What and how you can feed the geese

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Every farmer who maintains domestic waterfowl should know what to feed his geese. At the same time, the preparation of the diet will not tolerate negligence. If the bird owner does not want to lose the entire flock, he will have to think carefully about how and what is the best way to feed his geese. Various cereals, vegetables, their tops and roots, fresh grass, dry hay, as well as animal feed and food can be eaten. At the same time, the composition of the diet should be balanced and suitable for each bird.

How to feed geese at home

What do domestic geese eat?

Poultry farmers who raise waterfowl at home need to compose a diet based on local conditions, and not look back at how the geese are fed in poultry farms. There are certain norms that must be observed when feeding these large domestic waterfowl, but first you need to decide what will go to them for food, and what should not be given in any case. It should be remembered that spring and summer diets are very different. Here's what to feed your geese at home:

• Fresh green grass or similar food. In summer, during the grazing season, it is best to give the birds fresh grass or even release them to graze in the meadow, and in winter you will have to use silage (harvested green fodder) and hay.
• Vegetables and tops of various crops. They are often given along with fresh grass in order to diversify the food of waterfowl, and for the winter the tops are harvested by ensiling.
• Various root vegetables. They are worth mentioning separately from other vegetables as a very high-calorie food. It is the root crops that are used by farmers when feeding geese for meat. Look out for potatoes, turnips, beets, or carrots, although other root vegetables will do as well. If we talk about beets, then both sugar and fodder varieties are suitable.
• In the wild, geese often feed on various foods of animal origin, so you can give them similar food with home feeding. Many poultry farmers use fish waste from both sea and river or lake fish. You can also give these waterfowl skim milk (reverse) or whey. They are suitable as a basis for various cereals.
• Cereals and compound feed. Often, when feeding this bird, various cereal feeds and cereals based on them are used. You can also make the basis of the diet and compound feed, but here we must remember that not every compound feed is suitable for raising domestic geese.

At the same time, one must take into account the fact that different foods are suitable at different times and for different groups of birds. What is used for raising small goslings is not suitable for laying hens. And if you need to choose what to feed the geese for meat, then it is undesirable to take the same diet as for the breeding herd.And there are also different feeding options for the same season and the same birds. And they should be chosen based on their capabilities and preferences. The presence of pasture, the cost of various feeds and much more play a role here.

Summer feeding of domestic geese

Choosing what to feed your geese in summer is not as difficult as deciding what to eat in winter. Throughout the warm season, as long as there is green grass in the meadows, these waterfowl feed on pasture. Of course, the diet of domestic geese in the summer months consists not only of grass, but it makes up at least half of what these birds consume. In such conditions, it is necessary to monitor what goes into the food of domestic birds. And you need to know what you can not feed the geese, since not all herbs will benefit them. Some can also cause severe poisoning.

Feeding can consist of herbs such as dandelion, yarrow, clover, wild sorrel, and other similar plants. You can also give them nettles or plantains, provided they grow in clean places. The ideal option would be grazing near artificial or natural reservoirs. In this case, the bird also obtains various aquatic plants for itself, which are useful for rapid weight gain. Feeding near water bodies is also beneficial because of the vitamins that are necessary for the life of birds and improve the quality of meat.

The main differences between summer feeding

When feeding on pastures, it is enough for geese to feed once a day. Most farmers do this in the evening to teach waterfowl to return to their pen on time. But you need to understand that the rate of weight gain depends not only on what the geese eat in the summer. Much also depends on the chosen breed and the methods of keeping. Some varieties are capable of fattening exclusively in pasture. Others need additional nutrition to gain weight.

It is advisable to find out which herbs geese do not like. In particular, these birds do not like sedge and cinquefoil goose. And if these plants are present in the pasture, waterfowl may refuse to feed there. But various wild and domestic herbs from the family of cereal geese eat with great pleasure. Moreover, they like young growth most of all. Such grass is eaten the fastest, which has a positive effect on the content of the bird. To make it grow more intensively, you can constantly manually mow the meadow.

