The current crisis has inflated prices not only for foreign products, but also for domestic products. Neither meat nor meat products escaped this fate. However, the presence of a subsidiary plot, a summer cottage or a vegetable garden in a garden cooperative may suggest one of the solutions to the problem. Breeding geese at home is a very relevant topic, given the variety of breeds of geese for meat production.
Among all the birds bred by humans for their own needs, geese are the most capable of taking care of their own food. Let's look at whether it is profitable to breed geese today, in difficult market conditions?
One adult bird produces on average about 6 kg of meat, up to 2.5 kg of high-quality fat, and goose liver is considered a delicacy, the pate from which is not inferior in price and nutrition to black caviar. Down and feathers obtained from geese have exceptional thermal conductivity and water-repellent qualities, comparable in these characteristics to eider down. Raising geese for meat up to 2 months of age produces up to 4.5 kg of young goose meat. At the same time, geese are distinguished by their unpretentiousness in food, spending the whole day on the pasture and are able to absorb food waste.
How to breed geese in a small backyard or summer cottage? Of course, you will have to master the technology of growing or even breeding geese, but the opportunity to please your family with your own Christmas goose on New Year’s Day is worth it.
Raising geese at home should begin with selecting a breed. Today there are about 40 breeds of geese, differing not only in productivity or egg production, but also in breeding conditions, which are sometimes difficult for beginners.
To prevent breeding from being a pleasure from turning into a painful chore, you need to decide on the breed in advance. Below is a brief description of the most popular breeds of geese, and analysis of the table will help assess their productivity.
Table: Comparative characteristics of the productivity of some breeds of geese
The Arzamas breed of geese, one of the oldest breeds, was originally formed as a fighting one. Since the 19th century, it has received meat direction, but has not lost its signs of endurance and precocity.
Chinese geese have a small live weight, but are very hardy and have high egg production. Goslings obtained from parents where the Chinese goose acts as the mother, and the father is the Kholmogory, Italian or Toulouse gander, are distinguished by a high rate of growth of live weight and increased fattening characteristics in comparison with their purebred counterparts and can be raised under certain conditions as broiler geese.
The Gorky breed of geese was bred in the middle of the last century as highly productive, combining high egg production with good meat properties. However, geese of this breed are not considered good hens.
Breeding Italian geese was very popular in Western Europe, and they came to the USSR from Czechoslovakia. The breed has high fattening qualities, both for meat and liver. The young are characterized by active growth; females are considered good brood hens.
The breed of large gray geese was created on the basis of the Ukrainian breeding center and the Arzhanka state farm in the Tambov region. Geese have good meat qualities, are able to feed well on fatty livers, actively use pastures and can do without a pond. Geese have a well-developed maternal instinct, so they are suitable for the role of hens.
Kholmogory geese are the oldest Russian breed and, according to many goose breeders, one of the most beautiful. Geese are distinguished by their good adaptability to local conditions, unpretentiousness, at the same time they are well fed and have a high growth rate of young animals. Geese of this breed have a calm disposition and are friendly towards people.
The Tula breed of geese is also called the Tula fighting geese, since it was originally created for goose fighting. This Russian fun has been preserved since pre-Petrine times. Despite the rather aggressive nature of Tula geese, the breed has a large number of fans who are actively involved in its breeding for both decorative and meat purposes.
The requirements for the premises are determined by the planned conditions for keeping and breeding geese: year-round or only in the spring-summer period. In the first case, it is advisable to provide heating, although geese are not afraid of cold weather. In both cases, the area required for breeding is determined by the number of inhabitants: one square meter per bird. It is necessary to putty all the cracks, since drafts are destructive for these birds.
The poultry house should contain drinkers, feeders, a box for mineral feed, nests if you plan to breed geese, and improvised equipment. A hole must be provided for the free passage of birds, and a bathing tank can be equipped in the yard. For the winter, it is necessary to prepare warm bedding: straw, sawdust, sunflower husks or peat. In summer, sand or sawdust is usually used.
Unlike many farm birds, geese reach sexual maturity quite late, at about 8-10 months. In the future, egg production in laying geese increases to 20%, so they are used for 3 years, and especially outstanding individuals - for 4 years.
Geese breeding presupposes the presence of a parent flock, for which the best individuals in the family are selected, taking into account both individual indicators and offspring characteristics. The selection of manufacturers is carried out in several stages. Initially, at one day of age, puny and poorly developed goslings are discarded.
