# What to feed geese this winter?



## Millroad (Oct 15, 2010)

Our three Embdens graze all day (we have a lot of nice forage for them) and don't eat many of the pellets that I offer them at night. Sure, they go over and act all enthusiastic and put their heads down and make noise, snarf some, but usually there is plenty for the ducks and chickens to pick at in the AM. (I'm not measuring but they're not eating more than a cup or two I would guess.) So what will I feed them in the winter? More of these pellets? Will they eat hay? I have grass hay and grass/alfalfa hay. 

The pellets that I am using are a Manna Pro waterfowl food - probably too high in protein for the geese. Since they don't eat much anyway, I think of it as a vitamin pill for them. But if there were eating a lot more bagged feed in the winter, it probably wouldn't be a good choice. Someone told me to feed them chicken scratch. I've also heard wheat and oats, and would love to get some opinions from people here specifically on what I should offer them after the grass is dead. 

Thanks!!!!


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## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

I don`t feed my geese much of anything, summer time they are on their own. Winter I give them a little bit of shelled corn and they get what they get.I do have other livestock around but don`t think they get much from them. I leave a few hayracks sit around the yard and they snatch up every bit of grass under them during the winter. > Marc


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## Mare Owner (Feb 20, 2008)

Last winter I had three geese that ate whole oats that I put out once a day while feeding the hogs. I never saw them eating hay, which was accessible to them in several places. Other than the oats I didn't specifically give them any special feed, and they came into spring in excellent health.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I never saw my geese eat hay either.

Usually they seem content with whole corn (and grit) and leave the gamebird feed alone unless I forced them to eat it by withholding the corn.

I did give them a treat of lettuce soaking in electrolytes and vitamins and they really like to pick the corn off the bottom of the water bucket.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

I feed whole oats and they are on pasture summer and winter. Mine will go around and eat all the leaves off the dead grass, leaving only the stems so I'm sure they'd eat hay, just not the stems.


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## bluetick (May 11, 2002)

Mine get a mix of turkey/gamebird feed and oats. Depending on what's on sale at the grocery store they might get apples, collard greens, kale, spinach, grapes, leaf or romaine lettuce, etc.


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## eclipchic (Oct 24, 2010)

It didn't occur to me that geese might need special feed over the winter. I may have to pick up some oats just for mine


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## Millroad (Oct 15, 2010)

Great - thanks for the info everybody!. Bluetick, if you look at this again - can you tell me if you do anything special to prepare those fruits and veggies for the geese, like chopping or slicing?


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## Mare Owner (Feb 20, 2008)

My geese devoured whole apples right off one of my trees this year. I'd shake the tree for the roaming piglets to eat them, and the geese would chase the pigs off and eat all they could. Ate the whole apples on their own, and fast, stabbed their beak into it for a bite, I was amazed.


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## bluetick (May 11, 2002)

Millroad, at the risk of making it sound like I have pampered geese...

The fruit - apples, grapes, etc. - I leave whole. However I do tear up the greens a bit. In summer I've given them whole zucchini. 

I saw a photo of a feeding station that Dave Holderread made that was V shaped and he had dumped about a bushel or so of whole heads of greens into it. Of course, he is feeding a lot of geese. The photo might have been in his book, The Book of Geese, or his website, http://holderreadfarm.com


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

My first flock of geese ate whole green corn stalks one fall.


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## Karenrbw (Aug 17, 2004)

I feed my geese whole corn and gamebird starter. They walked around and grazed on the dormant grass. They never seem to lose weight during the winter and do ok.


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## Millroad (Oct 15, 2010)

Yeah, they can seem to handle whole items, I've recently found out. I've been letting them glean in the garden, and they are finding lots of whole cucumbers and having no problem getting into them. Thanks again for the advice everyone . . .


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