How to raise geese at home how to feed?

Geese occupy a special place among poultry. If chickens are bred mainly for the purpose of obtaining eggs, then geese are raised for the sake of tasty, juicy meat.

Although it is inferior in dietary characteristics to chicken due to its high fat content, it is still very useful. It contains trace elements and vitamins A, C, B, including B12, which is deficient for many, mineral components - iron, zinc, manganese. Goose meat is especially appreciated for its amino acid content, from which antibodies against viruses are produced in our body.

In this article, we will take a closer look at breeding, keeping and caring for geese at home for beginners. We will find out if it is possible to eat goose eggs, how they are useful and how much they can cost. After reading all the information, you will be able to raise healthy and strong birds.

How to breed and raise geese at home for beginners?

First, let's talk about breeding geese at home. The specificity of keeping geese is that they cannot be raised in cages, like chickens. This explains why their population is much smaller. It is advisable to breed this bird in the event that there is a place nearby for them to walk - a pasture with a reservoir (rivulet or lake). Geese need space. They have to walk and move a lot. Because of this, their meat is darker than chicken (there are more blood vessels in the muscles).

Breeds of geese for breeding

The most common breeds are as follows:

Large gray geese - weigh 6-7 kg.Egg production is 37-47 eggs. Eggs are large - 150-200 g. Very hardy.
Chinese geese - live weight reaches 5 kg. Egg production - 50-60 pieces per year with a weight of 130-170 g. They are hardy, but aggressive by nature.

Lindovskaya breed - the mass of adult geese is 7-8 kg. Egg production is 45-50 eggs with an average weight of 120-140 g.
The Kuban is a domestic breed. Egg production - 80-90 eggs per year. Average live weight -4.5-5.5 kg.
Kholmogory - weigh more than other breeds - 8-10 kg. But egg production is 30-40 eggs per year, but their weight is more than 200 g. They are calm and non-aggressive.

Italian geese - are characterized by high productivity of meat. Live weight - from 6 to 7 kg. Egg production - up to 50 eggs per year.

Toulouse - French breed. It is considered the largest with a weight of 10 kg or more. Egg production - 30-40 eggs per year with an egg weight of 190-210 g. They are calm and inactive, feed well and quickly.

Emden geese weigh 8-9 kg. Egg production is low.

Rhine - bred in Germany. In terms of their characteristics, they are similar to those of Emden.

Breeding geese on the farm. Different breeds.

Hen eggs

It is better to hatch geese chicks from an egg with a hen, than in an incubator. However, if there is only one hen in the poultry farm, then a maximum of 13-14 heads are obtained for the brood, since the eggs are large. If you still choose this method of obtaining chicks, then first create the necessary conditions. Temperature indoor supported at the level of 14-15 degrees.

It should be dry and well ventilated, but free from drafts. The nest for the goose is made spacious. Be sure to separate it from the rest of the livestock and fence off the nests with partitions between themselves (in case there are several hens). Keep hens separate from the rest of the geese. This is due to the fact that geese can lay eggs in an already hatched clutch during the absence of the expectant mother. Thus, the period for obtaining goslings will stretch in time, which is very bad for their further development.

We monitor the dryness in the nest. An accidentally broken egg must be urgently removed and the rest of the survivors wiped up. The need to make partitions between the nests is explained by the fact that in the absence of one hen, the other rolls several eggs to itself, since their maternal instinct is very developed.

An extra number of eggs in one nest will make it impossible to heat them all at once. In addition, there is an additional risk of damage to them.

We make sure that when the hens return to the nest after the necessary exercise, food intake and water procedures, they occupy their nests, and not confuse them with the neighbors. During incubation, we change the water in the drinking bowl of the future mother every day to avoid diarrhea and feed it only with selected grain. The hen will take care of all the hatching processes herself.

She herself rolls the eggs in the nest for even heating. If for some reason the goose does not return to the nest after eating for 20 minutes, it is driven to the nest. This happens mainly with a bird sitting on eggs for the first time.

The first chicks appear on the 28th day. After that, they are taken from the nest, placed in a separate box, illuminated with a lamp, creating the desired temperature. After all the chicks are born, they are returned to the goose. In the first two days, mom can put several chicks from eggs hatched in the incubator. Do this in the evening.

Eggs in an incubator

Breeding chicks geese in an incubator harder than chickens... This is due to the fact that goose eggs contain a lot of fat and are large in themselves. If more than 70% of chicks hatched from one bookmark, then this is a good result. Several features of the incubation of goose eggs:

• take away them within 10 days - no more;
• preliminary 3-4 hours before bookmarking the incubator is warmed up with an elevated temperature of 39 degrees;
• take away only healthy perfect shape eggs;
• you can't wash them, but you can disinfect by spraying with a light solution of potassium permanganate;
• the first 4-5 hours after setting the temperature in the incubator withstand at around 38 degrees... Then it is reduced to 37.8. The last couple of days it has been reduced to 37.5 degrees;
• eggs are turned 6-8 times a day to prevent the shells from sticking to the mesh or mold and for uniform heating;
• so that harmful gases do not accumulate, the incubator periodically after 15 days of laying open for 10 minutes to ventilate.

Breeding geese. Goose farm

How to care for, raise and keep goslings

It is extremely important to care for goslings at home from the first days of life.

With the beginning of life, the immune system of the goslings is formed and strengthened. therefore it is important to have a balanced dietto grow a large and healthy bird. For each period of growth and development, a separate diet is compiled. Drinking the newly hatched goslings is also extremely important.

Care for goslings in the first days of life

When caring for goslings at home, for the first 5-7 days, it is useful for chicks to give the yolk of boiled eggs. It is well absorbed by the immature organism of goslings. When feeding, it is recommended to add greens. Better to eat this green onion feather. It is finely crumbled and mixed with the yolk. During the first two days, the hatched goslings are fed 7-8 times a day.... It depends on this whether you will be able to raise healthy geese.

Drinking bowls are chosen so as to protect the brood from the risk of drowning or drowning in it.

We make sure that the enclosure where they are kept is dry.

Care in the first weeks: how to raise healthy geese

Gradually, the diet is diversified with herbs and increases its presence in the feed. In addition to green onions, alfalfa and clover are given. We monitor the availability of clean water in the drinking bowls. Gradually, we introduce boiled potatoes and corn porridge into the diet.

Drinking bowls are replaced with more voluminousso that the goslings can swim in them. They turn into small bodies of water. To do this, use pots or bowls, but with low sides. This is a prerequisite.
The presence of the required amount of nutrients and vitamins in food will be provided by chopped root crops and vegetables. If we cook porridge for goslings, they should not be too liquid. It is recommended to give more dry food.

We gradually transfer the three-week-old goslings to pasture. It is advisable that they graze in an outdoor enclosure. Together with the grass, they eat compound feed and crushed grain..

We introduce new feed into the diet in a small volume, gradually increasing its presence in the total feed mass.

