Geese feed question

Question is, what to feed geese! LOL. Seriously though, in the winter time, do they just eat grain? I know they are good grazers, but that only helps in the summer. No, I can not get waterfowl feed up here. No one will bring it in without me buying a pallet. So, advice, thoughts? Can they eat the same grain ration that my ducks do?

I am getting a pair of pilgrim geese, three years old.

Mine are eating grain. Perhaps they need a protein supplement? They have had grain all winter for four years. In the summer they graze.

I just fed Grain in the winter and they will pick threw a bale of hay getting the alfalfa Mine did great and in the summer they grazed and got a little grain

Yes they do fine on just grain. I also have an alfalfa bale in with mine to give them some greens to pick at, stops boredom and also does them good when they cannot forage. I feed mine a layer ration (same as my chickens get) come spring to get them in condition for laying and hatching.

I do layer (18%) and a little scratch. I try and bring them greens and they do pick through the hay for stuff.

Isn't there a commercially available waterfowl ration? I would give that as a base ration, then add grains and veggies as treats. Same as I do with chickens.

I spent a few years immersed in learning about livestock nutrition. I am a big fan of feeds that are already balanced for you. Makes life easy, helps animals stay healthy.

By Grain, what do you feed? JUST oats or a mixture?

A lady I know feeds her ducks and chickens exclusively on oats and they do very well. I worry about other vitamin needs and stuff, so what 'grain' mix do y'all do?

I buy mixed grain screenings. Oats, wheat, barley, BOS, lentils, peas and others.

I generally feed my poultry mix (Wheat, barley, soya, canola and vitamin mix), then I have whole wheat that I scatter around for them to forage for in their pen.
When it is nice out the geese love to go clean up the oats the sheep leave on the ground after their feeding, so they get some oats too.

As I said in the original post, no, there is not waterfowl feed up here unless I have it shipped in by the pallet or drive 5 hours to get it. Only thing we get locally is chicken and turkey feed. So, here is what I am thinking. Hay cut up to about 3/4" lengths for them to eat. Grain would be oats, wheat, and barley. Rolled or whole, which would be better? For my ducks, since I cant get feed for them, I do a mix of oats, wheat, and barley, with a bit of layer ration mixed in. I also can give them other things on occasion, like sprouted grain or veggies cut up.

Ok, there is grower and finisher, but not a normal adult feed for water fowl. Meaning, there is a layer for adult chickens, and grower and finisher is general for the production of meat birds, which these geese are not. The grower and finisher are only available in the summer also, so doesnt help me right now.

If it helps, my ducks are on 17% chicken layer.

How many bags on a pallet? Can you order less than a full pallet if you fill the pallet with other stuff, too? When my UFA gets pallets in, I see that they are often mixed pallets ... different stuff all shrink wrapped together.

Maybe a smaller courier service would be willing to bring you a smaller amount. ACE courier, maybe?

No, I would have to order a whole pallet of feed. Not a mixed pallet. It is 12 bags. So no, that is not an option.

If a pallet is only 12 bags, I should start buying everything by the pallet. Hmmm ...

That is to get co-op to ship it up here from Edmonton where it is carried. And there is no price difference between buy the pallet and each bag. Not through them. UFA cant get it up here even though they have it in Edmonton. Neither one can get me the swine mineral or goat mineral. I do what I can with what I have.

Oh yeah, and it is $32 a bag. That is $384 just for the bags of feed, then they want another $50 to throw it on a truck already headed this way. But that is $434 to feed two geese. Not happening.

What I don't get is why local feed stores will not bring things in from the same chain in other locations!