Baby geese feed

Brooding and Rearing Ducklings and Goslings, G8920

Glenn Geiger and Harold Biellier

Department of Animal Sciences

Brooding requirements

Natural brooding
Goslings and ducklings can be successfully brooded by broody chicken hens and most breeds of ducks and geese. If the young birds were not hatched by the broody female, place them under her at night. Be certain broody birds are free of lice and mites. Provide the hen and her brood with a dry comfortable shelter.

The hen will need grain and plenty of fresh, clean water supplied in a container that will not allow the young to get wet.

Artificial brooding
Today, hatcheries produce day-old ducklings and goslings in large numbers. Commercial growers brood and rear them in about the same way they would baby chicks.

Ducks and geese are hardy and are not susceptible to many of the common poultry diseases. This makes them easy to raise. Brooding requirements are simple and special housing or equipment is not necessary. Because of their rapid growth and early feathering, they do not require as long a brooding period as do baby chicks.

Types of brooders

The infrared heat lamp type of electric brooder is recommended for brooding small groups of birds. Many commercial raisers use gas brooders, but any type of good baby chick brooder may be used successfully. When using infrared brooders, allow one 250-watt lamp per 25 goslings or 30 ducklings. With other types, you can determine the number of birds per hover by cutting the brooder's rated chick capacity by half for ducklings and by one-third for goslings. Because ducklings and goslings are larger, it usually is necessary to raise the hover 3 to 4 inches higher than for chicks.

Brooding temperatures

The behavior of the young birds is a better guide than a thermometer. When brooder temperature is too hot, the birds will crowd away from the heat. High temperatures may result in a slower rate of feathering and growth.

When the temperature is uncomfortably cold, goslings tend to huddle together under the brooder or crowd in corners. Keeping a light on the birds at night will discourage such crowding. An infrared brooder provides enough light for this purpose.

When the brooding temperature is right, the goslings will be well distributed over the floor. At night, the birds should form a circle around the hover.

A starting temperature near 90 degrees at the edge of the hover is about right. This temperature should be reduced about 5 to 10 degrees per week until 70 degrees is reached. When using infrared brooders, air temperature is not so important. Heat usually is not required after the fifth or sixth week, and in good weather, the young birds can be taken out to pasture.

The brooder house

A special building is not required. It simply must provide protection from the weather and be reasonably well lit and ventilated. For brooding small numbers, a colony brooder house or any small building may be used. For brooding larger numbers, a barn, large poultry house or regular broiler house is recommended.

A wood, concrete, or dirt floor is satisfactory. Allow about 1-1/2 square feet of floor space per bird and cover the floor with about four inches of absorbent litter. Sawdust, shavings, ground corn cobs, cottonseed hulls, peanut hulls or peat moss are all good. Dampness is apt to be more of a problem with ducklings and goslings than it typically is in brooding baby chicks. Removal of wet spots and frequent additions of clean, dry litter are recommended.

Feeding

Goslings and ducklings are ready for feed and water when they arrive. Use crumbilized chick or poult starter for the first week to 10 days. A pelleted grower ration plus cracked corn, wheat, milo, oats or other grain can be fed after this time. Keep feed before the birds at all times. Also, provide insoluble grit. Place feed on rough paper or cup flats for the first few days. Do not use chick box tops or other smooth-surfaced lids or paper as feeders. When such slick-surfaced materials are used, leg damage results.

Be certain the feed you are using contains only those additives approved for ducks and geese. Certain types of drugs that are sometimes included in chick starting and growing mashes for coccidiosis control are harmful to goslings. They may cause lameness or even death. Coccidiosis has not been a problem in waterfowl production in this area.

Commercially grown ducklings generally are ready for market in seven to eight weeks. Goslings usually are marketed in the fall months at 24 to 30 weeks of age. Finishing rations should contain some protein similar to turkey finishing rations.

Water

Plenty of drinking water should be available at all times. Goslings and ducklings consume enormous quantities due to rapid growth. Use waterers that the birds cannot get into and splash. This is important in the brooder house. Water for swimming is not necessary; however, ponds provide an easy way to water goslings on pasture. Hog waterers make good range waterers for waterfowl.

