Breeds of geese for breeding at home. Breed selection and performance description. Temperature and light conditions

Persistent rumors about the beginning of the next economic crisis again led many to think about creating their own business project. Against the general background of small business, one of the most promising options is an attempt to find oneself in livestock or poultry farming. If it is difficult to surprise prospective buyers with chicken meat and its eggs, breeding of waterfowl is ready to please with the high potential demand for the resulting products. One of the most successful areas, convenient for breeding and ready to start making a profit quickly enough, is goose breeding. Even the most experienced farmer can create a goose farm.

What is required for home breeding of geese?

A plot of land and a building that will contain geese;
the proximity of the reservoir is desirable;
hay and compound feed;
geese (goslings);
an incubator for growing eggs and goslings (if you have experience in caring for geese, they often do without it).

Breeds of geese for breeding

At the moment, on the market for goose farming products, the most successful and profitable is the breeding and keeping of geese of several popular breeds:

white italian;
home gray;
Chinese.

The first two breeds are characterized by the maximum weight gain. These are the most "well-fed" breeds. The Chinese goose is attractive for its fast growth and high egg production. In an individual farm to obtain maximum profit these breeds can be crossed to get the most out of your poultry population.

Poultry farming is a familiar and interesting occupation for our latitudes. And the goose is a traditional Russian bird. These birds have been kept since ancient times and continue to be kept today. Keeping geese is not a big hassle, but the benefits from such a farm are obvious. What is the breeding of geese at home or on own dacha- the topic of our today's review!

Breeding geese by novice hobbyists has the following obvious benefits:

an adult can provide you with 6 kg of tasty meat and 2.5 kg of fat;
goose liver is an unusually tasty product considered a delicacy;
widely used in everyday life due to their water-repellent and thermal qualities;
geese are fast-growing birds and in two months at your dacha you can grow a young bird weighing 4 kg.

Breeding geese at home, say, in a country house, requires, first of all, raising a high-quality breeding herd that will be able to reproduce healthy offspring. Birds become sexually mature at about the age of 8-10 months, which is quite late in comparison with other farm animals. But the eggs of a good goose are used for incubation for 3-4 years. The strongest and healthiest individuals are selected for the breeding herd. Gussakov are chosen with a weight of 10% more than the average for the entire livestock.

The mass of the goose should be at the level of the average, less is very undesirable. Exterior and hereditary qualities of individuals are taken into account. When forming a broodstock, keep in mind that the number of males should be 3 times less than the number of geese. Experienced breeders form goose families by pairing one or more geese to males. A herd of several families can live in one pen.

If the ganders are of a tough disposition and respect their territory too much, they are divided and each of them will organize their own little corral. Then there are no quarrels in goose families, and in the broodstock there is a high egg production and fertility. In order to dot the "i" and finally understand how to breed geese at home on your site or summer cottage, we advise you to also decide on the method of breeding them. You can use an incubator, or you can use traditional method with a brood goose in the title role. We invite you to watch a video that shows how little goslings are born in an incubator.

Culling eggs

At the right choice eggs, babies will be born after 28-30 days of incubation. That is why, before laying eggs in an incubator or under a goose, it is necessary to reject substandard eggs. These can be:

large eggs with two yolks or one but highly mobile yolk;
eggs that are irregular in shape;
eggs with cracks or other damage to the shell;
eggs that have blood clots when translucent;
misplaced or very large air chamber, which is also visible when translucent.

Rules and features of the content

You don't need special knowledge and conditions to keep geese in your dacha. These birds are resistant to disease, they are unpretentious, so raising geese at home is a common thing for our summer cottages. The main requirement for cackling birds is a good bedding made of hay, straw or peat. The fact is that these birds are very frost-resistant due to the presence of subcutaneous fat in them. But their beak and paws are sensitive to frost, so the presence of bedding in the goose nest is mandatory.

When breeding several breeds of geese on your farm, it is better to keep them separately. Remember that these birds are able to spend most of their time walking. Therefore, keeping them indoors is constantly inappropriate, because they extract a significant part of their diet on their own.

