What is the best way to feed geese?

[FoggyFowl1719]

I just bought 2 adult geese about a year old, male and female. I am housing them temporarily in a 5x10 pen while their paddock grows out. I planted a large space (roughly 40ftx40ft) with fescue, ryegrass, oats, barley, etc... I have been cutting grass and feeding it to them daily as well as providing them with clean fresh water. They also have a large doghouse with pine shavings that they can get into. Again, the small space is only temporary until the big area is finished. It will be fenced and netted over the top and there will be a small shed as a house for the geese as well as a pond. But I have never owned geese before and I can't find much info online. The reason I bought them was for breeding since our farm already produces chickens, ducks, turkeys, and quail. I thought geese would be a nice addition. But apparently geese are in a league of their own altogether. If anyone has any advice to help me on my goose journey, I would really appreciate it. PS: Not sure if it's something I should worry about, but my geese nap a lot during the day and aren't very active. I'm never sure how much grass they need but they always have leftovers the next day.

 

[IvysAnimals]

Just give them their special feed and plenty of vegetation to munch on! They'll be happy and if they have left overs, then that's good that they get plenty of grass! They usually seep a lot or relax, so it's not a huge concern and if their pen is only tempo, then they're fine.

 

[NatJ]

I have never owned geese before and I can't find much info online.

I have had the same problem.
Did you ask the seller? Or look for books at the library?

Hatcheries sometimes have good information on their sites.
Here are a few examples:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/ ("info" tab)
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/faq.html (scroll down to "geese")

I have been cutting grass and feeding it to them daily as well as providing them with clean fresh water.

Are you giving them any other food, or just grass?
I have read that geese can live on just grass, but I have also read that they need the "right" purchased food, and I do not know which is actually correct. It might depend on something like the kind of grass or the season or something like that.

 

[FoggyFowl1719]

I have had the same problem.
Did you ask the seller? Or look for books at the library?

Hatcheries sometimes have good information on their sites.
Here are a few examples:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/ ("info" tab)
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/faq.html (scroll down to "geese")


Are you giving them any other food, or just grass?
I have read that geese can live on just grass, but I have also read that they need the "right" purchased food, and I do not know which is actually correct. It might depend on something like the kind of grass or the season or something like that.

I have several types of grass on my property. But I do mostly feed grass with some dandelion, prickly lettuce, and alfalfa clover. The guy I bought the geese from said that he was just giving them scratch grains. But they weren't laying for him. They were laying when he bought them from whoever he got them from. They do seem really happy on the grass. For 2 geese, I fill one basket like the hand baskets at the grocery store. They always have dry grass leftovers the next day. But I feel it's better to give them too much rather than not enough. They also seem to prefer it when I spray the grass with the hose like dressing on a salad and mix it. As soon as their paddock grows in, they'll have a lot more types of grass to eat like millet, oat, flax, rye, and rescue. I was also told at the feed store that I should offer oyster shell free choice. Hope it helps

 

[FoggyFowl1719]

I also give them vegetable scraps like potato peels and lettuce. They love radish greens and cabbage too. I don't want to chance giving them onions or garlic because I know alliums are poisonous to ducks. But from what I was able to find out, they can eat all types of vegetables. They'll also eat bugs.

 

[NatJ]

They'll also eat bugs.

I have read that geese will not eat bugs, while ducks will

The guy I bought the geese from said that he was just giving them scratch grains. But they weren't laying for him. They were laying when he bought them from whoever he got them from.

Unless it is a seasonal difference in laying, that does sound like a reason not to copy the former owner's feeding practices!

I was also told at the feed store that I should offer oyster shell free choice.

That makes sense. Any laying female needs the extra calcium, and if it is free choice they can eat it or not as needed.

Hope it helps

Thanks! It sounds like you've found at least as much information as I have about geese
(I've never actually had any, but I'm hoping to have some in the future, so I'm learning what I can about them.)

 

[neo71665]

When we had geese we they ate with the ducks. They also loved meal worms, crickets, and grasshoppers. Seem them more than once grab a minnow that swam too close to them in the pond.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Potato peels aren’t healthy for poultry.
Here is some info from BYC
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/geese-sticky-topics-index.497391/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/geese.31/

https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2015/05/can-i-feed-potatoes-to-my-chickens.html

 

[MJJenson]

I just bought 2 adult geese about a year old, male and female. I am housing them temporarily in a 5x10 pen while their paddock grows out. I planted a large space (roughly 40ftx40ft) with fescue, ryegrass, oats, barley, etc... I have been cutting grass and feeding it to them daily as well as providing them with clean fresh water. They also have a large doghouse with pine shavings that they can get into. Again, the small space is only temporary until the big area is finished. It will be fenced and netted over the top and there will be a small shed as a house for the geese as well as a pond. But I have never owned geese before and I can't find much info online. The reason I bought them was for breeding since our farm already produces chickens, ducks, turkeys, and quail. I thought geese would be a nice addition. But apparently geese are in a league of their own altogether. If anyone has any advice to help me on my goose journey, I would really appreciate it. PS: Not sure if it's something I should worry about, but my geese nap a lot during the day and aren't very active. I'm never sure how much grass they need but they always have leftovers the next day.

Geese are seasonal layers. They lay just for hatching purposes, in their minds, and it's only between late January until June, at the latest. Most geese only lay for a few months. If they don't have a cozy and cushy spot for nesting they won't lay. Are they doing the deed and no eggs being produced?

 

[FoggyFowl1719]

Geese are seasonal layers. They lay just for hatching purposes, in their minds, and it's only between late January until June, at the latest. Most geese only lay for a few months. If they don't have a cozy and cushy spot for nesting they won't lay. Are they doing the deed and no eggs being produced?

No. They're not breeding as far as I know. I have seen the male grab the female by the back of the head on occasion. But nothing ever comes of it.