Pasture for goslings

Make arrangements to provide pasture or lawn clippings starting as early as the first week. When the weather is mild, goslings can be let out and allowed to graze when only a few days old.

Grass is the natural food of goslings. Great savings in feed can be made by providing good pasture throughout the growing period. At five or six weeks of age they can subsist entirely on good pasture, although some supplemental feeding is recommended until the birds are completely feathered.

Experience has shown that ladino clover makes fine pasture for goslings. Other types of white clovers also are very good, as are most varieties of grasses. In Missouri, bluegrass, orchardgrass, timothy and bromegrass have been used. Small grains such as barley, wheat and rye make excellent early or fall pasture. Goslings or geese will scarcely touch sweet clover, lespedeza or alfalfa.

Allow about one acre of pasture for each 20 to 40 birds. The amount required depends on the size of the goslings and quality of pasture. When the pasture is poor, supplemental grain feeding is necessary.

A pasture rotation system is recommended. Protect goslings from rain or wet grass for the first few weeks, especially when the weather is cool. Shade must be provided in hot weather.

Because ducks do not forage as well as geese, it is recommended that commercial growers rear ducks without access to pasture. Ducks will, however, use some green feed and eat insects. The small grower probably will not want to confine his flock.

Be certain that pasture and green feeds you use do not have any chemical treatment that would be harmful to the flock.

Fencing

It usually is necessary to fence the pastures or fields. Most woven wire field fencing is of small enough mesh to confine birds 4 to 6 weeks or older. Two-inch mesh poultry netting is commonly used for younger birds. The fence does not need to be higher than ordinary heights since the birds seldom fly. Eighteen inches to two feet is an adequate height. Several farmers have reported good success using electric fencing.

References

Brooding Chicks With Infra-red Lamps, U. S.D.A. Leaflet number 397.
Raising Ducks, U.S.D.A. Farmer's Bulletin number 2215.
Standard of Perfection for Domesticated Land Fowl and Water Fowl, American Poultry Association, Inc., Crete, Nebraska 68333.
Duck and Goose Raising, Bulletin number 532, Ontario Department of Agriculture, Parliament Building, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Raising Geese, Fact Sheet, Poultry number 44, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101.
Raising Geese, U.S.D.A. Farmer's Bulletin number 2251.

The authors are grateful to Fred Cervinka, Heart of Missouri Poultry Farm and Hatchery, Columbia, Missouri, for information, assistance and advice in the preparation of this guide.

What Do Goslings Eat? - Fresh Eggs Daily® with Lisa Steele

What do goslings eat? Feeding baby geese the correct feed at the correct time in their life is critical.

Goslings, or baby geese, are like any other babies and need lots of nutrients, vitamins and minerals to help them grow up to be strong and healthy.

We're brand new goose parents, so I did a lot of research, reading and asking questions before they arrived to be sure I knew how to best raise them.

This simple chart gives you the guidelines you need to ensure you're feeding your babies correctly.

Waterfowl feed can be hard to find, so usually feeding chicken feed seems to be what most goose keepers do.

Like ducklings, goslings can eat and thrive on chick feed, with a few simple caveats: they need more niacin than chicken feed provides, so you'll have to add brewers yeast to their daily feed during all stages of life (in a 2% ratio to feed).

They also grow really fast which can put undue strain on their legs and lead to angel wing, just as it can in ducklings, so I opted to mix in some rolled oats into their feed (up to 25% ratio to the feed is okay) like I do for our ducklings.

Starter Feed (20-22% protein) Hatch to 3 Weeks Old

Your goslings will see their biggest growth spurt during this critical time. Chick starter feed has the highest levels of protein of any feed (other than meat bird feed!) to help support this rapid growth.

The calcium levels in starter feed are relatively low because the little ones only need it to grow strong bones, not to produce eggshells.... yet.

Starter feed is available in both medicated or non-medicated formulations. Take care to only feed NON-medicated to goslings. Like ducklings, they don't need the medication, so it's counterproductive to feed it to them.

Feed should be offered 24/7 to your goslings while they're in the brooder along with fresh room temperature water. Never leave them feed without adequate fresh, clean water because goslings can easily choke, especially on the small crumble.