These birds need 1.5-2.5 kg of green grass per day. Much depends on the breed and size of each individual goose. With grazing, these needs are fully met. But how to feed the geese at home in the summer, if we are talking about additional nutrition? Mixed fodders, various root crops and cereals are suitable here. And for better assimilation of food, it is worth giving the birds a little salt, shells or chalk. If you give a small serving of this supplement every day, it will improve your growth rate.

Features of winter feeding

The norms of winter feeding of geese are very different from the summer norms due to the fact that during this period it is impossible to fatten the bird while walking. Of course, the goose is an unpretentious bird, but in order for waterfowl to gain weight faster, it is advisable to provide them with normal nutrition. First, they must be fed with various grains. For example, barley, corn, oats or millet. But it is advisable to take into account that corn, both in whole form and in the form of cereals, has a calorie content. And you should not overfeed the birds with it.

Even when drawing up a goose menu, it is recommended to use a silo. This is a specially harvested herb and vegetable tops, which has retained all its basic properties. Silage is a good substitute for pasture feeding and allows the birds to get all the vitamins they need. It is also undesirable to forget about root crops, that is, about turnips, carrots and potatoes.Keep in mind, however, that the best way to poison your flock is to provide sprouted potatoes. Solanine is a dangerous poison for birds, and it will become very bad for them from such food.

You can also feed the geese with bread, flour, or various legumes. But here you need to understand that a large amount of this food negatively affects the health of waterfowl. In this case, it is advisable to pre-boil the legumes. An excess of dry food is undesirable, as it clogs the bird's stomach. On average, one adult goose should receive from 800 g to 1 kg of food per day. At the same time, most of the diet is made up of roots, grain and silage.

Feeding tips for cold weather

Birds should be grazed until the meadows are covered with snow. This should be done, first of all, in the fall, since in the spring the grass suitable for food appears only when the warm season begins. Those birds that go to slaughter can eat simpler food, because they only need to be fattened. But for a breeding herd, fresh fiber should also be included in the diet. Here, pre-prepared silage is suitable, which, to improve the taste, can go through yeast before use.

One more thing to keep in mind is the bird's diet. From the very first days of winter, it must be fed 3 times a day, and during all 3 winter months, the feeding time should not change. It is usually done like this: the first feed at dawn or even before dawn. The second is at noon. The birds will eat for the third time before bedtime. Each farmer sets the exact feeding time independently. Also, we must not forget about clean water, which is needed for drinking and for rinsing the beak.

Feeding poultry for slaughter

All of these tips are suitable for any season, as the principles are the same. But it is not worth feeding the broodstock breeding flock in this way: the birds will not lay eggs and bring healthy offspring. But for young animals that will be sent for meat, such feeding methods are quite suitable. It is right to start feeding monthly ducklings in order to send three-month-old fed geese to slaughter. Of course, in the process of fattening, they must be additionally looked after in order to avoid unnecessary mortality in the herd.

Greens and various grains are very important for this kind of feeding. Also, for gaining the mass of adult birds and young animals, various cakes and protein-rich foods are suitable. But corn and other similar feed during these days it is better not to give birds. Then the bird develops too much subcutaneous fat, but the meat becomes slightly less. There should always be food in the feeders, as well as water in the drinkers.

There are two main methods of conventional goose feeding that are used by farmers.

Pasture feeding

This method is used by most farmers who need to raise a livestock of geese for slaughter. At the same time, from birth, all goslings are fattened according to the same principle. Until the age of one week, they receive a mixture of boiled eggs, herbs and boiled porridge. Weekly and two-week-old babies switch to greens, and then to pasture feeding. Three weeks after emerging from the eggs, they are already divided into a breeding herd and those who will go to slaughter. From this age, fattening already begins in order to obtain meat.

A beef herd needs a pasture with fresh and young grass, which geese will gladly eat. And besides this, additional feeding will be required, which will accelerate weight gain. But what should you feed your geese to gain weight quickly? The so-called complete combined feeds, which are produced in the form of granules, are suitable here. These granules are easy to feed to poultry, both breeding and fattening for meat. But here another question arises, namely, what is the composition of the compound feed for geese.