Care in the first months

How to care for goslings at home? Starting from this period, goslings are intensively fed with compound feed, grain, sunflower cake and greens. They are grazed in an open small reservoir without a strong current. In addition to grass, they eat algae, which has a positive effect on the development and growth of body weight.

The proportion of greens to all other feeds should be 1-1.3: 1. That is, greens give more. In this case, the content of goslings will be cheaper and this will not affect the set of live weight.

Winter hardiness of farmed geese

Conditions of keeping and feeding

In addition to food and water, goslings need an appropriate ambient temperature, sufficient room volume, and lighting.

Choosing an aviary for a goose farm

Depending on the number of livestock, we choose the appropriate room. In the early days, goslings are kept in cardboard boxes on the veranda, in the summer kitchen. Then they are given a place in the poultry house, shed. It must be well ventilated (ventilation) and warm, no drafts allowed. It is necessary to exclude the possibility of predatory animals entering there, primarily rats.

Straw and floor are used as bedding. We change the litter every 2-3 days to keep it dry. This will save the still immature chicks from diseases and hypothermia.The presence of a window into the room is a prerequisite. Geese love to be in a closed dark space only during sleep.

After three weeks of life, we construct a walk for the goslings in the open air, since during this period they are transferred to pasture.

After 40 days, they are grazed near water bodies. But until they have grown stronger, and are not able to defend themselves on their own, the presence of a person is mandatory. As soon as the live weight reaches an average of 2 kg (depending on the breed), geese are released on their own to graze.

It is better to do this in the early morning - the grass is then juicy and nutritious. Geese find food for themselves. They are perfectly oriented in space, so they can easily find their way home. Adult geese have their wings clipped to prevent them from flying away.

Daily temperature regime and lighting

In the first week of life, we maintain the temperature at 28-30 degrees. If the natural ambient temperature is not enough, heating with heating pads or lamps, which, in addition to light, give heat to the room. We measure the temperature at the level of the litter.

Gradually lower it to 22-24 degrees. And after three weeks, if the weather permits, we transfer the goslings to the mode of life in natural conditions. In general, adult geese are quite hardy birds due to their presence of fat, large live weight and warm plumage.

They can freely withstand temperatures up to minus 15 degrees. The lighting should be sufficient to maintain normal conditions with extended daylight hours (more than 14 hours). For this purpose, lamps are used.

Conditions for breeding and keeping geese

Room dimensions

The main condition for the size of the room for goslings is that it should not be crowded.

Cage content for goslings is absolutely unacceptable. They have to move.

Provide free access to food and water. When the young grows up, it is recommended to release them in the fresh air into specially fenced pens during the day. At night they are in the barn (goose-house).

Geese rearing period

Now we will find out how many geese grow. If day-old chicks weigh only 100 grams, then after 5 months their weight reaches 5-6 kg. On average, this bird gains more than one kilogram per month. In order for the geese to be healthy, and the live weight reached good weight indicators, you need to carefully and carefully monitor their diet.

The weight of adult geese of different breeds varies from 4.5 kg to 10 and more. If you plan to breed geese for meat, then it is advisable to keep them up to two to three months of age. During this period, they gain 50% of the mass of an adult one-year-old bird. Further, the weight gain is suspended.

Goose eggs: how much can you eat and how are they useful?

Depending on the breed, geese produce between 30 and 90 eggs per year. They differ in their size (up to two hundred and twenty grams) and thick shell. They can be used in food and it is healthy, but due to the fact that they contain a lot of fats, they need to be eaten in moderation. Our ancestors ate eggs of geese 7 thousand years ago. This is the first domesticated bird.

100 g of raw eggs contains 185 kcal, including proteins and fats - more than 13 g. They include vitamins K, D, E, A, B, micro- and macroelements. Their use has a positive effect on the brain and genitourinary system, the elimination of toxins. The goose egg is widely used in cooking and cosmetology.

Now you know that breeding and keeping geese at home is profitable. Indeed, in addition to the quick return of meat, geese provide us with eggs and down. For the successful rearing of geese, it is advisable to have a pasture and an open reservoir. In this case, with sufficient care and proper nutrition, their maintenance will pay off many times over. Perhaps even in the future, goose breeding will become your main source of income.

Along with chickens, which are born not only by rural residents, but also by ordinary summer residents, geese are also very popular as poultry. These birds easily adapt to various conditions of detention, are resistant to diseases and at the same time are very smart, and, most importantly, are quite unpretentious. Even beginners can cope with raising geese at home. At the same time, keeping geese is very beneficial and is an excellent help for the family budget.

Growing geese at home

Why geese are good

No matter how trite it may sound, the goose is a useful bird. This is one of the first feathered creatures that humans have tamed. Since that time, geese serve people regularly. Legends, myths, interesting tales and exciting stories are associated with these birds. The most famous is how the geese saved Rome, clucking in time and thus warning the Roman soldiers about the invasion of the enemy.

Geese are unpretentious birds in keeping. If you provide them with a roof over their heads in the form of a barn, and on a sunny day you take them out to the pasture and give them the opportunity to swim in a pond, then they will repay you a hundredfold. As a result, you will receive:

• meat with excellent taste;
• goose liver, which is very useful and highly valued;
• nutritious and tasty eggs;
• soft fluff, which is useful in everyday life.

By the way, earlier people used goose feathers in everyday life - they were used as a means for writing. Geese feathers can now be used to create crafts and decorations.

The photo shows goose down, which can be realized or used in everyday life.

Which breed to choose

Thanks to the work of breeders of geese breeds, there are nowadays quite a lot - about 25. Birds differ in appearance, size, maintenance requirements, growing conditions, egg production and other characteristics. And newcomers to the poultry world often wonder which breed to choose.

Choosing a goose breed is one of the most important tasks.

Goose breeds are divided into three main categories:

• Heavy, in other words, meat breeds. Geese of these breeds give more meat than others, and it is advisable to grow them for food. Representatives of this category are large, rarely used in industrial poultry farming, since some breeds of birds are difficult to acquire, moreover, they are far from cheap. Heavy geese are distinguished by low egg production compared to representatives of other categories, which means they are difficult to breed.
• Medium heavy Most of the breeds are decorative and are designed to give a personal plot of a kind of rural charm. Such birds are quite expensive.
• Lungs - small birds that lay eggs well, and therefore are easy to breed. Widespread in industrial poultry farming. They eat a lot, but the masses do not gorge themselves.

The table below shows the main breeds of geese that are most often raised at home.

