Probably, each of us has white geese associated with the famous children's fairy tale about the little boy Niels, who flew a very long distance on Martin's back to find the gnome and apologize to him. In the fairy tale, the birds were distinguished by nobility and love of freedom. And what are the actual white geese? Let's talk about this in detail.
White goose breeds
I must say that all breeds of geese have their own classification. We will not delve into this topic, since we are only interested in white birds. Conventionally, geese are divided into wild species and breeds for breeding. So the wild white birds became the prototype of the fabulous birds.
And of the breeds for breeding with light plumage, it boasts Italian, Ural, Emden, Kholmogorsky (individuals can be of three colors, including white) species.
Wild Geese: Habitats
Wild white geese are very beautiful birds that belong to the duck family. They nest in the north of Greenland, in Canada, in the east of Siberia. They can also be seen on Wrangel Island, in Yakutia and Chukotka. By the way, Wrangel Island is their favorite place. And the reason for this is the fact that the snow falls here much earlier than in other northern territories, so in winter geese migrate south. Usually they choose the land of the United States, where they are located near the coastal lagoons.
The appearance of white geese
White goose is a fairly small bird. The length of the body is from 60 to 75 centimeters, and the weight does not exceed three kilograms. An interesting fact is that the wingspan of these creatures is two times larger than themselves. Although the geese have a snow-white plumage, all the same, there are black veins on the tips of the wings. In addition, there is a black spot near the beak itself. The paws of birds, as a rule, are pink, although they are short, they are quite strong. The white goose usually has a rather short neck and a rounded tail. Males are slightly larger than females.
White geese are migratory birds, they fly perfectly, but at the same time, having reached adulthood, they try to lead a more settled lifestyle. This feature is more characteristic of females that independently choose their place for a nest. It happens that there is not enough space for all individuals, then these friendly creatures begin to show aggression, because they instinctively defend their territory and offspring. These birds are inherently plucking each other's feathers. As a rule, this occurs when hostility towards uninvited guests is manifested. However, similar conflicts can occur inside the pack. Expressing aggression, geese thereby try to establish a certain hierarchy.
Breeding wild white geese
White geese (photos are given in the article) are surprisingly loyal creatures. They choose a mate for life. Birds try to stay in packs, since it is quite difficult to survive in the wild. There are even cases when geese created colonies consisting of several thousand nests.
The female usually lays four to six eggs in beige or white. And then he incubates them for 21 days. Soon goslings appear. Males, of course, do not participate in the hatching process itself, but at the same time they are always somewhere nearby, because at any moment the kids may be in danger, then dads will come to the rescue.
Sometimes geese can lay their eggs in other people's nests. However, this fact does not mean that they are bad moms. Everything is much simpler. They just could not find a free place, and therefore decide to use the neighboring nests. At the same time, good neighbors cannot leave someone else’s offspring, and therefore they hatch both their own and others’eggs.
Along with family females, lonely geese who do not have a partner at this stage may also be in the flock. For such individuals, a male struggle begins. Ultimately, she chooses a mate. Geese never leave their nest during the offspring hatching period. The main and most dangerous enemy of birds are shaggy arctic foxes, which at any moment can get to the kids. That is why females keep their eyes on the offspring. Yes, and seagulls can be dangerous, because they like to enjoy something tasty.
The birds reach puberty at three years of age. At this time, they can already create families, but they never leave the pack. In principle, geese can live for twenty years. Throughout the time they remain energetic and active.
What do geese eat?
The basis of the diet of white geese are arctic herbs. More often birds choose sedge, with pleasure they eat plant shoots. Willow leaves, lichens, moss, grains and cereals - all this can be in the diet of geese, if they can find such goodies.
Italian geese
Italian geese (white) became known not so long ago. The breed was bred in Italy at the beginning of the last century. At first, birds were bred only at the habitat of their ancestors. However, the breed soon became so popular that it became widespread in neighboring regions. And in 1975, white Italian geese were brought to the USSR. Many years have passed since then, and they began to breed the breed in all corners of the Earth, since it is considered especially valuable.
Although the Italian (white) geese were bred in a warm country, they also tolerate a more severe climate. With their breeding there is no hassle. Birds of this breed are distinguished by a particularly developed instinct for hatching eggs.
Breed description
Italian geese are distinguished by a truly white color. They have a small but rather thick neck, middle eyes, and a small body. Like other geese, birds of this breed have a bright orange color of their legs, very strong, but short. The wings are highly developed, and the tail is slightly raised. At the same time, the birds look very graceful. When the white goose swims, he does it very proudly, like a swan.