Goslings also enjoy when their feed is moistened a bit with water, making it easier to swallow. But be sure to discard any uneaten feed at the end of the day so it doesn't turn sour or mold.

Starter/Grower Feed (15-16% protein) + GRASS! 3 Weeks to 16 Weeks Old

Although your goslings' growth will slow down quite a bit during this next period, they still need a balanced diet to continue to fill out and mature properly.

The protein level in the grower feed will drop from the level in the starter feed, while the calcium levels remain constant. Grower pellets are recommended for goslings over crumble or mash to prevent clogged throats and possible choking. At this point I also introduce them to whole wheat fed free-choice in a separate bowl.

However, unlike ducklings and chicks, by this point your goslings should be out on grass for as much of the day as possible. It's likely that they won't care to eat much commercial feed by this point as long as they have access to fresh grass and weeds.

Goslings are much more cold-tolerant than chicks or ducklings, so by three weeks old, as long as the temperatures are around 70 degrees or more, they are fine outside (in a secure, covered area protected from predators, of course).

They will likely eat only a minimal amount of feed once they can have access to grass during the majority of their waking hours, but just to be sure they did had enough to eat, I continued to mix in the brewers yeast and oats into their feed during this stage, but only offered them feed in the evening when they came back inside to sleep.

Many mornings there would still be feed in their dish, and I was only giving them maybe 3/4 of a cup to share between the three of them.

Free Ranging/Layer Feed (15-16% protein) 17 Weeks Old+

Your geese should be free ranging pretty much all the time now and will get the nutrients they need from the various grasses and weeds they eat.

During the warm months, they shouldn't need commercial feed at all, or you can feed them a mix of layer feed and wheat. Again, pellets are recommended over crumble or mash.

In the winter they will need something to eat if they don't have access to fresh greens year round. A mix of wheat and layer feed mix or just wheat can be fed through the cold months. I opted to feed them just plain wheat their first winter which they loved.

Adult geese will eat about 1/2 pound of feed or grains per day when they have no access to grass. Offering sea kelp free-choice or mixed into the feed will provide them the nutrients they would be otherwise getting from the fresh greens.

I also gave them some hay in a basket in the corner of their house to give them some additional nutrition and provide the something to do while they were "cooped up". Although I allowed them access to the outdoors every day all winter, we often had a foot or more of snow on the ground which precluded them finding anything to eat outside.

Update: My goslings are not eating commercial feed at all any longer and will live long, happy lives while laying us delicious, fresh eggs each spring munching on grass and weeds in the warm months and wheat and hay in the cold months.

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Further Reading

https://articles.extension.org/pages/67812/feeding-geese

How to feed geese at home: recommendations for feeding, diet

Proper and balanced nutrition of geese brings a good income to the breeder. Birds give a lot of eggs, meat, soft fluff. They get sick less often, the survival rate of chicks increases. Feed costs are repaid by increasing the productivity of geese and reducing the cost of veterinarians. Many breeders are interested in how to ensure proper nutrition for free-range and caged birds, in winter and summer, which foods are better to add and which ones to limit or eliminate from the diet. nine0003

Content:

Features of the diet of geese
Composition of feed mixtures for geese and diet
Specifics of feeding geese by seasons
Prohibited products
Farmers advice on feeding geese

Features of the diet of geese

Compound feed and greens form the basis of the nutrition of agricultural birds. The diet of geese should also include fresh vegetables: potatoes, beets, pumpkin, cabbage, silage and tops. In addition to herbal ingredients, whey, skim milk, fishmeal, yeast and salt are added to goose feed. It is not necessary to give all foods daily, but each of them must be regularly present in the diet. nine0003

Since it is difficult for geese to digest whole grains, dry crumbly compound feed is not recommended for them. Small particles can be inhaled. Birds begin to choke and choke. It is better to give them granulated feed. Geese with appetite eat oilseeds and legumes meal and cake, and prefer clover from meadow grasses.