Table 1. The main breeds of geese for growing at home

Linda breed or linda	Refers to heavy breeds of geese, originally from the Nizhny Novgorod region. Beautiful large birds with white plumage. They are used in industrial poultry farming, as they have good egg production for heavy geese. Geese with good character, friendly, unpretentious care. They are bred for meat. Due to the white color of the feather, carcasses are very clean and beautiful, with a wonderful presentation. The average weight of an adult goose is from 8 to 12 kg. Geese sit well on eggs, do not leave their nests. Goslings grow quickly - at 3 months, the goslings already weigh about 4 kilograms.
Large gray Large gray	The name speaks for itself - the geese of this breed are massive, and the color of the plumage is gray on the back and white on the belly. The birthplace of the breed is Ukraine. The weight of an adult bird is from 6.5 to 9.5 kg. Egg production and clutch vitality are lower than those of the Lindovskaya breed.Goslings are actively growing and gaining weight quickly: at 2.5 months, a young bird reaches a body weight of 4.5 kg. An excellent breed for obtaining meat and liver. They are unpretentious in care: they do not even need a reservoir for normal well-being. There are no problems with feeding these birds either.
Rhine Rhine	A breed of geese belonging to the category "medium-heavy". Country of origin - Germany. Birds with white plumage, with good meat qualities, excellent egg production for this category. An adult goose weighs 5.5 kg, a gander 6.5 kg. Goslings gain weight quickly enough: at 2 months, feathered babies are already gaining 4 kg of weight. The breed is used for meat production and is also fattened for fatty liver. Geese do not sit on eggs very well, therefore it is not recommended for beginners to breed this breed on their own.
Tape breed geese Tape breed geese	An ornamental breed of geese that was developed in Europe. The plumage is white or gray-white. A characteristic feature of the appearance is long curly feathers on the wings, tail, back. Ribbon geese are small: the mass of adult birds ranges from 4.5 to 5.5 kg. Productive qualities are low. Geese of this breed are used to decorate the infield.
Kuban breed of geese Kuban breed of geese	Refers to light geese. The name speaks for itself about the birthplace of the breed - these geese were bred in the Krasnodar Territory. The color of the feathers is gray, sometimes with a brownish tint. The birds of this breed have a characteristic brown stripe on the back - the so-called "belt". The weight of an adult bird is about 4.5-6 kg. Egg production is quite high, but the instinct of incubation in geese is bad. The bird is unpretentious and adapts well to any conditions of keeping.
Italian breed of geese Italian breed of geese	White birds are native to Italy. They appeared in Russia relatively recently, about 30-40 years ago. The bird is unpretentious to the conditions of detention (it does not matter to the presence of a reservoir), the young quickly gain weight - at 2 months, the goslings already weigh 4 kg. The instinct of incubation in geese is well developed. The birds produce meat with excellent taste, and the small size of the carcass makes it possible to use the bird for smoking. Also grown for fatty goose liver.

How to choose young animals

So, having studied all the information about the most common breeds of geese, you made your choice in favor of the one that you plan to purchase and settle in your summer cottage. Now is the time to buy the young you will be raising. But here everything is not so simple: often unscrupulous sellers, trying to cash in, sell outbred goslings, and often even sick ones. Therefore, you need to approach the purchase of young animals with special care.

Choosing young goose

It is best to go to buy goslings in a company with a person who is familiar with this bird firsthand: he will help you choose high-quality and healthy babies, from which you will successfully grow a good bird. If there is no such person “at hand”, then follow these guidelines:

1. Study the information about the breed you want to get.
2. Eliminate the bird markets from the search sites for young animals: here you will not get any guarantee that the goslings are thoroughbred and healthy. If the kids die on your site through the fault of the breeder's dishonesty, then no one will compensate you for material and moral damages. Better to go to a poultry farm.
3. Choose those goslings that are already 5-7 days old. Too small birds can hardly tolerate transportation, and older ones can be shy and difficult to cope with.
4. Evaluate the appearance of the birds: the fluff on the chicks should be yellow, soft and fluffy, and, most importantly, dry, without pieces of shell.
5. The umbilical cord should be overgrown, without traces of crusts, and the down under the tail should be dry and clean, there should be no traces of any secretions on it.
6. Examine the tummy - it should not be saggy.
7. Look at the beak - there should be no discharge from the nostrils.
8. Choose the most active birds: sedentary goslings sitting quietly in a corner with closed eyes can be sick. Small healthy chicks actively react to unfamiliar sounds and objects.
9. Birds should stand firmly enough on their paws.
10. When buying goslings, check if they have all the necessary vaccinations by age.

Requirements for the conditions of keeping goslings

And here you are - the happy owner of three, five, and maybe ten little yellow goslings. They huddled in a box and look at you with their beady eyes, asking: "Where are you taking us?" Of course, before you went to buy goslings, you had to equip them with a house in which they would live.

Geese should be kept in comfortable conditions, preferably with a reservoir on the territory

It is best to settle the kids in a specially built gosper. If this is not available, then a small shed will do. Before the young animals move into it, the barn is cleaned, disinfected, it is advisable to whitewash the walls, and cover the floor with straw with a layer of 10-15 cm. By the way, goslings are kept in warm rooms until they reach the age of 15-20 days (warm weather should also be established outside by this time).

Young goslings should be kept in comfortable temperature conditions.

Temperature conditions are very important: if the birds are cold, they will clump together and crush each other, and they can also die from excessive heat. In order for the goslings to be comfortable, poultry farmers recommend observing the following temperature regime:

Table 2. Recommended temperature regime for young goslings

1-5 days	28-27 degrees
6-15 days	26-24 degrees
16-20 days	23-18 degrees

There should be drinkers and feeders in the baby room. To avoid dampness, place the drinkers on the grates, under which there is a pan-type container to collect the splashed water.

Small goslings cannot be kept in a crowd - they can overwhelm each other if there are too many of them: divide the room into separate compartments. On 1 square meter, about 10 goslings can easily exist at the age of 3 weeks. Moreover, in hot weather, the number of goslings in the same area should be reduced by 1.5 times.

It is important to keep the room where the goslings live, to update the litter.

Video - growing geese at home

It is possible to release goslings outside for a while from the first days of life, if the air temperature outside the window is high enough. Birds are taught to walk gradually. It is best to walk them in an open-air cage so that birds of prey do not get to them. Once the warm weather has finally settled, take the goslings to pasture where they can nibble on the grass. From 45 days with goslings, you can also visit water bodies.

Feeding goslings

Very young goslings are fed millet or oatmeal with the addition of finely chopped boiled eggs or cottage cheese. After 3-4 days, chopped grass is added to the food. At the age of 1 month, goslings include carrots in their diet - a source of carotene. It should be rubbed on a fine grater and given 5 times a day. A mixture of porridge, carrots, herbs and cottage cheese is called "mash", the goslings love it very much. It is given to babies 5-6 times a day. The mash should be crumbly, soft, but not watery.

Feeding little goslings

Experts advise buying goslings in the spring and summer, when nature dresses in its green outfit: during this period, there are plenty of natural pastures all around, where the goslings can graze and eat fresh green plants.By the way, a month-old gosling eats almost a kilogram of grass a day. Most of all, babies like nettle, dandelion, sorrel, sow thistle.

• In addition to food and fresh water, goslings also need to put a bowl of gravel or coarse sand - they are necessary so that the stomach of the birds can grind the food.
• Do not forget about water - geese drink a lot, and they should have water at all times. According to observations, one goose at the age of 50 days drinks up to 1 liter of water per day.