Requirements for the premises

The room in which you plan to settle the cackling birds must be clean, dry and light. The area required to comfortably accommodate one goose is approximately 1 sq. m. In a damp and dark room, raising birds is problematic - they can suffer from colds. Consider also this feature: a very large amount of water evaporates from the geese (about 2 liters of water from 10 heads), so do not forget about good ventilation in the goose house. The floors in the room are made of wood or adobe, the main thing is that they are dry, since birds spend the night on the floor.

The optimal temperature for geese in winter is 0 C. If you insulate the walls and ceiling of your goose house mineral wool or other sealed material, then additional heating of the room will not be needed. The desired temperature will be created by the heat generated by the bird.

Feeding

Of course, growing geese in the country largely depends on quality feeding. If you breed geese on your own summer cottage then you can surely provide them with enough room to walk. They belong to herbivorous poultry and one individual is able to eat at least 2 kg of grass per day. Dandelion, clover, alfalfa, wheatgrass, which grow in abundance in the country, are especially loved by giggling birds. They eat geese and cereal greens, but mainly before flowering.

V winter time some of the green diet is replaced with hay, grass meal, or bran. But, of course, grass alone cannot make up a complete goose diet. Goose must be given grain, they love oats most, then wheat, barley, rye and corn. They also do not refuse root crops such as potatoes, beets or carrots. Geese are feathered, able to cope with a diet rich in fiber, while for most poultry, fiber is difficult to digest.

It is known that foods containing a higher amount of fiber are cheaper than all others, so keeping geese is economically beneficial. Their advantage is that they use the energy of the feed they eat better than other types of poultry. The percentage of feed energy use in chickens is 65%, and in geese this figure is 70-80%. This makes the goslings grow so quickly and seamlessly. When feeding birds, consider also the fact that they feed at night, so always leave food in the feeders for a night meal.

Summing up our review of the maintenance and care of geese, as a bird that has lived next to a person for a long time and brings him great benefits, we advise you to look at one more interesting video!

Unlike chickens, geese do not lay eggs in huge volumes - average goose egg production 40-50 eggs per year... The main income of the goose farm comes from tasty meat, feathers and poultry liver, as well as from the sale of its manure for fertilization.

The principle of choosing breeds for breeding is unpretentiousness, low susceptibility to diseases and rapid weight gain. Best of all, the specified parameters are answered White Italian, Chinese, Kholmogory and Gray domestic geese... You can start several breeds, since crossing will not worsen the performance of the offspring.

Arrangement of a goose-house and a walk for birds

It will not cause much trouble, because they are unpretentious and resistant to cold weather. In winter, they can live in an unheated poultry house, but they cannot tolerate drafts and unsanitary conditions. A board shed with carefully sealed cracks, a tightly closing door and a leak-proof roof is suitable for the goose-goer.

It is desirable to make the floor 15-25 cm above ground level... and cover with a thick layer of straw. The litter should be changed every 5-7 days. The goose bed must be ventilated, and the temperature in it in winter should not fall below + 4C - + 5C degrees.

The premise is built on the basis of the calculation: 1-2 goose per 1m2... Fenced walking areas are attached to the poultry house, the territory of which should exceed the area of the poultry house by 150-200%.

Keeping geese - care, feeding, grazing

In spring, summer and autumn, geese are kept in open pastures in pens. The enclosure is fenced in with a net, 1.5 meters high and equipped with shed canopy... It is ideal to have a reservoir in a dedicated area, but if it is absent, several mini-baths are installed from old baths or basins.

Feeding geese in summer

In summer, geese feed on various grasses in pastures: nettles, plantains, sorrel, dandelions, etc. In the evening, the birds are fed with root crops, vegetable waste, and crumbly grain mash.

Feeding geese in winter

In winter, birds are fed three times a day with grain, silage, vegetable waste, hay dust with flour, cake, boiled legumes, etc. For fortification they give spruce or pine needles.

Always have fresh water in the house. sufficient quantities , since geese drink a lot.

Breeding goslings

Geese lay eggs in February-March. A month before, the geese are transferred to intensive feeding. At the same time, nests with a height of 30 cm and dimensions of 40x60 cm are installed in the goose house.

The laid eggs are taken to an incubator or left to the goose, providing her with maximum peace and comfort during incubation. Goslings are born 28 days after laying.

Goslings are provided with up to 2-3 weeks warm mode(+ 25C - + 30C) and special food from crumbly porridge, finely chopped greens, eggs and grated carrots. After the third week, they are gradually transferred to an adult diet.

