese I use MAZURI WATERFOWL feed to supplement their grass, at night when I pen them (we have coyotes and raccoons who go after the geese) I feed them the feed I do mix it with chicken scratch they really like that too but as babies they have different needs. WATER WATER CLEAN water ALL THE TIME for geese and ducks essential. I have several cheap plastic cement mixing pans that I empty two times a day morning and evening. 4 geese 4 plastic mixing pans and they do just fine but remember they drink bathe clean out their eyes and sinuses all in the same water so essential to keep water clean to avoid any diseases.

chicks= chick feed medicated as adult chicken scratch
ducklings=non medicated chick feed or specific waterfowl starter feed as adults waterfowl feed
goslings=non medicated chick feed with access to grass as adults waterfowl feed and absolutely access to grass.
CLEAN WATER ALL THE TIME ESSENTIAL FOR GOOD HEALTH FOR ALL MORESO FOR ADULT GEESE AND DUCKS.
I don't really promote one brand over the other as different brands are available in different parts of the country.



These guys are the three I kept from my clutch of 7 that hatched on Easter Day this year 2015. The one on the right is an overly friendly male the other two his sisters. They are Mom is purebred Cottonpatch and dad is a Toulouse. Such good babies and very friendly (not imprinted just friendly).


This is momma Miss Ruby with the three little ones at about two days. She is a great momma watches after them even to this day.