Upon reaching 8 weeks, the increase in live weight, body shape, and plumage condition are assessed. Geese are selected with a live weight 10% higher than the average for the lot, and geese - not lower than the average for the lot. Geese are further reared until 26 weeks of age, when final assessment takes place. Exterior characteristics and live weight are assessed. Culling can be up to 30%, then the parent stock is formed.
There should be 3 times less gander than geese. It is important to remember that geese highly respect hierarchy in social relations, and the appearance of a pariah goose can lead to its rejection by all members of the flock. This phenomenon will affect its egg production and fertility. Experienced goose breeders use an individual approach when breeding these birds and select a pair or several geese for the gander, forming families. The herd consists of several families that graze together and can live in a common pen if the ganders are not aggressive. Otherwise, each family needs to organize its own corral, otherwise the ganders will constantly find out among themselves who is “cooler”.
It is advisable to start organizing nests a month before the expected laying, while 2-3 geese can lay eggs in one nest. The nests are located on the floor, in a shaded place and away from drafts. The bottom is lined with clean bedding, often straw. Geese can begin laying eggs in February and continue until May. 30-45 days before the start of this event, it is advisable to start feeding the ganders with sprouted oats - 100 g/head. or a mash of ground grain (60-80%) and animal feed (20%). Obesity should not be allowed in ganders, as this reduces the fertility of females.
A goose's restless behavior may be a sign that it is ready to lay eggs. Most often, geese lay eggs in the morning, once every two days. It is important to have time to remove eggs from the nest if the air temperature is negative. They must be placed in a ventilated place, but for no more than 10 days. If storage is long, the eggs are turned over every 3-4 days so that the embryo does not stick to the shell film.
Breeding domestic geese can be done either naturally, using a mother goose, or using incubators, and sometimes both methods together. Successful breeding of geese begins with properly selected eggs, which must meet certain requirements:
For healthy goose eggs, these indicators are as follows: fertilization is at least 87%, hatchability of young animals is at least 65%. The result of incubation depends not only on the contents of the egg, but also on its external condition. Eggs contaminated with droppings deteriorate faster, there is a higher embryonic death of chicks in them, as well as worse hatchability of the young. Some goose breeders recommend treating eggs with hydrogen peroxide before placing them in the incubator.
Also, before laying, eggs are inspected to remove substandard eggs for the following reasons:
The end of the egg-laying period is determined when the geese begin to cover the nest with their down. By this time, the brooding instinct becomes more pronounced. Experienced females are preferred in this role. If a young goose is to become a hen, she is tested. For three days, the future hen is given eggs not for hatching, and is provided with peace and quiet. The test is passed if during this time she did not leave the nest when a person appeared, but tried to drive him away with sounds and movements of her wings.
If possible, the goose is left in the nest where it lay. When several hens are planted at the same time, they are fenced off from the entire room and from each other so that they do not worry or fight.
During the incubation period, it is necessary to inspect the condition of the clutch twice: on the 11th day and on the 27th day. Unfertilized eggs are selected; they are light in the light, without a dark spot of the embryo. They also remove the dead embryo, in which dark rings are visible along the vertical or horizontal axes. On the second examination, dead embryos are visible as a solid dark mass.
The end of incubation is determined when the goose becomes restless, but she is not taken away from the nest until the chicks dry out. In the case of heavy breeds, for example, Kholmogory geese, it is better to remove the eggs from under the hen 2 days before hatching, since a heavy goose can suppress the chicks. The dried goslings are taken and kept at a temperature of 26-28 0 C until the entire brood is born. The chicks are then handed over to the hen. At this time, day-old goslings from someone else's brood or from an incubator are added to hatch.
If it is not possible to maintain broodstock and brood hens, you can breed geese using an incubator, which at home can be quite small. Its main task is to create conditions under which the development of the embryo is optimal. The most important of them is the temperature, which must be maintained at 37.5-37.7 0 C. If it is lower, the incubation period is delayed and the goslings turn out weak. At elevated temperatures, embryo growth accelerates at the beginning of the period and mortality increases at the end. The chicks turn out small and weak.
Evaporation and temperature conditions depend on air humidity. Dry air in the first period can cause water starvation, and in the end - drying out of the shell membranes, which the chick will not be able to break through. Optimum humidity 60-65%.