In order to prevent the predominance of fat mass over muscle, geese are fed only greens once a week. They tolerate the absence of grain without damage to health and growth, but they cannot do without grass or hay. nine0003

Composition of feed mixtures for geese and diet

The diet of birds is made taking into account the conditions of their keeping. There are 3 modes of feeding geese: dry, wet and combined. Regardless of the type, each of them provides for the use of:

compound feed,
greenery,
roughage,
vegetable crops.

Dry feeding, as less labor intensive, is more often used in large poultry farms. For small and medium-sized farms, wet or combined is preferable. nine0003

Dry mixes are the most economical and easy to use option. They are undemanding to storage conditions. They include wheat, millet, barley, corn, rye products. All components are carefully crushed and mixed in equal amounts, so it is enough to pour them into bird feeders. However, geese gain weight more slowly on dry food, so such mixtures are usually given during the non-productive period. Also, they can't be used all the time. With the constant use of only dry food, the risk of intestinal blockage is high. nine0003

Wet mashes are given to birds three times a day. Such feed cannot be stored for a long time, so they are prepared directly on the day of consumption. Stale mixtures can cause indigestion. To prepare feed, crushed grain components are poured into wooden containers and poured with water at a ratio of 1. 5 liters per 1 kg, and then yeast is added. The stirrer is infused for 6 hours. After that, chopped vegetables (beets, carrots, potatoes, cabbage) and fresh chopped greens are added to the feed. The preparation of such mixtures is a rather laborious process, therefore its organization at a medium and large poultry farm is not always advisable. nine0003

Ready mixed food combines the advantages of dry and wet food. It is easy to prepare and provides a high average daily weight gain. Roughage in combination with moist foods is much better digested, and the birds get more nutrients. A mixture of grains and vegetables is served along with a small amount of table salt.

In all feeding regimes, birds must be provided with clean drinking water. In addition, geese require mixtures of sand, gravel and small shells to cleanse their stomachs. nine0003

Feed for farm birds must fully meet their need for vitamins and minerals. There may be an insufficient amount of biologically active substances (BAS) in grain fodder and vegetables, especially in winter or early spring. In this case, premixes rich in vitamins A, D, E, B2, as well as pantothenic and nicotinic acids, which are necessary for the normal growth of birds, are introduced into goose feed. Due to the high concentration of biologically active substances, premixes should not be given as the main product. They are added to the feed mixture in the amount of 1-5%. An excess of vitamins and minerals is no less harmful than their lack. nine0003

It is recommended to adhere to the following feeding schedule for geese:

7:00 - dry mixes containing germinated grains;
15:00 - vegetable crops with the addition of vitamin-mineral complexes and hay dust;
20:00 - a mixture of flour and grains.

Geese need special fattening before laying for at least 30 days. Their diet must include wheat and oats, legumes, vegetables, meal and oilseed cake, as well as bone or fish meal. Geese are fed 4 times a day, giving them dry and wet mixtures alternately. 1 week before laying eggs, vitamin complexes are added to the diet. nine0003

Feeding specifics of geese by seasons

In summer, the main part of the bird's diet is a variety of greens. Geese grazing on the range feed on:

fresh nettles,
dandelions,
cereals,
sorrel,
legumes,
plantain,
yarrow,
clover,
alfalfa.

Swimming in reservoirs, they catch duckweed, cattail, reeds, chastukha. Grazing provides significant savings in feed, but they cannot be completely excluded, since greenery alone is not enough for birds to gain weight. Normally, geese eat about 2 kg of fresh grass per day, and they get the rest of the calories from grain fodder, vegetables, roughage (hay and branches). nine0003

For accelerated weight gain, it is preferable to give them a mixture of high grains twice a day: oats, barley, wheat, rye, corn. On average, in addition to greens, geese daily need:

700 g of cereals and legumes;
500 g potatoes;
250 g carrots and beets;
300 g hay dust or flour;
100 g silage;
25 g minerals (salt, shell).

In addition, it is useful for geese to give cottage cheese, eggs, chalk (10 g per bird). Solid legumes are introduced only in boiled form, so that they cannot be choked on. Cereals can be partially replaced with dried bread in an amount of up to 60 g, coniferous hay flour (up to 20 g). nine0003

Geese who are constantly in the house must be fed three times a day. In winter, the diet is based on cereals:

barley,
oats,
ground corn,
wheat bran,
millet.

