# Experiences with Feeding Hay to Geese



## Yellow Creek (Nov 15, 2007)

Iâm curious if any of you that keep geese feed grass hay during the winter, and how efficient it is as a food source.

This is the second winter Iâve had geese. Last year I provided them with a supply of grass hay. The birds seemed to pick at it and pull it out of the manger. It seemed like they wasted most of the hay. This year I have only been feeding them a free choice ration of mixed duck pellets, whole oats, and whole corn. When I was cleaning out the barn came across about a half bail of the grass hay from last year and since I was going to throw it out I thought I might as well let the geese go through it before I used it as mulch on the garden. They seemed to really like the hay and actually seemed to be eating some of it.

So, my question is; do any of you feed grass hay, and do you find your geese eat enough of it to make the collecting and storing worth while?

Thanks

Yellow Creek


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## HorseFeatherz (Feb 16, 2008)

Yes, I feed grass or grass/alfalfa mixed hay to my geese, ducks and chickens. Each run gets a flake every couple days - they eat some, lay on some and the rest goes to compost.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I've never seen mine use enough of it to make it worthwhile. My spoiled goats have a couple of gallons of alfalfa leaves that they have deemed poisonous that I'm going to put in the goose and muscovy pen but I'm not expecting them to eat much of it. I'll put some in a bucket of warm water to see if they like alfalfa soup any better. The ducks seem to like soup of any kind (dirt, poop, chicken feed, etc) so it may work.


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## arcticow (Oct 8, 2006)

Chickens here will use alfalfa hay, try to get all the leaves. I might wet a flake to see if geese will eat the leaves any better.


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## Falls-Acre (May 13, 2009)

My geese won't do anything with hay other than try and settle in it.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Our ducks, chickens and geese all eat hay through the winter. On just that they lose weight gradually. Add some milk and its better. If I want eggs from the chickens I have to feed them more than that. Meat helps for the chickens. Layer pellets is their favorite and then they reward me with eggs. I think they're trying to train me to spend money.

In the warm months I don't worry about them at all as they gather their own feed.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs, Sheep & Kids
in the mountains of Vermont
Read about our on-farm butcher shop project:
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/butchershop
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/csa


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

They eat a little and waste most. I have found an answer to my hay feeding though. My picky goat gets first dibs. Whatever she doesn't eat goes to the chickens. Anything left that isn't wet , goes to the geese for bedding. I feed the geese game bird pellets and cracked corn. They aren't laying yet so they do not need much right now. They prefer green grass.
Linda


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## Curtis B (Aug 15, 2008)

Mine just kinda peck through the hay, but when I throw some wheat straw in the loafing sheds they come running and act like they haven't eaten in weeks.


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## mommagoose_99 (Jan 25, 2005)

I forgot . This is very very important!!! If you are feeding hay to chickens or geese in the winter when the ground is frozen or there is snow covering the ground , you absolutely must !!! give your birds grit so they can breakdown the grass. If you don't , you birds may get impacted crop.
Geese are beginning to act like it is Spring. I am feeding them a lot better the last two weeks in preperation for all those nice big eggs.
Linda


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