In the end, what will the geese be fed for weight by those who buy complete granulated feed? Wheat, corn, soybeans, various cakes and a set of various vitamins and minerals. This is when we talk about feed for young animals. Well, the feed for adult birds includes bran, but they are made without legumes, in fairness, they usually do not include soy. Dry compound feed alone in combination with grass may not provide the desired weight gain. In order for the livestock to feed quickly, it is worth using grain - barley or wheat.

Forced fattening of geese for meat

Force feeding is used when the bird itself is not able to gain weight in the right time. But in such a case, additional preparation is indispensable. First you need to make a bunker for one goose, in which the bird will be kept. The bunker is made so that its inhabitant moves as little as possible, but in such a case it is necessary to provide him with proper care, otherwise the waterfowl will simply suffocate from its own excrement. Care in such a situation plays a very important role.

There are two options for this type of feeding. The first method, which is also called intensive, is used somewhat more often. In this case, a hole is made in the bunker through which the goose sticks its head and gets to the feeder. The bird constantly feeds itself during the day (and night). It is fed with a mixture of grains and a small amount of green grass and root vegetables. It is best to feed the goose with barley or oats, you can give some corn and wheat.

The second option for forced feeding is used in cases when it is necessary to prepare the bird for slaughter in a short time. In this case, the goose is put in a bunker, but food is given to it by force. For this, a special wet mixture is prepared and kneaded. It is made from salt and several flours that are made from oats, wheat, bran, corn and barley. In total, it is taken in equal proportions, although it is desirable to give a little more oat flour due to wheat. With constant feeding, the bird gains weight quickly.

Other types of feeding for geese

There are several special cases of feeding geese that the farmer should also be aware of. In particular, it must be remembered that the goose also needs a separate diet during the period when it incubates the clutch or is just about to lay. For example, it is useful for a goose to add chopped needles to the feed, which contains vitamin C. It is useful for all birds, but its main advantage is that it increases the growth of eggs, which is useful in the case of geese that do not have a high egg production.

In fact, you need to feed the egg-laying goose with the same feed as other birds in the breeding herd. She needs high-quality hay from meadow grasses, and silage will also come in handy. For 20-25 days before laying eggs, the bird will need a grain mixture, green young grass or silage, hay and clean water. The question here is how many times a day she needs to be fed. Experienced farmers recommend giving her food 4 times a day. The use of various vitamin supplements gives good results before laying eggs.

Feeding geese on foie gras

Foie gras, or fatty liver, is an expensive and delicious delicacy made from the liver of specially fed waterfowl. Some people write this name foie gras (which, in general, is not correct). Feeding itself is not complicated and is a kind of compulsory feeding. Up to 2 months, young animals are grown according to the classical principle. At the same time, you should not let the birds pinch currants and gooseberries in the garden, as well as gobble up the planting of vegetables.

There is only one important difference during this period - birds are fed with corn and legumes, that is, food containing a lot of fats and proteins. In this case, a 5-time diet is established. At the age of 2.5 months, each bird should receive at least 0.4 kg of additional feed.Then the young are either seated in separate bunkers, or kept crowded in one room. One way or another, the birds should move a little. After that, force-feeding begins, which is described in the video as follows:

“For foie gras, geese are kept so that they move as little as possible. Forced feeding is carried out as follows. Corn grains are poured 15-20 cm with water and heated until all the water is absorbed. This is mixed with sunflower or olive oil, a small amount of salt is added and pushed down the goose's throats. At a time, you need to feed 0.2-0.3 kg of the mixture, but so that the bird does not suffocate. In about a month, the geese can be sent for slaughter. "

Conclusion

Fattening geese is important both when raising a breeding herd and when preparing birds for slaughter. It is not so difficult to compose a diet, but it must be done. After all, only with proper nutrition will there be a profit from growing geese.