Geese must be provided with clean drinking water

• The peculiarity of geese is that they cannot distinguish the temperature of food, so make sure that the food for the goslings is not hot or very cold.
• If you are raising goslings for meat, then it is advisable to feed them with highly concentrated feed mixtures, while about 50% of the total food should be fresh herbs.

You can slaughter goslings to get meat already at the age of 70 days - by this time they are already gaining a fairly large mass. If you missed the time, and the goslings have outgrown this age, then you need to start slaughtering in 60-70 days, when the growth of new feathers ends.

Video - tips for keeping geese

How to keep and raise geese at home

How to keep and breed geese. What you need to know for successful home maintenance. Features of care. Advice for novice farmers. Read briefly about raising chicks in the article.

The goose is one of the oldest domesticated birds. According to some sources, the history of their breeding began in ancient Rome, more than 3 thousand years ago. Initially, geese served as pets, which decorated the yard with their appearance. Over time, breeding for goose fights began.

Currently, they are bred to obtain: feathers, tasty meat, healthy liver and large eggs.

But as practice has shown, not every farmer can achieve the best indicators of bird productivity.

Therefore, before you start breeding them, you need to familiarize yourself with some of the secrets and recommendations of experienced poultry farmers.

Breed selection

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 maintenance, the best breeds are:

1. 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.
2. Large gray. The maximum weight of these males is 9 kg, females - 6 kg. A distinctive feature of these individuals is unpretentious care and good hybridization. Large gray ganders are often used in the development of new medium - heavy breeds, and geese as brood hens.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Danish Legart. Birds of this breed are considered the best suppliers of fluff. One goose can produce about 500 grams per year. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Paws. The lower limbs of goslings should be shiny pink or gray, without bluish veins. 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.

little goslings

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

The young house is chosen in such a way that it is dry, clean and light.

The area of ​​residence must be protected from rodents and closed from contact with other birds. Drafts and roof leaks are not allowed.

To insulate and maintain cleanliness, it is necessary to lay a thick layer of bedding.

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 the regular flow 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 ° С.

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 moisture build-up, which can lead to mold and mildew growth.

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:

1. Provide chicks with adequate nutrition. The feed should be made from pure products containing vitamins and minerals.
2. Make sure that the drinker is not dry. Insufficient water will quickly dehydrate the goslings. For better digestion and increased appetite, ascorbic acid is added to the liquid.
3. 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.
4. Walking. Exposure to sunlight and fresh air has a positive effect on the health of the 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.
5. 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.

Hygiene is also one of the important elements in raising young animals. In order to avoid the occurrence of diseases that lead to the death of chicks, it is recommended to keep the premises clean. Feeders and drinkers should be washed regularly, and the bedding should be changed at least once every 2 to 3 days.

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 groundwater. And the wooden floor is at a distance of 20 cm.

from ground level. A draft must not be allowed in the goose-house. Therefore, in winter, all windows and doors should be tightly closed, and the cracks should be 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, no crush is 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 the summer period, 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, 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

When keeping adult geese, the goose and the inventory must be treated twice annually. The first treatment is carried out in the spring.

Dirt, dust and old droppings are removed indoors. Walls, nests and other equipment are whitewashed with lime. Feeders and drinkers are treated with disinfectants.

The procedure is repeated before the winter period.

In addition to the correct cultivation of domestic geese, they need to be slaughtered on 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.

Breeding geese: detailed maintenance and care at home for beginners with video

Geese breeding has always been a popular and profitable business. The birds are unpretentious in care, feed mainly on plant foods, and are well adapted to home keeping. Almost all breeds are used as a source of delicious meat and liver.

Domestic geese are large birds often kept by farmers for their meat, liver and even feathers. The peculiarity of these birds is that they are able to take care of their own food themselves.

Since their diet is mostly green, they only need vegetation on the site to feed.

And their meat productivity is high: from an adult gander you can get up to 6 kg of meat, and 2.5 kg of high-quality fat.

birds in the personal plot should be as close as possible to natural conditions.

Since most of the time in natural conditions the birds are on grazing, a large walking area is simply necessary for successful breeding.

In addition, a large amount of greens in the diet increases the egg production of females. Of course, this makes them very attractive for home content.

Raising geese at home is not difficult. Often people start to breed them just at their dacha. Birds can spend the entire warm period in a fenced pasture or pond, coming home only at night.

Since the basis of the diet is grass, then a place for walking should be chosen with large, succulent grass. If it is not possible to release the birds to the pasture, then you should mow the greens yourself.

It is best to choose clover, dandelion, nettle, sorrel, sow thistle.

Breeding birds for beginners involves the presence of a room on the site. Its area is calculated as follows: one sq. M. for one individual.

You can build a lightweight structure made of wood, and here the most important thing is to prevent drafts inside.

But it is not necessary to insulate the poultry house, because dense plumage helps many breeds to tolerate frost well.

In winter, birds should be kept on warm bedding, which is laid on the floor in a thick layer. It can be prepared from straw, sawdust and sunflower husks.

Inside the premises, feeders and drinkers, containers with mineral feeding are usually placed. In addition, for breeding birds, the poultry house is equipped with nests. So that they can safely go out for a walk, a small manhole with a door is equipped inside the structure.

On the walking area, small sheds should be made so that the birds can rest on a hot afternoon. If there is no reservoir, then a bath with water is placed here.

As for winter rearing, birds should be kept in a spacious, well-ventilated dry barn during the cold season. Be sure to choose straw or sawdust as bedding.

In winter, geese can also be released into the yard, but for a short period to ventilate the house. Musty air is the cause of many diseases.

Bird care also includes ash baths several times a month to prevent skin parasites. It is very useful to add special feed sulfur there.

In the shed, inventory should be rationally placed. This will save space and make cleaning easier. For example, feeders should be selected with a high side for less feed consumption.

These can be wooden or plywood troughs at the rate of 15 centimeters per bird. It is advisable to put several feeders on the entire number of birds so that they do not fight and do not create a crush.

For mineral feed, separate containers 20 centimeters high from the ground are used, and for green feed, a manger should be hung on the wall.

Troughs, buckets and other convenient containers can also be used as drinkers. For example, they can be made from large pipes, having previously been installed on a special baking sheet.

In winter, so that the water does not freeze, heated water is regularly added to the drinker. For geese, nests are made indoors and installed about a month before the start of egg-laying.

Their size should be: width - 40, length - 60 and height 30 centimeters.

The successful cultivation of birds at home and in the country largely depends on the correct diet. Geese are herbivorous domestic birds. One adult should eat at least 2 kilograms of grass per day.

But, of course, bird nutrition should not be limited to greens alone.

At the same time, birds feed not only during the day, like most, but also at night, therefore, before going to bed, they need to be given plenty of grain in the evening.

These large birds are well suited to low calorie, high fiber foods. They gain weight quickly with a small amount of feed.

This is due to the fact that it swells. In winter, when there is no fresh greenery, birds are given hay, bran, root crops, hay dust.