Ventilation is of great importance for the incubation of goose eggs, since goose embryos absorb oxygen 12 times more actively than chicken embryos. Forced ventilation ensures an influx of oxygen, an outflow of carbon dioxide and a uniform supply of warm air. By turning the eggs, uniform heating is achieved, as well as preventing the embryo from sticking to the shell membranes. On the 14th day and until the end of incubation, goose eggs begin to be cooled to 29-30 0 C for half an hour once a day to remove excess heat during embryo development. Hatching usually occurs on the 29-30th day.
If breeding geese is not possible due to housing conditions, and the decision to raise them has been made, you can buy day-old geese from a farm that specializes in breeding goslings.
Little goslings are sensitive to temperature. When raising them without a brood hen, it is necessary to provide constant heating at a temperature of 26-28 0 C. The survival rate of goslings is affected by overcrowding, since when the room is overcrowded, not all individuals have the opportunity to approach the feeder and drinker. Recommended rates are 10 pcs/m2 up to 30 days of age and 4 pcs/m2 up to 70 days of age. At elevated temperatures, goslings drink water very actively and try to swim in the drinking bowl, but the litter gets wet and its quality deteriorates. You need to carefully monitor the temperature and cleanliness of the litter. The water must be changed daily.
Feeding goslings begins from the first day of life, and for the first 3-7 days - 6-7 times; some goose breeders feed goslings every 3 hours in the first week. Good quality compound feed is used as feed, ideally already tested. A crushed grain mixture of wheat, peas, rolled oats, buckwheat, and corn may be suitable. To this mixture add chopped boiled eggs or cottage cheese, finely chopped greens (clover, nettles, herbs) in a ratio of approximately 1:1 grain and green parts.
After 3-4 days, you can introduce boiled root vegetables and cakes. It is important to feed all food moist and crumbly, avoiding stickiness, which can clog the nasal passages and cause inflammation.
Separately, there should always be fine gravel in the feeders, and crushed chalk and ground shells in the diet. Goslings can be released for walking as early as 7 days of age, first for 30 minutes, then the walking time increases, 14-day-old ones can walk all day.
When planning to breed geese for meat in the early stages, goslings are selected at three weeks of age and put on intensive feeding without walking. The diet should contain both concentrated feed and fresh greens in a ratio of approximately 1:1. The grain part consists of crushed grain, bran, legumes and cake in a ratio of approximately 2:1:1:1 with the obligatory addition of a mineral part in the form of ground shells, chalk and salt. Growing using this technology costs 11-12 kg of grain and 25 kg of green feed per 70-day gosling.
For many modern goose breeders, keeping, caring for and breeding these birds has become not only a profession, but also a matter of life. The beauty and dignity of these birds attracts not only experienced poultry farmers, but also people whose path in agriculture is just beginning. Raising geese at home can not only be an opportunity to feed your family with organic meat and build a wonderful pillow, but also an exciting hobby for life.
Breeding geese at home for beginners and experienced farmers is a rather labor-intensive process, but it cannot be called difficult. The main thing that needs to be done is to provide the birds with proper care in the first decade of life. It is most important for young animals. If the owner has successfully completed this task, it will become much easier in the future. By adhering to the basic recommendations for nutrition and maintenance, it will be possible to raise all the young animals.
Breeding geese at home for beginners and experienced farmers is a rather labor-intensive process, but it cannot be called difficult
Domestic geese are bred to obtain a large amount of valuable products. Healthy and strong birds provide valuable dietary meat, high-quality down and feathers, and delicious liver. All these goods have a fairly high price and, when sold, bring a significant profit to the owner. At the same time, serious material costs are not required for keeping and breeding geese.
Birds are distinguished by their intelligence and unpretentiousness. They can adapt well to harsh weather conditions and are highly resistant to many diseases. Even if the farmstead is small, you can easily raise 3-5 birds on it. This property allows you to raise pets not only in private homes. Many city residents have geese in their dachas. With proper care, by autumn each individual gains 4-6 kg of live weight.
If you decide to start raising birds, the first thing you need to do is decide on the breed of birds. There are many varieties of geese. Only a few of them are optimally suited for keeping in the household:
You need to choose a breed taking into account the goals you are pursuing. If the choice is difficult, consult with specialists.