The lack of fresh herbs is compensated by silage, dried tops, hay dust and premixes. In a warm climate, short-term grazing on water bodies is possible, during which geese feed on the remains of duckweed and other algae. A significant place in their diet in the autumn-winter period is occupied by silage, which in its composition is closest to green fodder. It is also useful to add needles of pine or spruce. It compensates for the lack of vitamin C, stimulates the appetite and immunity of geese, helps to increase the number and improve the nutritional quality of eggs. It is important to consider that needles require preliminary preparation. It is first dried and then carefully ground. It is more profitable for owners of medium and large poultry farms to order ready-made vitamin complexes with a similar composition. nine0003

Sunflower meal and cake are often added to hay dust and flour. Geese eat oilseed products well and put on weight quickly. Dried gray bread is introduced as a delicacy to stimulate appetite, but it is not recommended to give it in large quantities.

Prohibited foods

Not all herbs are good for geese. The use of some of them can provoke indigestion, decrease in productivity, and in some cases lead to death in the poultry house. Especially dangerous herbs are:

sedge,
cuff,
goose foot.

Geese usually avoid them. However, with insufficient nutrition and the absence of other vegetation on the pasture, they can begin to eat harmful grasses. Breeders need to check grazing areas and make sure the geese are getting enough calories while feeding in the poultry house. This question is especially relevant in early spring. On the first outings on the water, geese that did not receive fresh greens can eat harmful algae, silt, small fish and become infected with intestinal infections. To avoid this, birds are fed and released at first for no more than 3-5 hours before walking.

In addition to wild grasses, outbreaks can be caused by freshly harvested rye, cereals contaminated with mycotoxins, or sprouted potatoes with green areas containing solanine. All ingredients must be carefully checked before use. Rye should rest for at least 3 months, cereals damaged by mold and green potatoes are thrown away.

Farmer's recommendations for feeding geese

The type of diet depends on the direction of the birds. To obtain meat, it is important to provide geese with high-calorie nutrition. If you plan to breed chicks, it is important to reconsider the feeding regimen for geese. Overweight females are less healthy and less likely to lay eggs. On the other hand, just before laying, geese require a hearty diet high in vitamins and minerals. To meet the needs of birds in calories and prevent obesity, their diet is enriched with fresh fish, skim milk and whey. nine0008
The immune system of chicks begins to form already at an early age, but their stomachs are not yet able to digest all the components of the feed. Therefore, in the first 3-4 days they are given a yolk pre-cooked and mixed with boiled water, gradually adding chopped onion feathers to it.
Starting from the 6-7th day, the ration of goslings is replenished with fresh alfalfa and nettle. From a week old, wheat or corn porridge and boiled potatoes are added to the feed. However, the number of new products should not exceed 15%. By 12 days, goslings are able to absorb well-chopped raw vegetables. nine0008
Chicks at the age of 17-28 days are independent enough to pluck greens on the run. They are released to pasture along with adult birds, but in the morning and evening they are fed separately with crushed and steamed grain with the addition of fresh vegetables. The content of cereals in the diet during this period should not exceed 20%. It is useful for goslings to give carrots, beets, pumpkins, boiled potatoes so that they receive enough vitamins of groups A and B.
After 4 weeks the chicks switch to an adult diet and start fattening them for meat. In order for geese to gain weight better, from this age they are given high-calorie compound feed with a high grain content. In the finished product, all the necessary components are balanced for rapid weight gain, strengthening of the skeleton and normal digestion. nine0008
Approximately 30 months before slaughter, geese are transferred to enhanced fattening. The daily portion of cereals alone reaches 400 g. Birds must always have food and enough water. If you leave the feeders lit, the geese will eat even at night. During this time, they gain about 1.5 kg.
With the intensive rearing method, the total fattening period is on average 2.5 months. Geese are not released to pasture to limit their movement. Birds are kept in special boxes with a hole for the head, and feeders are placed in front of them. To accelerate weight gain and increase slaughter weight, force-feeding is used. nine0008

Compiling a balanced diet for geese of different ages is a difficult task. Buying ready-made feed and premixes greatly simplifies it. In our company, you can order safe, high-quality mixtures for meat and egg-laying poultry.

