Grass plays an important role in the diet of geese as a vitamin component. It is also food, through which owners save significant money. Before taking advantage of this gift of nature, it is necessary to understand what grass domestic geese eat and whether all vegetation is equally beneficial for birds. Should the age of the pets be taken into account when taking the herd out for grazing in a place where anything grows?
What grass can you feed geese?
Birds love lush greenery, so there is no need to waste time in the spring. It is advisable to drive birds out to graze in meadows, wastelands, and areas near a personal plot as early as possible.Representatives of legumes such as alfalfa, clover, sweet clover, vetch (peas), and sainfoin attract birds throughout their growing season. Sprouts of oats, rye, bluegrass, timothy, wheatgrass and other grains are eaten by geese until they begin to spike and their leaves dry out.
Dandelion helps even in drought, surviving among burnt grass thanks to its powerful and long root. The plantain gives birds not only tasty and healthy leaves, but also seeds. Geese eat nettles while the plant is young. Yarrow is given to chicks for indigestion.
In order to fully satisfy the need of domestic geese for green food, 90 m are allocated for each individual2 water meadow. The consumption rates for forbs are given in the table.
| Goose age, month | Amount of grass, kg |
| 1 | 1,0 |
| 2 | 1,8 |
| 3-5 | 2,8 |
How to grow green food yourself
If the owners do not have natural lands at their disposal, it is recommended to sow greens in the summer for feeding the geese.
Stores sell herb seed mixtures. There are different percentage compositions to choose from. Usually the set includes 7-10 names of plants. You can choose a mixture with a high content of legumes or, conversely, cereals.
Experienced poultry farmers advise starting a meadow with long-term use in mind. For this we have developed two options:
- Alfalfa and other legumes are sown on top of barley plantings, which have deeper seed placement. The powerful root system of the cereal will prevent the alfalfa from being pulled out by the roots.
- The first year of planting with a slowly developing root system is mowed, keeping birds away from them.
Dangerous grass for birds
Small goslings, accustomed to proper nutrition, must be protected from plants that can harm their health or affect the quality of meat. Poisonous plants include:
- dope;
- henbane;
- ambrosia;
- quinoa;
- Solanaceae;
- buttercups.
This vegetation must be thoroughly removed from the area where the goslings are released in the first days of life. Birds should not be accustomed to herbs, which, when eaten, impart a bitter taste to the meat. These include:
- sagebrush;
- field mustard;
- milkweed.
Do not feed geese grass or parts of plants treated with herbicides or fertilizers.