If you want to get strong and healthy goose offspring, you need to approach the choice of birds for the parent flock with all responsibility. Sick and weak individuals will not be able to produce high-quality goslings. Therefore, you need to carefully cull and purchase only the best birds.
In geese, unlike many other poultry, sexual maturity occurs quite late. They are ready to reproduce only at 8-10 months. Over time, egg production in laying hens gradually increases. Therefore, they are used not for 1 year, but for 3 or even 4.
When choosing individuals to form a parent flock, it is necessary to take into account both the individual characteristics of each bird and the hereditary qualities. Experienced farmers carry out selection in several stages. It begins immediately after the birth of the offspring. At one day of age, goslings that are too small and poorly developed are discarded.
The next stage occurs after the young are 8 weeks old. At this time, several indicators are assessed at once: body features, live weight gain, plumage. Only those ganders that have a weight exceeding the average by 10% get into the parent herd. For geese, this indicator should not be lower than the average value for the batch. The final assessment takes place at 26 weeks. Experts evaluate the exterior qualities and weight of the raised individuals. Typically, about 30% of geese are culled at this stage. Those who have passed all levels of control enter the parent herd.
Domestic geese are bred to obtain a large amount of valuable products. When forming a parent flock, you should pay attention not only to the external characteristics and health of the geese, but also to their age. It is desirable that birds 1, 2 and 3 years old, as well as replacement young animals, be present in approximately equal numbers. In this case, there should be 3 times fewer males than females.
Keeping geese in a country house or country house must comply with one important rule. It is important to remember that birds highly respect hierarchy in relationships. Often a pariah goose appears in the herd, which causes hostility among the rest of the birds. As a result, it may happen that the female’s egg production decreases, which negatively affects further offspring. To prevent such a situation, you need to approach each bird individually. It is advisable to choose a mate for the male or select several geese for him at once, forming a family.
Each herd includes several families at once. They can get along well in a common pen, but only if the ganders do not show aggression. Otherwise, each family requires a separate room for living.
How should geese be raised so that they produce good offspring? Everything here is extremely simple. It is enough to follow a few simple recommendations:
Usually geese lay eggs in the morning once every 2 days. It is important to remove eggs from nests in a timely manner so that they are not pecked or trampled.
When forming a parent flock, you should pay attention not only to the external characteristics and health of the geese, but also to their age There are several ways to obtain offspring from the parent herd. The natural method involves the use of a mother goose, and the artificial method involves the use of an incubator. Some people who raise goslings at home use both of these methods at once.
To ensure that as many goslings hatch as possible, and that your efforts are not in vain, you need to choose the right eggs. They must meet two basic requirements:
Normally, these values should be as follows: eggs with a fertilization rate of at least 87% and a hatchability rate of over 65% are considered high-quality. Hatching results depend not only on the contents of the eggs. When choosing a material for laying, you should also take into account its external characteristics. Thus, it is not recommended to use eggs that are contaminated with bird droppings. They deteriorate much faster, which leads to embryonic death of the chicks. To prevent this, experienced poultry farmers advise wiping the shells with hydrogen peroxide before laying them.
A thorough preliminary inspection of the eggs is required. There is no need to lay eggs that have:
If you follow all the above rules, you will be able to get large and healthy offspring.
If the geese begin to line their nests with their down, it means that the egg-laying period has ended. Females begin preparations for brooding; their corresponding instincts are much more pronounced. It is advisable that an experienced goose sit on the eggs. If a young bird is preparing to become a hen, you should give it a small preliminary test. For 3 days, eggs are placed on the female for hatching. To make her feel as comfortable as possible, it is recommended to equip the nest in a quiet and peaceful place. If, when a person appears, the hen does not leave the nest, but tries to drive away the stranger with flapping wings and sounds, she has passed the test and is ready to hatch.
If possible, the female is left to sit on her eggs in the nest where she is used to laying eggs. If this is not possible, you should create the most comfortable conditions in the new place. If several hens sit at once, it is recommended to fence them off not only from the entire house, but also from each other. Otherwise, there is a high risk of conflicts and even fights.
When hens hatch eggs, they need to be monitored periodically. You need to check the clutches at least 2 times during the entire period: on the 11th and 27th day. Unfertilized eggs, which are completely light when lumen, without a darkened spot of the embryo, are discarded. Eggs with dead embryos are also thrown away. They are distinguished by dark vertical or horizontal rings, which are also visible in the light. During the 2nd inspection, death is indicated by a solid dark mass in the egg.
