What/how to feed a goose that is living with chickens?

[JoRose]

I am raising an orphaned gosling to live with the chickens and be their guard. "Lucy" lives in the orchard with the chickens now and eats grass all day long. She does not like the waterfowl pellets. She loves the layer pellets but I know she shouldn't have them. Any suggestions on something I could supplement her diet with that chickens can't get at? Perhaps something at the bottom of a water bowl?

 

[Pyxis]

Hi!

Please consider getting a second goose. A single 'guard goose' for a flock isn't really a thing. Geese will alert to danger, and their size may deter some smaller predators, but that's about it. It's also very unkind to a goose to keep it alone. They are flock animals and need to have at least one friend of its own species. Just like you should never keep a single horse.

All that said, yes, a growing gosling should not eat layer pellets. If she doesn't like waterfowl pellets, you can feed her a chick starter feed that has a high niacin content, such as NatureWise Chick Starter. Put the layer pellets up somewhere that she can't reach them and offer her a feeder of the appropriate feed.

What breed is Lucy? How did she end up orphaned? Is there any chance you can find one of her siblings to keep with her?