They also readily eat vegetables such as potatoes, beets, carrots and pumpkin.

After harvesting, it is good to release geese into the garden or garden, which is often done by the owners of summer cottages. There they always find themselves different goodies.

Breeding poultry always begins with the choice of a particular breed. After all, each has its own indicators of egg production, early maturity and weight growth.

But some have their own specific content, and therefore they may not be suitable for a beginner.

So, inexperienced farmers are recommended to start with taking breeds such as:

Birds of these breeds gain weight well and quickly, and also have a good egg production. In addition, they are resistant to many diseases and require little maintenance. And how they look, see the gallery below.

For breeding, the best individuals are always selected, from which the parent flock is formed. So, when it is formed, weak and puny daily babies are immediately discarded.

And when they reach the age of 8 months, individuals with a large increase in mass, a strong constitution and a high-quality feather are selected.

Sexual maturity in these birds occurs at 8-10 months, it is from this age that they begin to rush. Usually females are used for 3-4 years.

When forming a parent flock, it is important to take into account that there should be three times more geese in it. So, in a herd, several families are usually formed in which the hierarchy is strictly observed. If the pets are not aggressive, they can be kept in the same pen.

Different breeds of birds have different egg productivity, but on average one female can lay up to 40 eggs per season.Chicks are best raised with mom.

Goose is planted on eggs around the beginning of April. Do not put more than 13 eggs under the female, otherwise hatchability of chicks may deteriorate.

Each hen is planted separately from each other in a warm place.

If there is a body of water nearby, the female can be released to splash in the water. If there is no reservoir, you can make an artificial bath. Practice shows that wet feathers have a better effect on hatchability of chicks. Goslings hatch on the 28-30 day of incubation.

Bird breeding begins with the appearance of offspring. Good nutrition is the most important thing for babies in the first days of their life.

In the first month, they are given a wet mixture of greens, corn and barley grits, boiled potatoes and bran. It is advisable to add special vitamin and mineral supplements.

Of the generally available, it can be a shell, gravel, charcoal, bone meal. It is also good to give pre-soaked peas.

Raising geese from a very young age is closely related to the aviary. Chicks should run in the aviary, graze on green grass. This enhances their growth and development. Of course, breeding in a small cottage is also possible if there is a free meadow nearby.

All the fun about geese egg-laying

When should you start slaughtering geese?

Making an autumn diet for geese

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Do you need a consultation?

Yes, these beautiful birds are geese. But I don't see any benefits from them. Firstly, they are large and probably eat a lot, and secondly, only 40 eggs per season is somehow not enough. Hmm, I’m thinking, why is it profitable for people to keep them? Maybe I misunderstood something?

Hello Victor. The benefits of geese are great, we can even say that it is more than from chickens. Yes, there are few eggs, but they are larger than chicken and much more nutritious. In addition, goose meat is also highly prized.

Also, you forgot about goose down, which serves as an excellent filler for many things. Goose liver is generally a delicacy. In addition, there is no shortage of the fact that they eat a lot, because to a greater extent it is pasture (it was written in the article).

Therefore, even this factor with a minus becomes a plus. And most importantly, it is unpretentious in maintenance and, with proper feeding, rather rapid growth. I hope that after these arguments your opinion will change.

Well, if you still have doubts, read the rest of the publications under the heading: "Geese". This will certainly convince you.

Unambiguously beneficial. They graze all day. You need to feed a little, and then only at night, in order to accustom you to the barn. Fattening from August - a month or two, they eat like ducks. The fluff is excellent, the weight is large, no hassle. I like.

Please tell me, I bought 3 geese: 2 geese and one gander per tribe.

First I brought 2, a day later another goose, now this goose is screaming like a cut, it doesn't go to the barn, I somehow drive it.

Others do not touch her, but she moves away from them and yells with the neighboring geese. What to do, they are young from the same yard?

The bird needs to get used to it. There is nothing much you can do about it, you just have to wait.

It is advisable, if you write that the goose yells with the neighboring geese, then protect it from their company, that is, so that she does not hear them.

Will yell, but will not hear support in response. After a while, she should calm down.

Is it possible to keep geese in a pen in the country, but feed them with freshly cut grass attached to a special clip? The husband is afraid that they will trample the garden.

We sell young geese 3 months old. At your price. Meat breed, healthy and vigorous. Without intermediaries, all the geese are from the farmer. 89282268212 - call anytime. We sell on an ongoing basis in all seasons.

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Growing geese at home - how to breed them

Poultry farming is considered to be one of the main ways to generate income in rural areas.

In households and farms, the breeding of waterfowl, in particular geese, has proven itself well.

Raising geese at home does not require large feed costs, will provide the family with high-quality healthy products and bring significant income.

The goose is bred as slaughter poultry for the purpose of obtaining meat, fat and feathers. The rationality of goose breeding is from 70 to 100% for spent investments.

The presence of nearby reservoirs and ravines significantly increases the profitability of growing waterfowl. In this case, adult birds and young goslings do not need feeding in the summer.

Geese are hardy, if necessary, they are content with artificially created small reservoirs in the form of a trough buried in the ground or a vat of water.

Raising geese can be a highly profitable business. Contributing factors are a relatively low degree of competition and a high level of profitability of cultivation. The demand for goose meat, liver and feathers is constantly growing.

high-quality fat in a goose carcass is 46%. This by-product of goose breeding is valuable for its medicinal and water-repellent properties.

Goose down is used in light industry; liver is a valuable delicacy. Growing geese at home must be as close to natural conditions as possible.

Most of the time in their natural habitat, birds spend grazing, and for successful breeding they need a large area for walking.

The peculiarities of feeding geese at home rearing depend on a number of factors - the time of the year, the age of the bird, the abundance of feed on the natural pasture. In the warm season, adults have enough food in natural meadows and pastures, where they eat up to two kg of green grass mass.

With a lack of natural feed, organization is necessary feeding geese up to twice a day.

With a single feeding in the evening, grain is added to the bird's diet. Double feeding is done in the morning and in the evening, before sunset.

The morning supplement of the ration consists of a wet mash, in the evening dry grain can be poured into the trough.

Feeding geese in winter

The composition and amount of the daily diet of a bird directly depends on the seasonal factor.

The question arises: how to feed the geese at home during the cold season? In winter, farmers prefer to feed the birds with oats.

Oats are considered the best food, it, unlike corn, does not cause unwanted obesity in geese.

Particular attention should be paid to the diet of poultry during the preparatory and breeding periods. During this period of time, geese require a special combined diet. Feed is given 4 times a day, in the evening grain is poured into the troughs and 3 times are fed with wet mash.

At normal times, the feeding regimen is three times a day. For a high level of egg production, special diets with a high content of protein and vitamin supplements have been developed.

The main requirement is nutritional balance. During the tribal period use of additional feeding is obligatory.

It will prevent males from losing weight during this time.

