The poultry goose belongs to the order Anseriformes and to the duck family. According to historical chronicles, it was tamed by people in ancient times. In large and small households, it is not uncommon to find this bird. Most often it is bred for its excellent soft fatty meat. Goose feathers are also in demand.
History and origins
Scientists believe that this is one of the oldest domesticated birds. References to geese can be found in the annals of ancient China and in the Bible. The Greeks and Romans considered geese sacred birds. After all, it was they who were able to wake up the whole garrison guarding the Capitol, and thereby save it from the Gauls.
According to zoologists, the goose comes from the swan bird. It 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 mute swan, white-fronted goose and goose also took part in the creation of this bird.
Species of domestic geese
Which bird goose is best suited for the farmstead? 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 Kholmogory breed is most often bred. Despite the external attractiveness, this bird has a rather low egg production, but a rather high survival rate of offspring. This goose lives no more than seventeen years, and puberty usually occurs in 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 a goose bird of this breed, excellent meat is very often indicated. It is quite fatty and nutritious. White Italian geese are often bred for the sale of meat, as they quickly gain weight. This bird can produce about ninety eggs per year. The disadvantage of this breed is the low survival rate of 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 valued for its fairly large size. She has good fluff and fairly fatty meat. In addition, the liver of a bird of this breed is quite large and fatty.
- Ukrainian gray goose has excellent performance. The bird of this breed is quite popular. Due to its good he alth and unpretentiousness, it is quite highly valued amongfarmers. These geese are practically omnivorous and are capable of producing up to seventy eggs a year. Their weight sometimes reaches nine kilograms.
- And also in the household you can find Chinese geese, which are bred for the sake of eggs due to their high egg production. They, like the Italian and French breeds, have a very poorly developed maternal instinct.
- Governor's geese originated by crossing Shadrinskaya and Italian breeds. They have a rather low egg production, which is no more than forty-five eggs per year. This bird is of medium size and is considered quite unpretentious and hardy.
- The Danish Legart breed is quite sensitive and gentle. This bird does not tolerate temperature changes and is rather capricious in food. The Danish Legart is bred primarily for its down. The voices of geese birds of this breed are quite loud and noisy.
In addition, white Ural geese, Shchedrin and Tula geese can also be attributed to popular breeds. The latter are quite cold-resistant, but have a very low egg production. Shchedrinskie are quite gentle, but they are absolutely omnivorous 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 protein. Approximately twenty-three percent of this meat is goose fat, which is sometimes used as a medicine. For example, according to traditional healers, the fat of this waterfowl can prevent the appearance of atherosclerosis. No less valuable is the goose liver, from whichgreat meals. In addition, geese are sometimes reared for their down. Products that contain goose down can last quite a long time. Due to their high nutritional value, the eggs of these birds are also in great demand.
Keeping geese
These birds do not like excessive crowding. Otherwise, their egg production deteriorates, and the survival rate of goslings drops sharply. It is recommended to observe the following proportions when breeding birds. For one goose, at least one square meter of poultry house area is required. In extreme cases, you can place three geese on two square meters. In addition, it is highly recommended to organize a reservoir for geese. This bird swims. She desperately needs any body of water. In summer, it is advisable to release birds into an outdoor pool, which can easily be built in the courtyard. The geese also require a run area of at least five square meters per bird.
Site equipment
As a rule, the floor in poultry 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 pollution and can even get sick if the straw bed is rarely changed. Be sure to install a drinker and a feeder. Water for geese is cleaned in advance and defended if possible.
The goose bird loves to wallow in a mixture of ash and sand. Therefore, the owners have to arrange a similar bath for them once a week. Ash is also required as a prophylactic against germs and harmful insects.
Character of geese
This bird is quite attached to the place where it lives. If the owner provides her with proper care, then by doing so 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.
What to feed the goslings
The most important question that arises when breeding birds concerns their nutrition. Despite the fact that some breeds are quite 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 greens use any grass. As it grows, compound feed is added to the daily menu, which can be purchased in specialized stores. It contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals that will ensure a fairly rapid growth of 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 other feeds to the diet: wheat bran, hay flour, chalk, dairy products, cereals. From vegetables, beets and carrots are the best option.
Compound feed for ducks andgeese
For waterfowl, a special compound feed is selected, which can be prepared independently or purchased at a specialized store. This composition includes the following components: barley, bran, sunflower seed cake, peas, chalk, crushed shells, limestone, corn and yeast. The composition must be s alted. The resulting mixture contains essential micronutrients 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 is noticeably improved.
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 is required to clean the nest in a timely manner. Sometimes geese confuse their places and sit down in neighboring nests. This behavior is considered normal among birds, but very inconvenient when breeding geese.
As a rule, they keep a good eye on their eggs and, if necessary, turn them over for proper heating. Chicks appear in about a month.
Incubator growing
In order to raise chicks in an incubator, eggs should be taken from the 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 must 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 testicles are opened for ventilation. In addition, be sure to turn them over. And this is done at least six times a day.
Diseases of domestic geese
Unfortunately, all poultry - chickens, geese and ducks - get sick from time to time. Most often, the cause of malaise is a temperature drop, lack of sunlight, as well as dirt both in the house and directly in the feeder. In addition, insufficient nutrition, poor in microelements and vitamins, negatively affects the he alth of birds. For example, due to the lack of sunlight, rickets may appear. Symptoms of this disease are softening of the shell and beak of the bird. In order to prevent this from happening, a supplement with fish oil and yeast is required.
Indigestion is sometimes the cause of B-vitamin deficiencies. The required amount of this element is found in all grains. If a goose bird has a bare back, and its feathers have become greasy, then it clearly lacks protein. At the same time, its excess can lead to problems with the esophagus and prolapse of the oviduct in females.
However, most often the bird's stomach and intestines suffer from monotonous and malnutrition. She may develop diarrhea or, conversely, constipation. In a word, the slightest violation of the diet leads to undesirable consequences. And also thisit is undesirable to frighten or injure a bird. The egg production of the female is affected by a disease of the tongue, as a result of which she cannot completely eat her portion and loses weight dramatically.