How to feed geese at home: norms, diet

If you follow all the rules of feeding, breeding geese becomes profitable, and sometimes profitable. Geese are of high value as poultry and are distinguished by their ease of maintenance and unpretentiousness. Since geese are waterfowl and mostly herbivorous birds, the presence of a sufficient number of grazing places and reservoirs nearby makes the task even easier. Therefore, in the summer, the question of what to feed the geese becomes easily solved. nine0003

Content:

Types of feed
Summer feeding
Winter feeding
How to tell if a diet is wrong
Diet and feeding norms
Feeding layers
Feeding for meat
Parent flock feeding

Types of feed

The choice of type of feed is influenced by the conditions in which the birds are kept. Feeding geese at home can be dry, wet or combined. The last two are most preferred for home breeding of geese. For them, you can use cheap local food, which is the basis of what domestic geese are fed:

Herbal paste;
Root crops (potatoes, swedes, beets) and their tops;
Cucurbits and cabbages;
Silo;
Skim and whey;
Fish waste.

Feeding in the summer

Geese are mainly bred in spring and summer, which solves a number of problems with the organization of feeding. Geese mainly feed on pastures, where at this time there is a sufficient amount of herbaceous plants. Preference is given to nettles, dandelions, plantain, sorrel, yarrow. In reservoirs, geese easily get reeds, cattail nasturtium, chastukha and other aquatic plants, and after swimming, they become vigorous and active. The birds are taught to take a one-time evening feeding at home, so they can return home for the night on their own. nine0003

The main advantage of breeding geese in the summer is that they spend more time grazing. This leads to significant savings in feed, and, accordingly, to an increase in profitability. Feed costs are cut by more than half, and some bird species can only be pastured. This does not apply to intensive fattening.

Pasture feeding of geese continues until frost. This allows the geese to store enough fat and easily endure the winter frosts. If the winters are snowless, then the birds can continue to feed on grass residues on the run. nine0003

Of course, walking is a source of amino acids, minerals and many essential vitamins for poultry. But, at the same time, you need to know which pastures are suitable for them. Geese are very selective in food. Let's figure out what is the best way to feed geese on the run. They are very fond of all legumes, they will not refuse clover and alfalfa. They will also actively feed on cereals before they bloom: rye, oats, couch grass, timothy grass and bluegrass. Green food gives the bird special substances that have a positive effect on reproduction. But if the pasture contains cuff, sedge, goose foot, geese can completely refuse green fodder. nine0003

Geese, like all poultry, prefer young, juicy grass, so the pasture is mowed regularly. Having eaten two kilograms of grass, geese cover the daily need for green fodder. Therefore, during the evening feeding they are fed with coarse and juicy feed. It can be any grain, corn, chaff, grass meal, potatoes, beets and more. Without fail, the feed must contain additives that improve digestion. To do this, you can use sand, chalk, shell rock, gravel or table salt. Dry food is given in combination with wet food to ensure a balance of protein and minerals. nine0003

In addition to a balanced diet, the constant availability of sufficient drinking water is essential. In addition, geese love to rinse their nostrils.

Feeding in the winter

The choice of what to feed the geese in winter depends on the characteristics of this season. In winter, geese are transferred to three meals a day, which is carried out early in the morning, at noon and after it gets dark. It is advisable to do this at a certain time so that the bird gets used to it. At this time, feeding is organized in such a way that the geese gain a good live weight by the breeding season. nine0003

In winter, grass waste from the garden, boiled potato chips or peelings are used to feed geese. Potatoes that have sprouts should not be given to geese, the solanine contained in it can kill the bird. Carrots, as well as sugar beets, are added to the feed raw and carefully chopped.

An excellent feeding material at this time is silage. This is due to the fact that it retains most of the properties of the plants that were used to make it. It contains carbohydrates, acids, vitamins and carotene in sufficient quantities. nine0003

It is recommended to give birds spruce or pine needles to replenish their vitamin C reserves. In addition, it improves appetite, improves egg production and the quality of the eggs themselves. Its use well increases the vitality of young individuals and improves their growth. Preparing it is quite simple. The branches are dried in a warm room, then the fallen needles are collected and twisted in a meat grinder. Pre-harvested coniferous paws can be stored by burying in the snow.