If the hen becomes nervous and restless, it means that the incubation period has come to an end. The goslings should be carefully removed from the nest and carried away. However, this should not be done immediately, but after the chicks dry out. In some cases, for example, if you are breeding heavy breed geese, it is better to remove the eggs from under the hen in advance, about 2 days before the chicks hatch. Otherwise, there is a high risk that the massive goose will simply crush its offspring.
Small goslings should be kept at a temperature of +26...+28°C until the entire brood is born. After this, the chicks are handed back to the goose. At the same time, day-old hatchery goslings or young animals from someone else’s brood can be quietly added to the offspring.
Raising geese at home requires compliance with special maintenance rules. This especially applies to cases of caring for newborn offspring. It is important to remember that small chicks are highly sensitive to temperature changes. If goslings grow up without a hen, you need to take care of constant heating of their home. It is advisable that the temperature be kept at +26…+28°C. If the room is too hot, the birds will be more active in drinking water and bathing in the drinking bowl. This can lead to wet litter, which negatively affects its quality. Therefore, the owner needs to monitor both the air temperature in the room and the quality of the coating. The water in drinking bowls should be changed every day.
The survival rate of chicks largely depends on their numbers. So, if too many individuals live in one room, not everyone has the opportunity to approach food and drink, which can cause illness and death. To prevent this, certain standards must be observed. It is optimal if 10 month-old chicks live per 1 m². As you get older, this figure changes. So, at the age of 70 days, only 4 goslings feel comfortable per 1 m².
Geese begin feeding on the same day they are born. For the first 3-7 days, meals should be very frequent, optimally giving food every 3 hours. It is recommended to give young animals high-quality compound feed; it is advisable to test it on adults in advance. A self-prepared mixture consisting of:
After about 3-4 days, you can introduce cake and boiled root vegetables into the chicks’ diet. It is desirable that the feed be crumbly and moist. Sticky food can clog the nasal openings, which often causes inflammation. Separately, you need to put containers with fine gravel, crushed chalk and ground shells.
From the age of one week, chicks can be released for walks. At first, they should spend no more than half an hour outside. Then this time is gradually increased. At 2 weeks, young animals can be in the fresh air throughout the day.
How to raise geese for meat? There are some nuances here. Individuals that must rapidly gain weight are selected at the age of 3 weeks. They are deprived of free range and intensively fed. The menu of such goslings should include concentrated feed and fresh herbs. The optimal ratio of these components is 1:1. You can give a mixture consisting of:
Additionally, it is recommended to introduce mineral supplements into the diet: chalk, salt and ground shells. If you decide to care for goose offspring using this technology, be prepared that one individual at the age of 70 days will require 11-12 kg of grain and 25 kg of green feed.
How to breed geese in winter? There is nothing complicated here. The downy cover and dense plumage of geese reliably protect them in winter weather. However, if birds are kept in unfavorable conditions, such as dry bedding, their feathers become dirty, resulting in much poorer heat retention. As a result, the body's resistance decreases, and birds often begin to get sick.
To avoid possible problems, before the onset of cold weather, the poultry house should be insulated and all cracks should be closed. This will avoid drafts. It is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the litter and change it promptly. Experienced poultry farmers recommend pouring a layer of superphosphate onto the litter once a week. It dries well and prevents the formation of ammonia in large quantities.
Even in winter, geese can benefit from periodic walks. However, we must not forget that their paws are very sensitive, so in severe frosts it is better to avoid walking.
Agriculture, and, in particular, poultry farming, is a very labor-intensive business subject to many risks. Breeding geese as a business: profitable or not? Feedback from entrepreneurs and a business plan with economic calculations make it possible to assess the profitability, profitability and prospects of goose farming.
Geese are large domestic birds that are not too picky about their environment and are resistant to disease. For their breeding, pastures are needed where they can independently walk and feed throughout the warm season. In order for the goose business to bring tangible profits, you need to acquire a population of five thousand and create good conditions for living and breeding.
They are the source of a variety of products:
Depending on which part of the goose carcass the main interest of the business is directed to, and where the farm is located, the breed of bird is chosen.
Meat breeds include:
The following breeds have high egg production:
Toulouse, originally from France, has a large body weight and fat content (10-12 kg), and is valued for the high taste of the liver.
