Poultry goose belongs to the order Anseriformes and to the family of ducks. According to historical chronicles, it was tamed by people in ancient times. In large and small households, you can often find this bird. Most often it is bred for the sake of excellent soft fatty meat. And also goose feathers are in demand.
History and Origin
Scientists believe that this is one of the oldest domesticated birds. Mention of geese can be found in the annals of Ancient China and in the Bible. Among the Greeks and Romans, geese were considered sacred birds. After all, it was they who were able to wake the whole garrison guarding the Capitol, and thereby save him from the Gauls.
According to zoologists, the goose comes from a dry-bird. This is a goose-like bird. Domestic birds are direct descendants of the wild goose, which can still be found in wildlife. There is an opinion that the mute swan, the white-fronted goose and the goosebird also took part in the creation of this bird.
Types of domestic geese
Which bird is the goose most suitable for compound? To date, there are fifteen of the most popular breeds that are used for breeding at home. Each of them has both disadvantages and advantages:
- For decorative purposes, the Kholmogorsk breed is most often bred. Despite the external attractiveness, this bird has a rather low egg production, but a rather high survival rate of the offspring. This goose lives no more than seventeen years, and puberty usually occurs after thirty-six months.
- Excellent performance has a white Italian breed. After twenty-four months, the gosling has about four kilograms of live weight. In the description of the bird, the goose of this breed very often indicates excellent meat. It is quite oily and nutritious. White Italian geese are often bred for the sale of meat, as they gain weight quickly enough. This bird can produce about ninety eggs a year. The disadvantage of this breed is the low survival rate of the chicks due to the lack of maternal instinct. Owners have to use an incubator to get goslings.
- Toulouse geese have similar problems. This French breed is appreciated for its relatively large size. She has good fluff and quite fatty meat. In addition, the liver of poultry of this breed is quite large and fat.
- Excellent performance is the Ukrainian gray goose. The bird of this breed is quite popular. Thanks to good health and unpretentiousness, it is highly regarded among farmers. These geese are almost omnivorous and are capable of producing up to seventy eggs per year. Their weight sometimes reaches nine kilograms.
- Also in the household you can find Chinese geese, which are bred for the sake of eggs due to the high egg production. They, like the Italian and French breeds, have a very poorly developed maternal instinct.
- Governor geese occurred by crossing Shadrinsky and Italian breeds. They have a fairly low egg production, which is no more than forty-five eggs per year. This bird is medium in size and is considered quite unpretentious and hardy.
- The Danish Legart breed is quite sensitive and tender. This bird does not tolerate temperature extremes and is rather capricious in food. Danish legart is bred mainly because of fluff. The voices of the birds of the geese of this breed are quite loud and loud.
In addition, the Ural geese, Shchedrin and Tula geese can also be considered popular breeds. The latter are quite cold-resistant, but have a very low egg production. Shchedrinsky are quite gentle, but they are absolute omnivores and gain weight very well. Satisfied with a strong breed, the Ural gray goose is also considered.
Goose meat
It is quite nutritious and contains up to twenty percent of protein. About twenty-three percent of this meat is goose fat, which is sometimes used as a medicine. For example, according to folk healers, the fat of this waterfowl can prevent the appearance of atherosclerosis. Equally valuable is the goose liver, from which excellent dishes are prepared. In addition, geese are sometimes reared for fluff. Products containing goose down can last quite a long time. Due to their high nutritional value, the eggs of these birds are also in great demand.
Geese content
These birds do not like excessive crowding. Otherwise, their egg production worsens, and the survival rate of goslings drops sharply. The following proportions are recommended when breeding birds. For one goose, at least one square meter of the house is required. In an extreme case, you can place three geese on two square meters. In addition, it is highly recommended to organize a pond for geese. This bird is swimming. She desperately needs any body of water. In summer, it is advisable to let birds out into the outdoor pool, which can be easily built on the courtyard. Geese also need a walking area with a calculation of at least five square meters per bird.
Site Equipment
As a rule, the floor in the houses should be plank or covered with clay. From above it is covered with a layer of fresh straw. Some breeds are very sensitive to contamination and can even become ill if the straw litter is rarely changed. Be sure to install a drinker and feeder. Water for geese is pre-cleaned and, if possible, defended.
The goose bird loves to flounder in a mixture of ash and sand. Therefore, the owners have to arrange a similar bathhouse once a week. Ash is also required as a prophylactic against germs and harmful insects.
Geese character
This bird is quite firmly attached to the place in which it lives. If the owner provides her with proper care, then he will ensure mutual understanding and trust between himself and domestic birds. One of the features of these birds is that they are extremely sensitive to their own territory and are able to protect it from other inhabitants of the yard no worse than a dog. Usually, poultry duck and goose do not require special attention, and their breeding is quite inexpensive and does not cause much trouble.
How to feed goslings
The most important question that arises when breeding birds concerns their nutrition. Despite the fact that some breeds are rather capricious and demanding in food, nevertheless the main food for the goose bird remains unchanged. Small goslings are usually given egg yolks along with finely chopped greens. As herbs use any grass. As you grow, feed is added to the daily menu, which can be purchased in specialized stores. It contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals, which will provide a fairly rapid growth for the chicks.
Experts recommend giving potatoes as early as possible. This root crop is quite high-calorie and allows you to quickly build up mass. Starting from sixty days, you can add the rest of the feed to the diet: wheat bran, hay flour, chalk, dairy products, cereals. Of vegetables, beets and carrots are the best option.
Compound feed for ducks and geese
A special compound feed is selected for the waterfowl, which can be prepared independently or purchased in a specialized store. This composition includes the following components: barley, bran, makuku from sunflower seeds, peas, chalk, crushed shell, limestone, corn and yeast. The composition must be salt. The resulting mixture contains essential trace elements, such as phosphorus, sodium and calcium. In addition, it has a lot of protein and fiber. It is especially useful to add algae to the feed of ducks and geese. According to farmers, thanks to this composition, the taste of meat noticeably improves.
Hatching eggs
Many farmers believe that brooding eggs is much better than using an incubator. Usually a goose brings up to twelve goslings. The room where the hen is located should be warm enough and without drafts. Geese cannot stand crowding, and therefore partitions should not be placed too close to each other. The owner requires timely cleaning of the nest. Sometimes geese confuse their places and sit in neighboring nests. This behavior is considered normal among birds, but very inconvenient when breeding geese.
As a rule, they closely monitor their eggs and, if necessary, turn them over for full heating. Chicks appear in about a month.
Growing in an incubator
In order to grow chicks in an incubator, eggs should be taken from a goose no later than ten days later. Since they are usually not washed, only light spraying with a special agent is allowed. The temperature in the incubator should be at least thirty-seven and a half degrees. And also not to be higher than thirty-eight and a half. For about fifteen minutes a day, the testes are opened for ventilation. In addition, you should definitely turn them over. And this is done at least six times a day.