A good source of protein and some vitamins is flour and hay dust. In a dry diet, it can occupy a third of the total volume. Cake and meal are also used as protein feed. If legumes are used (for example, peas, lentils), then they are given boiled. nine0003

The main food for adult birds at this time is grain crops. Germinated barley, rich in B vitamins, is well suited for this. Oats are rich in fiber. Also in mixtures give crushed corn, ground millet and wheat bran. Do not give geese freshly harvested rye, it provokes bird diseases. Before use, it must lie down for at least three months.

Yeast is carried out to improve the taste of the feed. To do this, take a kilogram of crushed grain or flour mixture and 20 grams of yeast diluted in two liters of heated water. The mixture is left in a room with a temperature of at least twenty degrees. Under such conditions, the formation of lactic acid, valuable for the nutrition of geese, begins. nine0003

How to determine if the diet is wrong

The correctness of the diet can be determined by the behavior of geese. If we assume that the bird does not have any diseases, then the picture may look like this:

Excess green fodder and water leads to intestinal upset in young animals. It is necessary to limit the amount of greens, replacing part of it with porridge and dry yolk. You should also reduce the rate of drinking;
Large amounts of dry flour food can cause coughing and difficulty breathing in birds. When these signs appear, their concentration is urgently reduced and the moisture content of the feed is increased by adding water and loose mixtures. You can pour moistened sand or shell rock into the feeders and the geese will be able to clean the esophagus on their own. In severe cases, you need to fill them with water forcibly. After cleaning during the day, feed the bird with vegetable or hard food. Then the food is carried on as usual; nine0008
In pastures, geese usually react to the smell of dangerous plants and do not eat them. But sometimes young animals can eat, for example, hemlock or nightshade. Make sure this doesn't happen. If, nevertheless, poisoning could not be avoided, provide the bird with plenty of fluids. You can also do a gastric lavage;
Geese often suffer from indigestion at the very beginning of a water run. This is due to poisoning that provokes silt, shells and fish. With them, infections to which they are unusual enter the stomach of the bird. In this case, antibiotic treatment will be required. In the future, geese develop immunity, and they eat food from reservoirs without any problems. nine0008

If all the above recommendations are followed, it is not difficult to make the right diet for feeding geese.

Diet and feeding norms

To obtain the desired results when breeding poultry, we first learn how to properly feed the geese. When developing a daily diet, the amount of required biologically active components is taken into account. As a rule, each individual should receive at least two kilograms of fresh greens per day. If there is no possibility of such nutrition, then the geese should be supplemented to the required norm. nine0003

Standard average daily feeding rates for geese:

Potatoes, sugar beets - about 500 grams;
Carrot - 100 grams;
Dust or flour from hay - 150 grams;
Grain - not less than 70 grams;
Mineral food 25 grams;

This formulation is supplemented with concentrated food.

If we consider the ration for each feeding, then it will look like this:

First feeding (7 am). It consists of a third of sprouted grain and a flour mixture;
Second feeding (15 hours). It includes raw sugar beets, boiled chopped potatoes, hay dust and mineral and other feeds from the daily ration;
Third feeding (20 hours). This feeding consists of the rest of the grain and flour.

Feeding the laying hens

Shortly before the laying of eggs begins, the geese are switched to an enhanced diet. Before oviposition, the feeding of geese should be balanced with the mandatory inclusion of green and roughage, since grain and flour concentrates in large quantities can provoke obesity in the bird and the inferiority of a larger mass of eggs. nine0003

Preparation for laying begins a month before it starts, feeding is carried out as in the breeding season, which usually begins in February. If you do not know what the geese are fed before laying eggs, then at this time the main food is barley, oats and wheat. It also requires a large amount of hay or from alfalfa and clover or meadow grass. It is mandatory to add root crops, increase the norm of legumes, cake or meal, animal feed (fish and bone meal). Feeding can be increased up to four times a day. Two of them should consist of wet mixtures, and the last of grains. In the last week before oviposition, the introduction of vitamin supplements into the diet begins. For this, the use of trivitamin in accordance with the attached instructions is well suited. nine0003

Feeding for meat

Particular attention is paid to the preparation of a diet for poultry that is fattened for meat. Half of the daily intake of food should be occupied by greens. Ground grain, legumes, soybean or sunflower cake in the amount of 20 percent are added to it. With proper feeding, young animals should weigh at least four kilograms by two and a half months.

