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ducks and geese

What's a Good Homemade Gosling Starter Feed?

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posted 4 months ago

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We're (hopefully) going to have some newborn goslings soon. There aren't any special products here for geese feed. So we'll just have to blend our own. Can you feed them alfalfa pellets? What else is recommended?

We're thinking of using crushed rice with generous additions of brewer's yeast as the base.

Anything to avoid?

It would be great if you can recommend something that Muscovy ducklings can eat too. Also the adult geese and adult muscovies. Really just want a gosling starter feed that can serve the other birds too.

Matt McSpadden

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posted 4 months ago

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Hi Scot,
I don't have experience with geese yet myself (though they are on my list to get some day), but my research says that either good quality hay or the wild game bird mixes are good for geese.

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Suzette Thib

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posted 4 months ago

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Our gosling, even just a couple of days old, would happily nibble all over the yard and was not nearly as interested in the feed as the chickens and ducks. Granted we had to keep a close eye, but I imagine with the wild game feed plus foraging they will do well. We never tried to make our own mix feed.

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scot obar

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posted 4 months ago

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There's no "wild game" feed in this country.

James Landreth

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posted 4 months ago

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Traditionally (and what worked for me) was chopped scrambled eggs, and if I remember right, water over cooked oatmeal. Water over the eggs might help. They can eat tender grass from a fairly young age. Everyone's experience is different though and it's been a few years since I had geese

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Carla Burke

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posted 4 months ago

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That's interesting, Scot. I'm not sure what country you're in, but that's exactly what we feed our muscovys (which are genetically closer to geese, than ducks), and what we feed turkeys and quail, when we have them, as well as what we will feed the pheasants my husband wants to try raising (if we ever do that). I'm in Central Missouri, and pretty much all the feed stores carry at least a couple brands. Those are my husband's birds, so he buys it, but I'll try to remember to see about the ingredients list, when I'm up in that outbuilding, next.

In the meantime, here are a few links Thayer might at least help you get started:
https://thehomesteadinghippy.com/duck-feed-guide/

https://www.newlifeonahomestead.com/how-to-grow-duck-feed/

https://opensanctuary.org/special-care-recommendations-for-goslings/

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