Goslings grow quickly and reach the size of an adult by 10 weeks of age.

Prevention of diseases in geese

Geese rarely get sick if they are provided with proper and certain preventive measures are taken:

Some nuances of increasing productivity breeding geese:

There should be 3-4 females for one goose in a herd.
Basically, geese begin to lay in the second year of life, but egg production can be achieved from a 5-6 month old bird.
The ideal weight for slaughter is considered to be 5-6 kg, after which the bird accumulates excess fat.
The geese rush at the same time in the morning. The female sits on 5 or more eggs to hatch chicks.

Expenses and incomes from breeding geese

Goose business - this is a long-term investment, the main income from which is felt 2-3 years after the start of the business. However, it will bring some profit in the first year.

Expenses

Construction of a barn and enclosure fencing - 100-120 thousand rubles;
Arrangement of a poultry house and aviary - 40 thousand rubles;
Purchase of goslings (50 pcs.) - 20 thousand rubles;
Feed costs in the first year - 25 thousand rubles;
In total - about 200 thousand rubles.

Income

Sale of eggs - in a year the goose will bring 1480 eggs, minus 50 eggs. for breeding, you can get a profit of 21,400 rubles, selling them at 15 rubles. a piece.
Sale of meat - slaughtering half of the herd, we get 150 kg. meat for 300 rubles. - profit 45,000 rubles. If you slaughter all the geese in three years (after technical work), you will get 400 kg of meat, because the weight of the geese will increase to 8-10 kg. from an individual.
The sale of feathers and down - in the first year, the income will be about 8 thousand rubles, since young geese shed little, in the future, the volumes will double.
You can sell separately goose liver - from 200 rubles per 1 goose and bird droppings- about 1000 rubles per year.

Total, for the first year with 50 geese you can earn about 80 thousand rubles.

The goose farm begins to bring stable income starting from the third year of operation, but keeping small volumes of livestock is not very profitable. The optimal number of goose herds for an effective one is 150-200 birds.

Despite the fact that modern geese are not much different from their ancestors, many new breeds have been formed thanks to selection. Each of them is endowed with its own characteristics of productivity. According to experts, for household and keeping the best breeds are:

Kholmogorskaya. This breed is characterized by rapid weight gain and good immunity to various diseases. The weight of an adult gander in a short period reaches up to - 12 kg., Of a goose up to - 8 kg.
Large gray. The maximum weight of these males is 9 kg, females - 6 kg. Distinctive feature these individuals are easy to care for and good hybridization. Large gray ganders are often used in the development of new medium - heavy breeds, and geese as brood hens.
Toulouse. The breed of these birds is characterized by high rates of meat and egg production. The weight of male carcasses is about 12 kg, with a liver weight of about 1 kg. Females are also distinguished by their high weight - 10 kg., And good egg production. In one season, the female can postpone about - 40 pcs. large eggs.
Chinese. The big plus of the breed is its egg production. One individual can lay more than 100 eggs per season. However, the mass of adults is not great, the weight of the gander in rare cases reaches - 6 kg, females up to - 4 kg. Therefore, breeding them is considered unprofitable to obtain meat and liver.
Danish Legart. Birds of this breed are considered the best suppliers of fluff. Every year one goose can give about 500 grams. feathers, with a plucking interval of 1.5 months. They are also characterized by an agreeable disposition and unpretentious care.

Regardless of the choice of the breed, its development, first of all, will be influenced by the state of health of the purchased young stock. Therefore, before you buy it, you need to know a few useful rules.

Rules for choosing goslings

As practice shows, sometimes even rural residents make irreparable mistakes when choosing chicks, which subsequently lead to the death of the bird. For beginners, this is natural, but in order to avoid this, when buying young individuals, you need to pay attention to the following indicators:

Appearance. Healthy birds have a clean and well-groomed appearance. The presence of glued fluff and adhered feces in the area of the cloaca will indicate a disease.
Behavior. Their activity will also speak about the health of the goslings. Sick young animals mostly lie huddled in a heap and squeak weakly. Healthy individuals, moving around the cage, stretch their necks and squeak.
Paws. The lower limbs of goslings should be shiny pink or gray, without the presence of bluish streaks. Also, the legs should look inward and clubfoot when walking. If, while moving, the chick limps, and its limb is turned to the side, then it has a fracture or dislocation.