Arzamas with an average weight of 7 kg and tasty meat is immune to cold and disease.
The Danish leghart consumes five times less feed than other birds, and at the same time quickly gains weight, which makes it first on the list of aspiring businessmen.
The Gorky and Romenskaya breeds gain weight best and rush in the south, and for the Ural breed, suitable conditions are in a moderate, humid climate. The Romny breed got its name from the city of Romny, Sumy region of Ukraine.
Experienced farmers cross all breeds with Chinese ones to increase their egg production.
The goose farm business plan can be downloaded from the link: .
In addition to the stage of choosing a breed, it is also necessary to carry out:
Business is usually developed in two directions:
More experienced farmers combine both approaches to increase profits.
In addition to the standard registration of a legal entity in the form of individual entrepreneurship or a limited liability company, entrepreneurship in this area is subject to certification. To work according to the rules, you need to obtain many permits and certificates (some are issued free of charge, some for money).
They begin to coordinate the opening of the enterprise with Rospotrebnadzor and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and then the veterinary service:
There are strict requirements for goose farming, so it is necessary to purchase goslings exclusively from certified suppliers. The raised livestock must also undergo a veterinary check. Product samples are sent to laboratories to receive a quality certificate.
A barn, barn, or any other wooden structure with a height of one and a half to two meters is suitable for a poultry house for geese. There should be about 1 square meter per bird. m. of space. The beak and paws are not protected by warm plumage and need constant attention.
The temperature in the poultry house should not fall below +8ºС. To maintain dryness, the floor is covered with a thick layer of straw, and holes in the walls are completely sealed. One goose will require approximately 1 kg of hay.
The straw bedding is changed periodically, and the droppings are sold as fertilizer. To neutralize ammonia emissions, superphosphates are used, which are used to pre-treat the hay. To keep the birds from getting sick and looking good, you need to maintain cleanliness.
Also provide compartments for birds of different ages, aggressive geese and hens. To hatch eggs, you need to arrange nests with thick bedding and down. The geese should be separated by partitions so that they do not see each other and do not fight.
Equipment you will need:
A necessary condition for proper keeping of geese is a large pasture, fenced with a net, with a lake or other body of water. Birds that spend a lot of time outdoors, have access to water, gain weight well and lay eggs.
There is an important limitation on the location of the goose farm: you need to choose a place away from housing, since the herd creates a lot of noise and can be very aggressive.
Consider artificial feeding of young animals starting from the first days of life. At first, the interval between feedings is 2 hours, then they switch to six meals a day. The diet consists of:
It is important that after hatching the chicks are fed and watered as quickly as possible and that the food is moist but not sticky. To provide goslings with all the necessary nutrients, fish oil, yeast, potassium permanganate, bone meal, and vitamins are added to the feed. To prevent disease, antibiotic therapy can be administered at the age of 1 week and 1 month.
By the age of one month, goslings can already eat from adult feeders. In 2.5 months they eat about 30 kg of greens, 12 kg of grain, 3 kg of other additives. Weight gain during this period is 6-7 kg.
In summer, ducks and geese spend up to 90% of their time on pasture and eat up to 2 kg of grass per day. In winter, the usual diet is replaced by a third with sifted husks, oat chaff, hay flour, potatoes, beets and carrots. For each goose there should be 50-70 grams. vitamins During the breeding season, birds need to be fed frequently and in large quantities to increase egg laying.
Experts advise purchasing females and males from different producers to avoid family ties. Geese with a similar gene pool produce poor offspring.
The largest and most aggressive goose from the herd is selected for breeding. Signs of a good bird are:
Males can fertilize females for 8-10 years, with 3-5 geese per goose. To maintain the stock in excellent condition, it must be supplemented by about a third with new young birds.
The egg laying period is from late February to early March. To obtain a brood of the same age, the collected eggs are placed with the sharp end down in a dry room with a temperature of 7-13 degrees, where they can be stored for a month with constant turning.
After this, they are collected and placed in nests with hens. Until this moment, there is only one egg under the geese, which is removed when they are laid. The chicks hatch after a month, for which purpose they are sprinkled with water on the 28th day.
The quality must be controlled using an ovoscope device. Signs of a defective egg are:
During the season, the female hatches 4-5 goslings; when eggs are laid in the incubator, this figure increases 2-3 times. If you have 20 geese, you can breed a flock of 100 heads in one year.
