Have you ever seen geese grub or dig out into the soil using their bills? If you did, you might have wondered what they were looking for. Well, geese love to dig out because they want to eat worms and other insects embedded in the soil. Geese, of course, love worms for their snacks. But are worms good for geese?
Of course, the answer is, “Yes, worms are good for geese!” Worms, despite their small sizes, are rich in nutrients. In fact, they are considered a superfood for geese. Nevertheless, worms can expose your geese to intestinal issues due to the parasites they harbor.
What Nutrients Can Geese From Worms?
Worms are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and proteins for your geese. So, if you want to supplement the feeds you provide your geese, you should let them eat worms. Yet, it will be best if you do not make worms the primary and sole ingredients of their diet.
Geese need other food like fresh greens, grain, and fruits to be healthy. So, providing your geese with these other foods will be best.
Worms, however, will enable your geese to lay more eggs. So, it will help if you feed them worms occasionally. Remember that geese require various nutrients to lay healthy eggs, and two of them are protein and calcium.
Since worms carry protein and other macronutrients, you can let your geese feast on some worms as they forage for food. And it should not be a cause of worry on your part.
Would Geese Eat Mealworms?
If you wish to draw your geese closer to your feeding station or yard, it will help to provide them with mealworms. Geese would love to eat these mealworms. For geese and ducks, these wriggly mealworms are perfect snacks.
Mealworms are mealworm beetle’s larval forms. They usually measure around 2.5 centimeters and are often considered pests by humans because they feed on grain.
Yet, you can use them as feed for your beloved geese, and they are excellent snacks, especially during the nesting season of your geese. Moreover, they are rich in protein.
Would Geese Eat Grub Worms?
If you have a lawn, you will often encounter grub worms, considered pests by gardeners. But geese would never hesitate to eat grub worms. Grub worms are rich in protein and other nutrients. Yet, they are not the typical food you should provide your geese.
Grub worms are C-shaped creatures with white to cream color and slick and shiny bodies. Moreover, they have six legs.
Geese are highly adaptable creatures. And they are omnivorous. As such, they can eat grub worms, and they would surely eat one. Besides, geese would feel happy to eat any worm, including grub worms.
Would Geese Eat Army Worms?
Armyworms are caterpillar forms of many types of moths. They usually move in large groups, and for this reason, they are called armyworms. These worms are often considered pests but could also be a good source of protein for your geese.
As mentioned above, geese would love to eat any worms, including armyworms. Hence, if you want to eliminate armyworms, just let your geese feast on these worms.
Is It Okay to Provide Baby Geese with Worms?
Baby geese or goslings eat the same food as adult geese. They would love to eat aquatic plants, grasses, small amphibians, fish, insects, and worms.
They also need more nutrients to grow feverishly. So, you can also feed them worms, and they would indeed enjoy eating them.
Is Feeding Your Geese with Worms Risky to their Well-being and Health?
Feeding your geese with worms come with concomitant risks. If the worms you feed them get infested with parasites, your geese will get exposed to these parasites. These parasites might lodge into your geese’s digestive systems, causing various illnesses.
Furthermore, if your geese feed on worms from areas that are affected by harmful chemicals, they might carry these chemicals, and your geese might inadvertently ingest them. If the chemicals are toxic, your geese might get sick.
If you decide to feed your geese worms, it will be best to choose worms that are safe to eat. Avoid those worms from locations affected by pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Besides, ensure that the worms you feed don’t carry harmful parasites.
How Frequently Should You Feed Geese with Worms?
Worms, as mentioned above, carry protein and are a rich source of other nutrients. So, you might assume feeding them daily with worms is okay. Contrariwise, it will help to only feed worms to geese in moderation. Feed them a handful of worms that you can count in your hand.
You can feed them with two to three worms per week. Besides, you should not feed them more than that, for it may harm them. As long as you provide them with a balanced diet, there is no need to supply your geese with more worms.
Furthermore, if you provide them with other protein-rich food, you should lessen the worms you feed your geese. They won’t need too much protein.
How To Manage the Feeding of Worms?
You can feed worms to your geese in several ways. First, you can offer them the worms directly from the ground. Feeding them this way is easy and doesn’t necessitate any preparation. Nevertheless, I won’t recommend this method, for you don’t know how many parasites the ground worms harbor.
Another way is to feed them commercially prepared pellets of worms. You can buy these products online or from pet stores.
Lastly, you can buy fresh worms. You can purchase fresh worms sold in most grocery stores. They come in bags. Check the worms before you buy them because some worms might be too tiny for your geese.
Conclusion
Feeding worms to geese is not a bad idea because worms carry enough protein to supplement the protein requirements of your geese. Besides, worms also contain other nutrients that are beneficial to the growth of your geese. Geese will love to eat worms, and they would consider them a delicious snack.
When feeding your geese with worms, you should ensure that the worms you feed them don’t carry parasites, for these parasites can compromise the well-being and health of your geese. Moreover, you should provide worms in moderation, for other foods could provide your geese with their protein requirements.