If no defects are found during visual inspection, and the seller has provided the relevant documents, you can safely carry out the purchase process.

Goslings, unlike other types of poultry, are demanding to grow. But with the right content, they develop quickly and gain weight. Therefore, before settling them, it is necessary to prepare in advance their habitat and in the future adhere to sanitary standards.

Room preparation

Drinking bowls

So that little ones do not get colds from getting wet in the first days of settlement, it is recommended to use a jar and a saucer as a drinker. To do this, water is poured into the jar, and then it is turned over onto a plate. For a regular supply of liquid under the neck of the glass container, wooden planks, 1 cm high, are installed. When the goslings grow up to 2 weeks of age, the jar and saucer are replaced with a metal box.

Feeders

Often during feeding, the goslings are pulled apart and tamped down. Therefore, in order to prevent this, wooden feeders are installed in the dwelling, with a side height of 5 cm. Their location should be accessible from both sides, and the number should correspond to the livestock.

Stocking density of young stock

One of the reasons for the uneven development of young animals, as well as the appearance of foci of various diseases, is the incorrect placement of chicks. So that the goslings do not accumulate in a heap, and also have free access to the feeder, the room for their keeping should be spacious. Up to 1.5 weeks of age per 1 sq. m. the number of chicks should not exceed 10 heads. Further, up to 1 month, the area increases by 1 sq. M. there are 7 goals. After the specified time, this area is enough for only 3 chicks.

Lighting

The length of daylight hours is of great importance for the adaptation of young animals in the new building. In poor light, goslings gather in a heap and eat poorly. Therefore, the first week of settlement, lighting should be around the clock. Further, at night, a dim light is left, in which some chicks can sleep peacefully, and those who are hungry can find feeders. A month later, the grown-up young will have only 14 hours of daylight hours, without additional lighting at night.

Temperature and humidity

Thermoregulation is poorly developed in goslings. In the first days of life, their body gives off a large amount of heat, and warms up rather weakly. Therefore, up to 3 weeks of age in the goose house, it is necessary to constantly maintain the temperature not lower than + 30 ° C., And the air humidity around - 70 - 75%. Further, the temperature drops to + 23 ° C., And excess moisture is removed by ventilation.

Ventilation of the room

Excess carbon dioxide negatively affects the appetite and development of the young. To prevent this, it is recommended to ventilate the goose house daily. This procedure is carried out through the sashes of windows and doors, which are tightened with gauze. Ventilating the room will also help prevent congestion. a large number moisture, which leads to the development of mold and fungal diseases.

As you can see, it will take a lot of effort to comply with sanitary standards and rules for keeping chicks. But this is not enough. Goslings will also need timely care in order to get a healthy generation and reduce deaths to zero.

Caring for little goslings

To increase the chances of the correct development of the entire livestock, you will need to fulfill the following not difficult requirements:

Provide chicks with adequate nutrition. The feed should be made from pure products containing vitamins and minerals.
Make sure that the drinker is not dry. Insufficient water quickly dehydrates the goslings. For better digestion and increased appetite, ascorbic acid is added to the liquid.
Maintain health. At the first signs of illness, such as weakness, lack of appetite, falling to the feet, rotting eyes or diarrhea, antibiotics are recommended for goslings.
Walking. Impact sun rays and Fresh air have a positive effect on the health of chicks. To do this, from a young age, goslings need to be taught to graze. The first time walks are carried out for half an hour. From 14 days of age, the young are grazed throughout the day.
To accustom to a reservoir. These are water birds that need bathing. Therefore, from the age of one month, they must be taught to swim. A river or a pond can act as a reservoir. If they are not nearby grazing, you can build a reservoir yourself by installing water baths.

Also one of important elements when rearing young animals, hygiene is essential. In order to avoid the occurrence of diseases that lead to the death of chicks, it is recommended to keep the room clean. Feeders and drinkers should be washed regularly, and the bedding should be changed at least once every 2 to 3 days.

Keeping geese at home

When the birds grow up and get stronger, they will become less demanding for care and warmth. Adults tolerate severe frosts well and rarely get sick. But still, to increase their productivity, there are a number of features of their content.

