Feeding geese in winter

[Rjhp0524]

I added geese to my flock this year.. they have been on duck feed and grass all summer but now that it’s fall I’m starting to panic about what to feed them this winter. We recently culled our ducks (they were raised for food) and I’ve noticed just how little duck pellets they actually eat.
of course the internet is full of what to feed but it’s confusing. If they aren’t a fan of the duck pellets what should I offer. I have tried cracked corn but I’m not sure if the geese or the ducks ate them. That I will try again.
a few things
I am in the mountains of southern vermont in the snow belt we have snow of the ground from November till the end of April early May
I do not have an area to store a large quantity of feed (meaning a ton at a time)
I do have access to high quality hay
So help a woman who loves her geese out.. what to feed and how to get it!!

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I feed my birds, including geese, a Gamebird Grower feed it's 20% protein. I also give them mealworms and spring mix salad a couple times a week.

 

[Goosebaby]

I added geese to my flock this year.. they have been on duck feed and grass all summer but now that it’s fall I’m starting to panic about what to feed them this winter. We recently culled our ducks (they were raised for food) and I’ve noticed just how little duck pellets they actually eat.
of course the internet is full of what to feed but it’s confusing. If they aren’t a fan of the duck pellets what should I offer. I have tried cracked corn but I’m not sure if the geese or the ducks ate them. That I will try again.
a few things
I am in the mountains of southern vermont in the snow belt we have snow of the ground from November till the end of April early May
I do not have an area to store a large quantity of feed (meaning a ton at a time)
I do have access to high quality hay
So help a woman who loves her geese out.. what to feed and how to get it!!

Cracked corn has hardly any nutritional value, all it is is a treat.

A 20% protein feed will do them well. Purina flock raiser, or nutrena all flock are good options that I know of with a good amount of niacin for waterfowl.
Mazuri waterfowl feed is one of the best but it’s pricey.

 

[Percheron chick]

I keep mine on their regular pellets and add hay in the winter. They eat about #1 each a day. Keep the hay up off the ground or it just becomes bedding. A horse hay rack works great For a treat, when I hit Costco, I pick up a 6 pack of Romaine for $3. I also work at a pumpkin patch and will squirrel away 50 for them and the chickens.

 

[TwistedTayy]

We dont get much snow (near Atlanta) but it does get cold enough for the grass to go into hibernation. It will be our first winter with geese but our plan is to build a fodder system (YouTube has a bunch of great videos). you basically hydroponically sprout seeds and they can nibble on that. It turns into a.. mat, of sorts, that they can nibble on and its very high in nutrition because its so young. That will be fed in addition to All flock pellet

 

[addctd2plnts]

Cracked corn has hardly any nutritional value, all it is is a treat.

A 20% protein feed will do them well. Purina flock raiser, or nutrena all flock are good options that I know of with a good amount of niacin for waterfowl.
Mazuri waterfowl feed is one of the best but it’s pricey.

The Mazuri food is expensive but when I've tried other feeds, they waste a good half of it. With the Mazuri, they eat it and I just give them what they need. I don't have geese yet, but am searching nightly for show quality Pilgrims and Pomeranians. I know the feed is the best thing for them to have, but do you give wheat or oats or alfalfa pellets for a treat? What about hay to munch on? I use a chopped hay for my horses, and have wondered if geese would enjoy it for a treat on long winter days?

 

[Rjhp0524]

Cracked corn has hardly any nutritional value, all it is is a treat.

A 20% protein feed will do them well. Purina flock raiser, or nutrena all flock are good options that I know of with a good amount of niacin for waterfowl.
Mazuri waterfowl feed is one of the best but it’s pricey.

The cracked corn was never meant to be a soul source of feed. I know that it is a ‘hot’ food that will help them stay a bit warmer in the winter. It was just something I threw in a handle full at a time to get them used to eating it…
I do currently feed nutrena duck pellets my problem is they 2 geese are only eating maybe 1/2 cup. If they aren’t going to eat it I don’t want to feed it to them… so I was looking for something not commercial pellets to give them to get them through the winter

 

[Rjhp0524]

We dont get much snow (near Atlanta) but it does get cold enough for the grass to go into hibernation. It will be our first winter with geese but our plan is to build a fodder system (YouTube has a bunch of great videos). you basically hydroponically sprout seeds and they can nibble on that. It turns into a.. mat, of sorts, that they can nibble on and its very high in nutrition because its so young. That will be fed in addition to All flock pellet

As much as I’d love to sprout for them (I used to do it for rabbits I had) I don’t have the indoor space. The geese don’t eat much of the pellets I give them.
thet are currently on nutrena duck pellets

 

[Rjhp0524]

I keep mine on their regular pellets and add hay in the winter. They eat about #1 each a day. Keep the hay up off the ground or it just becomes bedding. A horse hay rack works great For a treat, when I hit Costco, I pick up a 6 pack of Romaine for $3. I also work at a pumpkin patch and will squirrel away 50 for them and the chickens.View attachment 2850278

I’ll have to see if I can find a hay rack for them. I work in a grocery store and have access to the not good enough to sell produce. It’s not rotted just not pretty enough to sell. It’s put out side for farmers and what not to take for their animals. I just picked some butternut squash I’m going to try tomorrow from my garden and see if they will eat that

 

[Goosebaby]

The cracked corn was never meant to be a soul source of feed. I know that it is a ‘hot’ food that will help them stay a bit warmer in the winter. It was just something I threw in a handle full at a time to get them used to eating it…
I do currently feed nutrena duck pellets my problem is they 2 geese are only eating maybe 1/2 cup. If they aren’t going to eat it I don’t want to feed it to them… so I was looking for something not commercial pellets to give them to get them through the winter

I have that issue with the nutrena myself. I figured it was just my flock being picky as usual because other people’s geese don’t seem to have an issue, but it’s the reason I switched to Purina flock raiser crumbles, which they loved after the usual first three days of suspicion over a new food.

Mine used to like the nutrena, and then one day they just didn’t want to eat it unless they absolutely had too. Maybe the recipe changed?

The Mazuri food is expensive but when I've tried other feeds, they waste a good half of it. With the Mazuri, they eat it and I just give them what they need. I don't have geese yet, but am searching nightly for show quality Pilgrims and Pomeranians. I know the feed is the best thing for them to have, but do you give wheat or oats or alfalfa pellets for a treat? What about hay to munch on? I use a chopped hay for my horses, and have wondered if geese would enjoy it for a treat on long winter days?

I tried alfalfa pellets last year, they need to be soaked first and allowed to expand so it doesn’t cause impaction. Though every trick to get them to eat it that I tried didn’t work, my geese hated it.
When I had a horse they used to nibble at his alfalfa bales, it wasn’t a big hit but it was a little extra when they felt like it, I’m in California and the last several winters have been almost snowless so they still have what remains of the lawn to nibble at so it hasn’t been much of an issue. They’d probably be more interested in the alfalfa if that’s all the greens available.

I haven’t tried wheat or oats on their own, though their treat scratch has them and the geese love them. In the past I’ve grown pumpkins and given them pumpkin halves they can help them selves to now and then through the winter, those were a favorite, though you have to keep an eye on the pumpkin and remove it before it starts to rot or mold.