Usually two methods of feeding geese for meat are used: intensive (fast) and meadow (oat). Therefore, before deciding what you will feed the geese for meat, decide on the type of feeding. nine0003

Grassland fattening

Grassland fattening is used much more often, since the maximum use of pasture places makes it possible to significantly reduce feed costs. The goose is not very picky about the grass variety and its quality, but it is advisable to choose good pastures for fattening for meat.

Feeding is increased one month before slaughter. For this, cereals are taken, without fail oats and protein-rich foods. Corn is required in small quantities, as it can cause excessive obesity. Feed is given so that the feeders are always full. Cereals are given at the rate of 400 grams per bird. Since geese like to eat at night, you can leave dim lights in the evening. During this month of fattening, each individual should add up to one and a half kilograms in weight. Drinkers should also be constantly with water. Properly fattened geese weigh from five to seven kilograms, subcutaneous fat should consist of a very thin layer. Meat output at slaughter - from four kilograms. nine0003

Intensive fattening

Intensive fattening has the advantage that birds can be slaughtered after two and a half months of keeping. The main feature of this method is the restriction of geese in motion.

Birds are kept in small boxes or cages, no more than thirty centimeters wide, with a hole for access to the feeder. Corn, barley, oats and wheat are used as feed. In some cases, force-feeding is used. This is done to accelerate the growth of the mass of the bird and its fatness. In this case, the geese add about one hundred and twenty grams per day. Such a bird is suitable for slaughter in half a month from the beginning of fattening. nine0003

Forced feeding occurs as follows. You need to make a stiff dough from a mixture of 20 percent cornmeal, 15 percent wheat, 25 percent oatmeal, 19 percent wheat bran, 20 percent barley and 1 percent salt. Balls prepared from dough of this composition are moistened in water and injected into the bird's esophagus twice a day.

Feeding the parent flock

The process of feeding the parent flock of geese is divided into productive and unproductive periods. nine0003

The process of the productive period is characterized by the most abundant nutrition, while roughage in the diet is reduced to a minimum amount. This is approached gradually, and a few weeks before it starts, an increase in the diet is being introduced into which vitamins and minerals are introduced and the amount of protein food is increased.

In standard cases, it looks like this (for each individual):

Concentrated food - 150 grams;
Grain (whole) - 100 grams; nine0008
Animal food (fish waste, skimmed milk, curdled milk and others) - 30 grams;
Juicy food - not less than 500 grams.

Wet mash is preferred for feeding. It is easy to make if you combine, for example, chopped vegetables, boiled mashed potatoes, compound feed. All this can be supplemented with hay flour and dust. Mixers can be made on the basis of fish or meat broths. Grains, legumes and corn must be present in the evening feeding diet. The same feed is poured into the feeders at night. The troughs should also have gravel or shell rock, which improve the process of assimilation of food. nine0003

Ganders require special feeding during this period. It usually consists of 100 grams of sprouted grains (oats, wheat), 50 grams of raw chopped carrots and 10 grams of protein feed. A few grams of yeast, fish oil and trivitamin are added to this composition.

Particular attention is paid to the feeding of ganders because the degree of egg fertilization largely depends on them. Therefore, during the entire period (January - July), additional feeding is required to prevent their depletion in the process of frequent mating with geese. nine0003

At this time, the bird needs additional feeding with calcium, phosphorus and sodium due to the acceleration of the course of mineral metabolism in the body. Therefore, top dressing is carried out with shell rock, limestone, phosphate and chalk. A small amount of table salt is also added to the feed. With the advent of full-fledged greens, you can replace potatoes, beets and carrots with it, as well as refuse to use trivitamin.

During the non-productive period, feeding is carried out using standard rations.