Premises

Very often spring floods harm geese. Therefore, the room for their maintenance should be located in areas with deep bedding. groundwater... And the wooden floor is at a distance of 20 cm from the ground level. A draft must not be allowed in the goose-house. Therefore, in winter period all windows and doors must be tightly closed and the cracks filled with clay. Straw or sawdust is used to insulate the base of the room.

Livestock density

For the comfortable existence of adults, the density of the livestock must be observed. If birds spend the whole day on grazing, then 1 sq.m. will be enough for 2 geese. With rare walks or their absence, at least 1 sq.m. will be required for 1 goose. area.

Feeders

Adult geese require different minerals in their diet. Therefore, their feeders should be equipped with separate sections for gravel and shells. So that during the consumption of food in adults, a crush is not created, which leads to a clarification of relations, when a new livestock appears, it is necessary to increase the number of feeders.

Grazing

Geese need regular grazing and walking. In summer, extensive meadows with a close location of the reservoir are selected for grazing. For walks of geese in winter, fences up to 1 meter high are built along the goose bed.

Forming nests

1 month before the start of egg laying for the geese, nests are equipped. They are made from plywood or other wood-containing materials. In order for the goose to feel comfortable when laying eggs, the nests must correspond to the following dimensions: width - 40 cm, length - 60 cm, height - 50 cm. Install the nests on the floor, in well-visible places. The number of nests depends on the geese population. For 2 - 3 females, one nest will be enough.

Place for hens

When several hens are ready to hatch chicks, a part of the room is allocated for them. Nests for incubation of eggs are installed at a distance of 50 cm from the floor of the room and partitioned off with a wall. In this case, hens are not irritated by the presence of each other and after feeding they do not confuse the nests.

Room disinfection

except correct cultivation domestic geese need to be slaughtered in time. There are no definite criteria for poultry maturation. The only condition that must be adhered to is to slaughter before molting. You can determine the beginning of molt by running your hand over the body of the bird. If hemp is felt, you can start slaughtering.

Farming. This topic is interesting to many. Some dream of a large private farm that generates significant profits, others want to have organic products on their table, of which they are confident. Care, breeding and keeping of geese is an interesting profitable business.

Breeding geese is profitable, especially if you follow proper care

A lot of meat, delicious liver and fluff - all this can be obtained from breeding. The rapid growth of young animals makes goose breeding an excellent activity during summer vacations in the country and a profitable business.

If you've never kept poultry, choose which goslings to buy. Here are a few popular breeds that give a good profit at a relatively low cost. Currently, there are 3 types of geese: heavy meat breeds, decorative, fighting. At dachas and in private farmsteads, large poultry for meat is often grown. Best breeds for personal household.

Large gray geese... Males weigh up to 9 kg, females - 6 kg. The breed is distinguished by high productivity, unpretentiousness to feed, it can do without a reservoir, geese are excellent mothers. Geese are strong and hardy, often used for crossing and creating hybrid species. For 2 months, geese reach a weight of 4.5-5 kg.
Italian. In our country, the breed has been bred for the past 30 years. Delicious meat, tender liver, which weighs 600 g. The weight of an adult gander is 6-9 kg, of a goose - 5-6. They tolerate summer heat well, withstand winter. The presence of a reservoir is required.
Lindovsky. Large, peaceful birds, perfectly adapt to keeping conditions. Average weight- 8 kg. They grow quickly, gain weight well, rarely get sick. Poorly tolerated by the lack of a place for swimming. Protect from drafts.
Kholmogorsk Representatives of the breed are large, with excellent immunity, geese can reach 12, and geese 8 kg. Females keep an excellent eye on the offspring, but due to their high weight, they can crush eggs.

Today, more than 25 breeds have been bred. Which breed to choose is up to you.

It is better to buy goslings in April-May. With an abundance of green food, good pasture and a small pond for swimming, you will receive the first product in 2 months after purchase.