Supplements during the breeding period

1. hay
2. steamed clover
3. nettle
4. raw potatoes
5. carrot
6. beet
7. cake
8. meal
9. premixes

The addition of animal protein is also recommended. The breeding period for geese begins in February or March. Mineral substances are added to the diet of birds - crushed shell rock and limestone.

These supplements are recommended to compensate for the increase in mineral metabolism during the productive period.

Limestone and phosphate should be up to 3% of the diet each separately, the content table salt in food is allowed up to 0.5%.

It is also necessary to control the content of vitamins in feed, especially vitamin A.

Additional food for males

1. sprouted oats up to 100 gr.
2. dry yeast up to 5 gr.
3. fish oil up to 2 gr.

Males are given additional food only after the females are released to the pasture. Otherwise, males will ignore additional food.

Getting used to feeding will come in a few days. After feeding, male geese are released for walking. In goose breeding, locally produced feed is most often used.

These are carrots, greens, various root crops and their tops, silage and wheat flour.

Feeding goslings

Feeding and keeping small goslings is due to a number of distinctive features. The goslings begin to feed immediately after they are dry.

In the first 8 days of life Little goslings need fiber-rich foods. Such a diet will help avoid developmental delays.

During this period of time, goslings are fed up to 7 times a day.

Until the age of one month, goslings need to be protected from cold and drafts, they should be kept in warm rooms. It will not be superfluous to clarify that adult geese, for all their endurance, do not tolerate drafts well.

Then the young are placed in unheated rooms or pens equipped with a roof, with a bed of chopped straw. In the warm season, from the first days, you can release goslings for walks, from the age of one month, water walks are possible.

Goslings need to be taught gradually to a pond or other body of water.

The main food of little goslings older than three days of age is compound feed with the addition of premixes.

Fresh chopped green mass, wet mash of skim milk, herbs, chopped eggs, crushed grains and peas, grated cottage cheese and scalded nettle.

After 2 weeks, the diet of goslings should be diversified with boiled potatoes, mixed with bran and cabbage leaf.

For the first three days, the diet of young goslings consists of mash made from chopped corn, ground barley flour without shells and wheat bran. You can give them oatmeal dough in milk and white bread soaked in water.

Compound feed for little goslings should contain grain, protein, dry yeast and useful trace elements. Remember to keep feeders clean.

The greens intended for the goslings should be fresh and juicy, it is better to mow them in the morning and in the evening.

The goslings are good eat clover, alfalfa, peas... Sluggish greens and plants with rough stems are not suitable for them. It is better to give the cut grass immediately after the transportation from the field. They place it in nursery feeders, part of the grass can be crushed to a small size and added to compound feed.

It is imperative to remember about feeding goslings in the early hours of the day, at dawn. Mineral additives and crushed gravel should be poured into special feeders. The amount of water in the drinkers should allow the goslings to wash their beak.

Otherwise, the little gosling may die due to clogging of the nasopharynx.

Geese have incredible stamina, are suitable for cultivation in various climatic zones and in the conditions of home gardens.

The domestic goose is unpretentious, unable to fly and will not cause much trouble.

It requires a minimum amount of cereal feeding, which makes geese rearing profitable and cost effective.

We grow and care for geese at home

Geese have long been considered one of the most popular birds in the household. This is due to its delicious meat, as well as the possibility of obtaining a feather. A lot of delicious dishes can be prepared from goose meat.

Quite a lot of people are engaged in breeding geese at home.

In the case of a farm, raising any poultry will be an excellent help, not only for obtaining meat, but also for generating additional income from the sale of eggs and meat.

Today there are whole goose farms that are engaged in the cultivation and sale of this particular bird.

If there are ravines and ponds not far from your yard, why not start raising geese? If there is good grazing, then young and adult birds require a minimum amount of grain feeding. The main goal pursued when breeding geese is to obtain meat and fat. The goose carcass contains about 46% of very high quality fat. As mentioned above, when breeding geese, you can get valuable down and feathers.

and raising geese

In keeping and growing geese are not difficult. In addition, they grow rather quickly. However, as with any other bird, geese have their own characteristics.

Up to a month, goslings must be kept in a heated room. On an area of ​​1 sq.m. there should be 10-20 goslings. After 25 days, the young bird is transferred to an unheated room.

If you wish, you can familiarize yourself with the accompanying material on construction do-it-yourself chicken shed... For 1 sq.m. in this case, 4-5 heads are placed. Chopped straw can be used as bedding material.

The bird is allowed to walk from the first days of growing in warm weather. They are released into the water after a month of life. Water should be taught gradually.

Feeding goslings

At growing geese at home boiled potatoes, fresh herbs, compound feed with premixes, wet mash from compound feed are used in the feed.

During the first three days in the diet, you can use finely chopped greens, mash of barley flour, sifted from the shells, ground corn or wheat bran.

The composition of the compound feed must contain protein feed, seeded flour, grain, microelements and dry yeast. The article on as compound feed you can find out how the quality is assessed, despite the fact that we are talking about feed for cattle - the essence of this does not change.

Shredded peas are a good protein feed option. One of the most important points: in hot weather, the bird must have water all the time. Otherwise, the bird is exposed to massive diseases.

Getting an egg

Mainly those who maintain and breeds geese at home, expect to receive eggs and meat within a short period of time, namely the spring and summer.

In order for young animals and hatching eggs to arrive at your farm with a certain frequency, it is necessary to complete the parent flock many times and the egg-laying of poultry must have two periods per year.

In this case, geese need to be kept for 3 years and hatching eggs must be obtained during the first two years, two periods per year and one period for 3 years. Then the bird goes to slaughter.

To obtain hatching eggs year-round, the parent stock must be completed twice: the first time in May-June with replacement young, the second in September-October.

The first oviposition in geese from spring brood will fall on January-May, in June-July there will be molt. The second oviposition occurs in August-October, and molt in November-December.

Accordingly, if the geese are hatched in autumn, then the first period of oviposition is shifted to May-August, molting, to September-October. With regard to the second period of laying, it will fall on November-February.

To stimulate egg-laying in geese, it is necessary to increase daylight hours from 7 months of age to 7-13 hours, and not immediately, but gradually.

A month after the daylight hours were increased, the geese begin to lay eggs - this is the first period.

Oviposition nests

Nests are installed so that the geese carry their eggs in the designated place, and not where they have to. This procedure must be carried out before laying one month before laying. One nest should be designed for 2-3 birds.

Accordingly, if the number of nests is insufficient, then the bird will look for a secluded place for itself.The same is used as bedding in the nest as in the goose bed itself. To avoid getting dirty eggs, the litter should be changed in the evenings.

In addition, you should avoid installing nests directly under the light source, as well as right next to cold walls.

Now it would be worth mentioning the size of the nest. Even a beginner in this business can easily do do-it-yourself nest for geese.

It should have the following dimensions: width - 0.5 m, length - 0.65 m, height - 0.6 m, the sill should be 1 cm high. The material for the manufacture can be plywood, boards, slab.

