Geese and winter feeding

[Toulouse2]

This will be my first winter keeping geese. They are currently free range grazing, and I give them a bucket of wheat in water when they get shut in their shed for the night at dusk. As the days start to get shorter they’ll obviously spend more time shut in their shed, safe from night-time predators (shortest day in winter would be 15 hours of darkness where they’ll be in their shed). At what point should I switch to providing a Goose Pellet feed when they are shut in their shed, or will wheat be sufficient. There is plenty of grazing all year round when they are outside.
Thank you.

 

[dorsetduckowner]

Hi sounds like they are very well cared for geese The grass doesn't have as much nutrition in the winter so I would say any time from now to switch to the goose maintenance pellet. Saying that, mine never have pelleted feed, just grass and whole wheat and the flock have thrived for 50 years that way and I have geese that must be close to 30 years old still, so you could just see how they go with the wheat and grazing and keep an eye their condition.

 

[Toulouse2]

Hi sounds like they are very well cared for geese The grass doesn't have as much nutrition in the winter so I would say any time from now to switch to the goose maintenance pellet. Saying that, mine never have pelleted feed, just grass and whole wheat and the flock have thrived for 50 years that way and I have geese that must be close to 30 years old still, so you could just see how they go with the wheat and grazing and keep an eye their condition.

That’s reassuring to know. I’ll keep my eye on them, thank you.

 

[bigyetiman]

We do the same as dorsetduckowner as well, our geese range from domestic birds to the free rangers that visit our lake in the winter and sleep on the island. They all get fed the same and do just fine.