Selection and purchase of young animals

It is better for beginners to buy for growing small goslings. They can be purchased from a reputable specialized farm or from the market. It is preferable to buy goslings from breeders of the breed, but this is not always possible. You need to choose goslings carefully:

choose large beautiful chicks;
babies should be active, squeak, pull the neck, touch with their paws;
they should be covered with an even layer of down, without bald spots and the impression that the down has fallen off;
beaks are clean, bright, without mucus in the sinuses;
fluff without debris and traces of feces;
goslings stand confidently on their legs that are not tucked inward;
dry feet, bright color, without blue discoloration on the membranes;
the cloaca is clean, without traces of feces and mucus;
the seller is ready to show the documents for the bird, answers in detail all questions related to the maintenance of chicks and adults.

When buying goslings, keep them clean and healthy

You can buy daily goslings, but week-old chicks are more viable. The high price is not an indicator of quality.

Requirements for the conditions of keeping goslings

Poultry house

Breeding geese at home will not cause difficulties if you arm yourself with knowledge.

Before buying babies, you should take care of housing for them. A clean, dry barn with whitewashed walls is perfect for protecting against mold and mildew. Capital construction needed for year-round keeping of birds.

Geese are sensitive to cleanliness and drafts. Comfortable conditions will ensure a healthy strong herd.

Birds need clean, dry bedding. Straw, sawdust, peat, millet or sunflower husk are used for it. Be sure to install drinkers. It is better to place them on special trays so that the splashing water does not wet the bedding and does not increase the humidity in the room. It is easier to clean in the house with pallets.

If there are few goslings, they are kept at the rate of 10 pieces per 1 sq. m. If there are more birds, make separate enclosures and divide the livestock. Chicks, when there are many of them, can crush each other.

Goose different breeds contain in different enclosures.

If the geese are planned to be kept in the country only in the summer and a large capital shed is not provided, you can place the kids on a closed veranda or in summer kitchen, having fenced off a corral for them. Already after 7-14 days, they grow enough to nibble the grass on their own. A warm barn is not needed for keeping in summer; it is enough to protect pets from rain, wind, and predatory animals.

Nutrition

The first three days of life, the chicks are given hard-boiled egg yolk, millet or crumbly oatmeal porridge with cottage cheese. Feeding every 2-3 hours. When caring for young animals, keep in mind that the water must be boiled.

The drinker for the young should have boiled water.

On the following days, the goslings are given a mash of finely chopped green onions, yolk, young finely chopped grass. Eggs are excluded from the fifth day, cottage cheese is gradually mixed in: this will provide the chicks with vitamins.

Weekly goslings are fed with soaked peas, passed through a meat grinder, and finely chopped grass 1: 1. Fish oil, grated carrots are added to the feed. Bone flour - additional source vitamins.

A little potassium permanganate is periodically added to the drinking water for grown goslings. Pale pink water is an excellent means of preventing diarrhea. The water is no longer boiled, but the drinkers and feeders are washed after each feeding.

From the second week, vegetables (potatoes, zucchini, pumpkin) are introduced into the diet of the chicks. Leave the peas and increase the amount of grass. From the third week, chicks are fed, like adult birds, 3 times a day.

Birds also eat at night, so there should always be food in the feeders.

Shells and chalk are mixed with the feed for good digestion.

What should be in the gosper

If you plan to keep geese year-round, you should equip a warm light barn. It can be made of wood or adobe (a mixture of clay and straw), foam and cinder blocks are suitable for construction.

The main thing is to close up the cracks well so that in cold weather the birds do not suffer from frost and drafts. You can insulate the walls wooden structure mineral wool, plaster and whitewash.

Good ventilation is necessary in the goose house. Too dry and too humid air is harmful to poultry.

Windows are required, they provide the birds with light. If possible, it is worth conducting electricity. Good lighting improves the well-being of the herd, has a positive effect on egg production.

The floors in the poultry houses are made of wood or earthen, a bedding 5-10 cm thick in summer, 15 cm in winter is required. The litter is changed in the feeding area once every 5-7 days, in the sleeping area - once every 10 days.

The paws of geese especially suffer from the cold, the presence of bedding is very important.

The goose-house is divided into several zones.

Feeding area, in which there are feeders, drinkers. There you also need to put a container with a mixture of sand, sulfur and ash. Bathing in such a mixture, geese get rid of ticks and feathers.
Sleep zone. Geese spend the night in it. It should be remembered that these are large birds, it is necessary to calculate the area so that for each adult bird there is 1 square meter. m of space.
Chick incubation area... Geese are placed here, which incubate chicks. Birds during this period are especially anxious, they are separated from the rest and create comfortable conditions.

