What do you feed a goose?

[Cuttlefishherder]

We traded 6 chickens and three cherry trees for two yearling doe goats. The lady we traded with also mentioned a goose but we weren't thinking we would take him because he would be to noisy and a bit mean right? Well, it turned out that he had a sad story, he and his mate were attacked by dogs and his mate died. His neck got pretty torn up in the process and is now pretty quiet(but he can still be loud when he wants too). Since he lost his mate he had taken on one of the tiniest little runner ducks as his mate, while also courting the other female goose, whose mate wasn't pleased. HE was also part of a petting zoo and is nice but not fond of being handled, but he doesn't bite.

So we have a goose now. Our back yard is mostly dirt except for the fruit trees and chickens lol. We are in the process of cleaning the yard and are going to get sod in the future but for right now, he has his very own pool and is eating the scratch grain/crimped oat/black oil sunflower seed mix that we feed the chickens. Its only been a day since he's started eating this so we can adjust quickly, but it was the owners only day off of the week when we brought home the goose and the goats and we haven't had much time since.

So What do geese eat?

 

[shelleyd2008]

They are primarily vegetarians, eating any type of 'greens' they can find. They'll eat corn and grains but would prefer grasses and such. You could get some hay, I've read of others feeding their geese hay in the winter.

 

[Cuttlefishherder]

We have some Bermuda hay for the goats, he can very easily get at that through the chain link and what the goats knock off the bail, but I don't think he gets it he likes chasing the crimped oats that I throw in the pool for him. I half want to throw some little feeder fish in the pool for giggles, would that be alright?

 

[The goose girl]

Most geese are strictly vegetarian. Although he might try to chew the fish, chances are he will not eat them.

 

[nsanywhere]

I keep a little feeder with a game bird pellet in it for them. Mostly they chomp on grass, leaves, hay I put out for the sheep.
They eat the pellets in the winter, but the rest of the year they mostly feed themselves.

I also give a handful or 2 of corn scratch as a treat and to make them love me Oh, and the occasional chopped up lettuce, veggies, fruit.

 

[bel]

I feed geese Purina flock raiser, the geese love it, but more than anything they love greens.
Grasses, dandelion greens, kale, lettuce mix (not iceburg) the leaves on broccoli plants. They were not terribly fond of mustard greens though.

 

[Cuttlefishherder]

This is all great info! Thanks!

 

[thekid]

even though i dont own geese i would feed them purina flock raiser if i did own geese