It is necessary to install them in such a way that the eggs are comfortable, and collect and inspect. Also, do not forget about the convenience of cleaning the nest, changing the litter.

The bottom should be made of wood, don't even think about metal, because after laying an egg, the bird tries to bury it deeper. In winter, it can simply break.

Goose droppings

To use goose droppings as fertilizer, i.e. so that you can add it to the soil on your site, while keeping the bird, you need to add simple or double superphosphate to the litter. The procedure is performed once a week.

If it is a simple superphosphate, then 1 sq. m. you need 400 g of powder, if double - 200 g.

In addition to the fact that the litter is enriched with minerals, it also dries out thanks to superphosphate and prevents the release of a sufficiently large amount of ammonia.

At the end of the article, you may also be interested in material on home breeding of ducks. Here, perhaps, this is all the basic information that you need to know for those who decided to do breeding geese at home.

My courtyard

Growing geese at home for beginners

Breeding geese at home is becoming more and more popular. After all, they are a source of delicious dietary meat, as well as such a famous delicacy as goose liver.

Even a beginner in this business can cope with such poultry. By themselves, geese are not very picky, they quickly get used to the owner, are smart.

An important plus is that they are resistant to various kinds of diseases, and do not go overboard with food.

Perhaps breeding geese can be a good business with a good source of income. Indeed, on average, one goose can provide its owner with 6-8 kilograms of meat, as well as three kilograms of fat.

Do not forget that goose down can also be sold or used for your own purposes. You can even sell finished products from it, such as blankets and pillows. Although geese carry on average up to 50 eggs a year, you can put them up for sale, or continue to breed.

Goose liver is also a good source of income as it is considered a delicacy and is loved by many people.
Thus, one adult goose can bring about four thousand rubles.

Therefore, breeding geese is quite profitable, since if you don't sell them, then you can leave the same meat, fluff, fat and eggs for your needs, and delight yourself with a delicacy in the form of a goose liver.

What breed of geese to choose?

For the business to be successful, and the meat is the most delicious, you should choose the right breed for breeding. First of all, when choosing one or another goose, you should pay special attention to their quality characteristics.

If the priority is to get as many eggs as possible, then Japanese and Kuban geese should be bred. If you need a large liver, then Toulouse geese are recommended. Italian, Kholmogorskaya, Gray breeds and Legart are also good choices.

All these geese are large and resistant to all bird diseases.

How to choose healthy pedigree goslings - babies?

Once the breed for purchase has been determined, you can hit the road. If there are acquaintances who have knowledge of various kinds of geese and breed them themselves, then it is better to go with them.

In the opposite case, the following selection rules should be taken into account: - thoroughly study all the information about the selected breed; - it is best to purchase purebred geese on farms, since there is less chance of buying a sick or non-purebred baby; - always make sure that the goslings are vaccinated ; - it is advisable to buy goslings on the 5-7th day of their life, it is easier to cope with them during transportation; - the fluff on the gosling should be yellow, soft, without shell remnants; - the navel without crusts, and should already completely heal, the stomach itself is tightened; - there should be no discharge from the nose and under the tail;

- pay attention to their behavior: the birds should be active, hold on to their paws, run. Otherwise, it becomes possible to acquire sick goslings.

What conditions should geese grow in?

First of all, they should have a specially designated room for sleeping and rest, as well as a fenced-off area where they can spend the rest of the time. In the room itself, it is necessary to install daylight in order to extend the daylight hours for the geese.

Do not forget that geese often freeze their beak and paws, so it is necessary to change the litter as often as possible. It is usually made from straw, sawdust and other things.
A very important point is the temperature in the room where the little goslings will be.

If it is still cold outside when purchasing babies, you should think about heating. After all, if it is cold for them, they will begin to cluster together, and can simply suppress each other, which is highly undesirable. The heat is also unacceptable for small birds. This is also not to be missed.

 
In the first weeks of life, goslings can be walked in a special countryside. Then, at the age of 45 days, they can be grazed in pastures and taken to water bodies. By the way, it is desirable that on the territory specially fenced for them there was also something like a small lake.

If you don't have one, you can make it yourself using an old bathtub, or a trough.

How to feed your geese properly?

Geese are herbivores. Therefore, their diet mostly consists of various herbs. The most favorite of them are dandelion, wheatgrass, clover, nettle, sorrel.

For the beginning, it is advisable to feed the smallest birds with the so-called mash. It is made from oatmeal with the addition of eggs and cottage cheese. Geese should always have water, try never to forget about that.

After all, geese drink a lot throughout the day and night. Another important prerequisite for feeding geese is a plate of sand. It is necessary for grinding food in the stomach of birds.

Adult geese can be fed with whole grains, root crops, tops, vegetable waste, as well as animal feed: frogs, beetles, worms.

How to properly care for cackling birds?

In general, geese are not picky birds. But still, they need some care. For example, it is worth providing them with a sufficient number of drinkers and feeders. This is so that the geese do not fight among themselves.

When you bring them out to graze, make sure that the grass in the pasture is not high. Otherwise, the geese will simply remain hungry. Periodically bathe birds in ash or sand. This is necessary so that pests do not start on their skin.

In the summer, try to keep the cackling birds near the water, in the shade.

A Few Secrets for Beginners

1) The ideal weight for slaughtering a goose is 6 kilograms. 2) Geese begin to rush only at the beginning of the second year, but thanks to the right lighting, egg production can be achieved several months earlier.

3) Geese lay daily at a certain time, and more than 5 eggs can hatch at once. 4) There should be 3-4 females per adult goose.

As a result, without a doubt, we can say that breeding geese at home is a very profitable business that even a beginner can do.

Now many are engaged in raising poultry in their personal plots.Breeding geese at home is not only an aid in preparing meat for your family, but also an excellent profitable business, as it requires relatively low costs. From the first warm spring days, the geese can be passed to pasture. In addition, they are also beneficial in that they are not afraid of cold weather, and already grown individuals can be kept in the poultry house on an irreplaceable bedding, but with the obligatory daily walking.

If you decide to start feeding birds, then, perhaps, the best option for you will still be geese. Breeding, keeping, caring for them is briefly described in this article.

Benefits

Domestic breeding of geese in the backyard is the second most popular after chickens. These large birds are characterized by their high early maturity. Goslings grow very quickly, and an example of this is the following fact: from one day of age to 9 weeks of age, they can increase their live weight by about 40 times. The weight of such a grown bird can be 4 kg or more. As you know, goose meat is famous for its high taste, and the carcass itself consists of 60-65% of edible parts.

Birds as a business

Like any other business, breeding geese at home will require a certain amount for the initial investment. The purchase price usually depends not only on the number of heads, but also on their breed. Therefore, it is worth taking this issue more seriously.

The most popular breeds of geese for breeding are Italian, Toulouse, Kholmogory, Kuban, as well as Legart and Gray. Birds gain weight rather quickly and are the most resistant to various diseases. In addition, they have an enlarged liver, which is why they are appreciated and grown not only in personal plots, but also in industrial conditions. If the emphasis is on high egg production, then the breed of Japanese geese is just perfect. One such female can lay about 50 eggs per year.