In the spring, after warm weather has been established, a “general” cleaning should be carried out in the poultry house. Thoroughly clean the room from droppings, ventilate, dry, re-whitewash the walls.

Feeders and drinkers

It is better to use long metal troughs for them. Birds eat together, long feeders will help avoid crowding. The containers can be made of wood, but they are more difficult to clean and wash. Special dishes should be provided with shells, gravel and small pebbles that birds need for normal digestion.

Feeders and drinkers are positioned approximately 20 cm above the litter level. Wet food is placed in such feeders. Make sure that he does not sour the mash. Leftover food should be removed.

Uneaten from the feeders must be removed, otherwise it will turn sour

Along the walls of the goose, several wooden boxes with dry food. A special window is made in them so that the geese can eat whenever they want.

In winter, drinking water is heated to prevent birds from catching cold.

Walking for geese

It is optimal to provide the goose herd with pasture with a good set of grasses: birds love nettles, clover, dandelion, for each adult there is 15 square meters. m walk with undersized plants. Youngsters need 5-7 sq. m.

Your pets can be on the walk all summer, you just need to build a canopy so that they can shelter from the rain. If at the same time the birds have access to the reservoir, then this is just a dream.

If the plot is small, or geese in the country live only in the summer, place them in enclosures where they can walk freely, put several large bathing containers, and provide food yourself.

Features of winter and summer care

Winter content

It has already been said about a warm, clean gosyator. In winter, the geese need to be released for a walk, if there is no severe frost. Walking for 1-1.5 hours a day hardens and improves immunity.

If it is impossible to change the litter once every 7-10 days, sprinkle it with superphosphate. Simple and double, 400 and 200 g, respectively, for 1 sq. m. It dries the litter, reduces the release of ammonia, enriches it with mineral components.

Remember that soiled, raw feathers no longer retain heat..

Nests

Nests are arranged near the side walls of the goose-house. Usually these are boxes made of wood or plywood 60x50x50 cm (length, width, height). The bottom protects the clutch from hypothermia, reduces the likelihood of breaking or damaging the eggs.

Each nest must be separate and littered

The end of the nest rests against the wall, in the opposite side a hole is made for a goose with a small, 10 cm, sill so that the litter is not scattered. Nests are set up in shaded corners of the barn, each must be separated by blank walls.

The geese that sit on the nests are separated from the rest of the livestock: they will worry less and will not abandon the clutch.

Nutrition

They are fed with mixed fodder mash, boiled vegetables, corn and peas in different combinations... They add fish and bone meal, fish oil and cottage cheese as a source of vitamins, carrots to enrich the diet with carotene. The food should be moist but crumbly. Hay, oats, millet and compound feed are used as dry feed. Birds love silage and should be taken care of in advance. Feeding 3-4 times a day and a balanced diet will help you spend the winter without problems.

Summer

Most of the time the birds are in the summer enclosure, it is necessary to build a canopy in it to protect from wind and rain. Change the water systematically in the bathing containers so that the geese can wash their feathers.

Keeping geese in summer is kept to a minimum. Independent and intelligent birds find food, return home on their own, take care of their offspring.

Incubation

Breeding goslings takes place in an incubator or from a brood goose.

More eggs can be placed in the incubator, and chicks will hatch at the same time, but buying an apparatus is not cheap. But if breeding geese for you has already turned from a hobby into a source of permanent income, it is quite justified.

Eggs for incubation must be large and clean

The best samples are selected:

eggs must be clean, it is not necessary to wash them before laying in an incubator or under a hen;

large specimens weighing 160-180 g;
the shell is even, without cracks, damage, lime build-up;
correct shape;
inside there are no foreign inclusions, blood stains, dark spots;
specimens of two-yolk, with a displaced yolk and with a large air chamber are rejected.

They are stored at a temperature of + 10-12 ° C in a dry room with a humidity of 75-80%. Lay horizontally, sometimes turning.

Natural incubation

Choose a calm goose that stays on the nest even when a person enters the room. The best hens are birds 2-4 years old. A good female does not stray far from the nest. If the goose is planted for the first time, then other people's eggs are placed in the nest. Experienced poultry houses advise covering the nest with a basket to force the goose to sit on the clutch. You raise the basket so that the goose can warm up and eat, and it does not run away, which means it will be a good mommy. The bird is kept under the basket for no more than 3 days. During this time, she gets used to hatching.