Adult individuals reach six to seven kilograms, females are slightly smaller. Birds of this breed are bred not only because of the tender meat, but also because of the high productivity when laying eggs. In one cycle, a goose can bring up to forty-five eggs. All of them are medium in size. Only seventy percent can produce offspring. Caring for the chicks is not difficult. They grow quite quickly, and by two months their weight reaches four kilograms.
The peculiarity of the Italian breed
Italian geese not only differ in appearance from other breeds. The main feature of birds is their tasty meat and liver. For some reason, gourmets appreciate the goose liver paste (the liver makes up only 7% of body weight). However, poultry meat in any case is distinguished by excellent taste characteristics.
In addition, feathers and fluff can also be obtained from beautiful birds. Within one year, one individual is able to give two hundred grams of feathers and one hundred grams of fluff.
Care
Italian geese are completely unpretentious, as evidenced by numerous positive reviews. Birds can be kept even without a reservoir, although its presence greatly simplifies grooming. It is necessary to have a spacious paddock, and at any opportunity let out birds for a walk on the lawn. Young individuals grow very quickly and without any problems. Small goslings must be protected from drafts and significant changes in temperature.
What are good Italian geese? The white swan will envy their stamina. Geese, oddly enough, calmly tolerate low temperatures and can even walk in the cold snow.
For young individuals, a large amount of green feed must be included in the diet. And to get a good liver, it is recommended to give peas and corn. An interesting fact is that when keeping different types of birds in one farm, the Italian geese always keep themselves separate, preferring the society of representatives of their own breed.
Males can occasionally show aggression, this is especially noticeable during the mating season. As a rule, incubators are used to grow good offspring. In large farms, white geese often cross with other breeds. For example, a mixture of the Italian species with Rhine specimens gives young offspring with excellent characteristics.
Ural breed
The Ural white geese (Shadrinsky) come from the gray birds that once nested in Siberia and the Urals. The breed is perfectly acclimatized for harsh conditions.
Birds of this breed have a small head, a short neck, the length of which is due to fewer vertebrae. The body of the Ural birds is of medium length, and the legs are short. The legs and beak are usually orange. But the plumage can be different. There is a gray, white goose and even chess.
Gander reach six kilograms, females have a more modest weight - up to five kilograms. One laying hen is able to give from 25 to 30 eggs. The advantage of the breed is a good hatching instinct in females. Young growth grows very quickly, at the age of five months, goslings reach a weight of five kilograms. Birds eat green grass and grain waste perfectly.
Geese diseases
Geese, like other birds, are susceptible to various diseases. The most dangerous for them is diarrhea. It is especially terrible for young goslings, because they still do not have stable immunity, the body is still weak to cope with the disease on its own. Adults are not so prone to such things.
The reasons for the appearance of diarrhea in goslings are quite a lot:
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Hypothermia leads to indigestion of food, because the body is not yet ready for new conditions.
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Poisoning can occur if goslings ate rough or stale food. Young individuals still have a very delicate stomach, nutrition is reflected in their general well-being. Babies should be fed only finely ground foods.
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The most dangerous infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. This may be pasteurellosis, colibacteriosis, salmonellosis, enteritis.
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The presence of parasites (helminthiasis).
In all these cases, fetid diarrhea is observed, temperature may rise, bloody impurities, weakness, lethargy, loss of appetite may appear.
Diarrhea in birds
White diarrhea in geese is pullorosis (bacillary diarrhea). This is an acute infectious disease that affects the parenchymal organs and intestines. The causative agent of the disease is Pullorum bacillus or Salmonella gallinarum. They can be stored in the soil for up to a year and up to 25 days on eggs. Therefore, it is quite simple for birds to catch them.
The smallest individuals (in the first days of life) are very susceptible to the disease. At the age of three months, the risk of damage is much less. The source of infection is the litter of ill individuals. Geese carry infected eggs for two years. The occurrence of the disease contributes to hypothermia, improper feeding and other provoking factors.
There are acute and chronic conditions. In acute goslings, sleepy and inactive, just stand in heaps, pulling their neck in. At the same time, the kids breathe heavily with an open beak and eyes closed. Soon, white diarrhea appears. The disease ruins a lot of goslings. In those farms where an outbreak of infection occurred, all young animals are destroyed. And adults are examined every twelve days until they get negative results.
Even young geese may experience hymenolepidosis that occurs 25 days after swimming in dysfunctional ponds. Kids swallow infected mollusks, as a result of which the disease begins to develop. It manifests itself in the appearance of diarrhea, weight loss of individuals, lethargy.