Making geese breeding your business is a good option for people living in rural areas. To start this type of activity, a small start-up capital is enough. It is not necessary to buy many heads at once, a hundred birds will be enough. For them, you will need to purchase food, as well as build a room. If there is already a barn, then the initial costs for this business are immediately reduced several times. It is also necessary to buy an incubator, which will cost about 10 thousand rubles. When adding up all the costs, taking into account the construction of the premises "from scratch", you can keep within the amount equal to 120 thousand rubles. And in order to sell finished products, you will need to register with the tax office.

Such costs will need to be done in the first year of work, and in the next year you can start breeding your own chicks. Often, farmers start breeding their own breeds, crossing several varieties of geese. As a rule, such activity improves not only egg production, but also the quality of the meat itself.

In order not to buy goslings, but to get them from your own birds, you need to collect eggs in advance and make nests for hens or lay them in an incubator for a certain time.

Brief description of the most popular breeds

● Italian. Ideal for growing in households. Gains body weight very quickly. Egg production per year is up to 45-50 eggs.

● Toulouse. This breed of geese is the fattest. It was bred in France and is valued for its large liver, which can weigh up to 1 kg. The weight of the goose is about 10 kg, and the gander is 2 kg more.

● Kholmogorskaya. Quite a large bird weighing up to 10 kg. Its distinctive features are folds under the beak and on the neck, as well as a bump on the forehead. The goose of this breed is capable of laying up to 40 eggs per year.

● Kuban. It is considered a light variety, since the bird weighs only 4.5 to 5.5 kg.However, it has a high egg production - about 70-90 eggs can be obtained from one goose.

● Legart. These geese, the breeding and keeping of which are believed to provide the greatest rearing benefit, consume 20% less feed than other breeds. However, they quickly gain weight. So, goslings who are 2 months old weigh up to 6 kg.

● Gray. Possesses good stamina and a fairly strong physique. Reaches a weight of 8 kg. The egg production of females is about 40 eggs per year.

Necessary equipment

Breeding geese at home will require the purchase of special equipment that will be needed to breed chicks.

● Incubator. This is the most important device you need to create the best possible conditions for your eggs.

● Ovoscope. A small device for detecting damage to eggs. Shining through them, he finds even small cracks in the shell. With the help of this device, breeding eggs are selected for subsequent hatching of chicks.

● Brooder. The hatched goslings are kept here. The device heats the young in the first days of life.

Breeding chicks

Breeding geese at home is done in two ways. The first one is incubator. Most farmers prefer to use this particular device for obtaining young animals. It allows you to make a large brood of chicks at a time. The first 14 days of life, goslings are fed with cottage cheese mixed with herbs and finely crumbled eggs. Later, mixed feeds are added to their diet. After reaching 3 weeks of age, chicks are fed in the same way as adult birds.

The second way is to breed the young by the goose itself. One brood hen can produce up to 13 chicks. The withdrawal period lasts about 28 days. Since geese are rather wayward birds, it is not recommended to disturb a hen sitting on eggs - at any time she may refuse to hatch them. A quiet, clean, dry and slightly dark place is good for the nest.

Feeding recommendations

In the diet of geese, in addition to plant and grain feed, sometimes even meat ingredients can be present. But there are some limitations to keep in mind. For example, in order to avoid a decrease in the egg production of geese, you should not give them barley and corn in their pure form. Otherwise, the bird quickly grows fat and does not rush well. Also, egg production can be significantly reduced due to feeding with meat waste.

Fattening geese at home is somewhat different in summer and winter. In the warm season, the diet of birds should include green mixtures of juicy herbs, as well as various vegetables: beets, carrots, legumes, boiled potatoes. When cold weather sets in, it is better to give preference to mixtures with tuber-root crops, various compound feeds and oats.

Feeding during oviposition

To obtain a high-quality hatching egg, it is necessary that the bird's body be provided with all the necessary set of minerals, because somewhere in February-March, the geese begins a period of breeding egg-laying. Therefore, special attention should be paid to their correct feeding at this particular time. To do this, the breeding bird is transferred to a more intensive feeding a month before the designated period. It should be noted that the goose will not be able to lay many eggs if it is weakened and exhausted. For good nutrition, hay, premixes and raw chopped potatoes are added to the feed. In addition, if possible, it is good to use also high-quality compound feeds containing in their composition a whole set of useful trace elements and minerals necessary for the bird's body.

Winter maintenance

At this time of the year, in the absence of grazing for geese, special rooms are built. There is no need to heat them, but the building must be of high quality. Wintering geese at home requires that the house be well insulated and completely free of drafts. To do this, equip a vestibule.In addition, the entrance doors are additionally insulated with cotton wool. Planks are usually placed on the floor, but earthen decking will work as well. The main thing is that it rises above the ground level by about 25-30 cm.

Caring for geese, although quite simple, requires special attention in some cases. If the bird is kept in a relatively small room, then in no case should the litter be allowed to be dirty or damp. Not only will this ruin valuable down and feathers, but it can also lead to serious colds. If the litter is dry, then the geese will be able to survive even the most severe frosts. As it can be used as sawdust and large shavings, and ordinary straw.

To keep the eggs clean and not trampled by birds, they should be placed along the walls of the board. Fresh bedding is placed on top of them. With this equipment in the house, the geese will get used to rushing in the same place. As for the litter, it is better to change it in the evening so that you can collect clean eggs in the morning.

Caring for a bird also involves combating skin parasites. For prophylaxis, in the room where the geese are located, a trough filled with a mixture of sand and ash is placed every 2 or 3 weeks. They bathe in it and thereby not only get rid of various parasites, but also clean their feathers.

Additional lighting

In order for geese breeding at home to be as productive as possible, it is necessary to take care of artificially increasing daylight hours. This will have a very beneficial effect on the egg production of geese. For example, if you turn on the lights in the house at 6:00 every day and turn them off at 20:00, then the birds will begin to rush not in February or March (if natural light is available), but already in January.

Summer maintenance

In the warm season, breeding and rearing of geese takes place in specially equipped enclosures, if it is impossible to walk them in the pasture. The countryside must have a canopy that protects birds from the burning sun and cold rain. To make them feel good, the average space for one goose should be about 8-10 square meters. m.

An aviary with an artificial reservoir would be an ideal option for birds. Hygiene standards require that the water in them is changed daily. It should be noted that keeping geese at home does not require the mandatory construction of a reservoir. Studies have shown that its absence does not in any way affect egg production or growth.

Poultry implementation

Breeding and keeping geese at home as a business is almost waste-free production. Experienced farmers know that not only eggs and poultry meat can be sold, but also fluff. If a goose carcass weighs about 8 kg, then its cost can reach 1200-1300 rubles. From one bird of fluff comes out somewhere 600 g, and it will also cost about 1200-1300 rubles. And if you still make pillows and other products yourself and sell them! In general, it turns out a pretty good income.