From 9 to 15 eggs are placed under one individual. The brood hen must completely cover the nest. Eggs are laid not older than 12 days. Chicks hatch after 4 weeks, often between 30 and 31 days. A feeder and fresh water are placed next to the goose so that it does not go far.

10 days after planting, the masonry should be examined for light. In a fertilized egg with a well-developed embryo, it will be visible. Those without a germ are removed. This is done when mommy has gone to eat. On day 27, another examination is carried out. Eggs with a frozen embryo are thrown away.

Artificial excretion

There are two types of incubators - with and without ventilation. Ventilated appliance is preferred. Selected eggs are laid in the incubator. From 1 to 9 days, a temperature of 37.8-38 ° C is needed. From 9 to 28 days, the heat is kept at 37.5 ° C, after pecking before hatching - 37.2 ° C. Eggs are turned 4 times a day. After 15 days, the masonry must be sprayed with water at 37 ° C. The hatched goslings, after drying, are planted with the goose with the babies.

Possible diseases

Non-communicable diseases

With good disease resistance, birds can suffer from vitamin deficiency due to improper nutrition. Lack of vitamins provokes development rickets, diarrhea, cloacitis... Adding bone meal to feed, fish oil, vegetables and mineral supplements will avoid problems.

The next subgroup of diseases is caused by indoor pollution, lack of space, and poor ventilation. These include: cannibalism, enteritis... The symptoms of cannibalism are ruffled feathers that break and fall out, exposing the bleeding back. With enteritis, gastrointestinal disturbances occur. It is necessary to clean the gospel, ventilate and reduce the number of livestock in the room. Add potassium permanganate to drinking water, if necessary, consult a specialist.

Lack of fresh grass and quality moist feed can lead to blockage of the esophagus, goiter catarrh... In this case, shortness of breath appears, appetite disappears. The individual may die from suffocation. Carefully squeeze out the contents of the esophagus through the mouth, after giving the bird a little sunflower oil.

In case of goiter catarrh, gentle massage will help.

Diseases of the reproductive system. Yolk peritonitis... Only geese are sick, with a disease, the peritoneum and intestines become inflamed, the bird becomes very restless. There are no cures.

Oviduct prolapse occurs when very large eggs are laid. It is necessary to rinse the oviduct with cool water, then with a cool solution of potassium permanganate. Then carefully adjust the oviduct and place a piece of ice in it. If the goose cannot lay the egg itself, she needs help. Either gently remove it from the oviduct using petroleum jelly, or crush it with your hands and remove the remnants of the shell.

Infection

Aspergillosis, salmonellosis or paratyphoid fever, colibacillosis, pasteurrellosis, or cholera... With any of these diseases, loss of appetite occurs, the herd becomes less mobile, diarrhea occurs, and the temperature rises. It is imperative to contact a veterinarian who will not only establish an accurate diagnosis, but also prescribe treatment without allowing the death of the entire livestock.

Geese can get poisoned poisonous plants or poor quality feed. It is necessary to carefully monitor the diet, grazing areas.

For beginners, the advice of experienced poultry farmers is especially relevant. What should you pay attention to?
Buy chicks from reputable breeders. The breeding stock pays off well.
There should be 3-4 geese per gander.
Geese are slaughtered before molting. If you skip this period, the presentation of the carcass deteriorates. It is spoiled by the hemp of new feathers that cover the carcass.
Slaughter for meat is carried out on the 70-75 day.
When added to the bedding superphosphate, it becomes an excellent fertilizer for the backyard.
Drinking bowls and feeders are best washed with the addition of 2% caustic soda solution.
The cleanliness of the barn is the key to a healthy strong livestock.
Be patient, and soon you yourself will be able to answer with pleasure the questions of how to keep geese and what is needed for success in this matter.

Summary

Breeding in a summer cottage or in personal backyards of any living creature requires effort and expense, but it pays off a hundredfold. It returns us to a closer communication with nature, an understanding of its laws. Taking care of poultry is exciting and interesting, it allows you to get delicious healthy foods and forever forget about substitutes saturated with various chemical compounds that filled supermarket shelves.