What grass do geese eat: what can and cannot be fed to poultry
Grass plays an important role in the diet of geese as a vitamin component. It is also a feed, due to which the owners save considerable money. Before using this gift of nature, it is necessary to figure out what kind of grass domestic geese eat and whether any vegetation is equally useful for birds. Do I need to take into account the age of the pets when driving the herd to pasture in a place where anything grows?
What grass can you feed geese?
Birds love juicy greens, so spring is a good time to be. It is advisable to drive the birds out to graze in meadows, wastelands, the area near the personal plot as early as possible.Representatives of legumes such as alfalfa, clover, sweet clover, vetch (peas), sainfoin attract birds throughout their growing season. Sprouts of oats, rye, bluegrass, timothy grass, wheatgrass and other cereals are eaten by geese until the moment when they begin to ear, and their leaves dry up.
Dandelion helps out even in drought, remaining among the burnt grass thanks to its powerful and long root. Plantain gives birds not only tasty and he althy leaves, but also seeds. Nettle geese eat while the plant is young. Yarrow is given to chicks for indigestion.
Goslings from the 4th day of life are given beet tops, dill, lettuce. Week-old chicks can nibble young grass themselves.
In order to fully satisfy the need of domestic geese for green fodder, 90 m2 of water meadows are allocated for each individual. The consumption rates of herbs are shown in the table.
| 1,0 | |
| 1,8 | |
| 2,8 | |
How to grow your own green fodder
If the owners do not have natural land at their disposal, it is recommended to sow greens in summer to feed the geese.
Shops sell mixtures of grass seeds. There are different percentages 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 the expectation of long-term use. For this, two options have been developed:
- Alfalfa and other legumes are sown on top of barley, which has a deeper seed placement. The powerful root system of the cereal will prevent the uprooting of the alfalfa.
- The first year of planting with a slowly developing root system is mowed, keeping birds away.
Dangerous grass for birds
Baby goslings who are being trained to eat properly should be protected from plants that can harm their he alth or affect the quality of the meat. Poisonous plants include:
- dope;
- henbane;
- ambrosia;
- quinoa;
- nightshade;
- buttercups.
This vegetation must be thoroughly removed from the site where goslings are released in the first days of life. It is impossible to accustom birds to herbs, which, when eaten, give bitterness to meat. These include:
- wormwood;
- field mustard;
- spurge.
It is forbidden to give grass or parts of plants treated with herbicides or fertilizers to geese.
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