Competition in this niche is low, so finding buyers is not difficult.
Goose meat and liver are in demand in catering establishments, mainly in restaurants. Goose meat is also sold wholesale to retail chains. Down and feathers are sent to workshops for the production of pillows and blankets. The fertilizer is sold to collective farms and dacha farms.
Main expense items:
You need to buy goslings of several breeds at a wholesale price. The cost of a three-day-old chick is from 20 rubles/piece, ready for fattening - five times more expensive.
Current costs include payment for heating and lighting of the poultry house, vaccinations, and administrative expenses. These costs are approximately 200,000 rubles per year.
The goose farm receives income from the sale of products and live birds. Goslings can be sold three days old, and a goose that is fattened and ready for slaughter gains the required weight by 3-4 months. Revenue per goose is:
| № | Name of product | Amount, rub. |
| 1 | Medium carcass | 1200 |
| 2 | Liver | 500 |
| 3 | Feathers and down | 30 |
| Total | 1730 | |
The big advantage of goose farming is that you do not need to slaughter the poultry in advance and store the meat. This is done as needed. The annual income of a farm with a population of a thousand geese can be 1-2 million rubles. The profitability of the business is 75-80%, and the payback period is from one to three years.
Video: breeding geese - where to start?
The goose is the first of the birds to become domesticated. Every year the number of people wishing to start breeding them increases.
Breeding geese at home for beginners is not too difficult a task, since these birds have a large degree of independence.
Geese are valuable for obtaining a variety of products:
Goose meat is darker due to the presence of a large number of blood vessels in the muscles. It contains: manganese, iron, zinc, microelements, amino acids, vitamins: A, C, B, B12.
Breeding geese is an interesting and profitable activity.
Is it profitable to raise geese? The following facts clearly demonstrate:
Goose breeding activities are profitable and not too labor-intensive.
Kholmogory is the oldest breed bred in the central regions of Russia
There are approximately 40 breeds of geese. Representatives of the breeds differ in size, constitution, color, and productivity.
Beneficial breeds of geese for breeding: Italian, Kuban, Toulouse, Legart, Gray. Individuals belonging to these breeds are characterized by:
Brief overview of some breeds:
Depending on the breed, geese lay 30-90 eggs per season.
Goose hatches eggs in a nest
Geese can be hatched either naturally (with the help of a hen) or artificially (using an incubator). Industrial breeding of geese is carried out on a large scale. However, there are also small (home) incubators.
You can buy both geese for breeding and eggs for incubation from farms. Before purchasing young animals and understanding exactly how to breed geese, you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the breed, the basics of feeding and maintenance.
First of all, you need to choose the right eggs and wait for the goose offspring.
How to correctly select specimens for incubation is suggested by a number of requirements for them:
Obesity in ganders reduces fertility rates in goose farming.
The following specimens are also considered substandard:
The eggs are placed in a ventilated place for up to 10 days, turning over three times during this time.
The goose expresses its readiness to lay by restless behavior. The eggs are laid around the beginning of April (February-May). One bird requires no more than 13 eggs for quality hatching. It will be difficult for her to heat a larger quantity.
For hatching, a nest should be equipped at a sufficient distance from the herd. The place should be quiet, dry, temperature – 15 degrees. If there are several hens, they must be separated by partitions. Feeding is carried out with selected grain. Hatching lasts 28-30 days.
At the end of this period, the eggs should be placed in a prepared box and illuminated with a lamp. When the chicks peck, return them to the goose.
The best option is to find the hatched chicks together with the hen.
If this is not possible, a dry, warm enclosure should be equipped for them.
During incubation, unusual situations may arise. Here are some of them.
If the maternal instinct is poorly developed or for other reasons, an alternative to natural incubation is the use of an incubator to produce offspring.
When reproducing by incubation, you should purchase:
A good hatching result in an incubator is considered to be 70%.
Step-by-step actions of incubation hatching:
On days 11 and 27, the clutches are inspected. If the dark spot of the embryo does not appear, the eggs are removed.
During the second examination, a dark solid mass means the death of the embryo.
The quality of the breeding stock is especially important on the farm. Replenishing the parent flock is a responsible matter. The best individuals need to be selected for it.
To do this, poorly developing specimens should be discarded in stages.
For optimal breeding, select three times more geese than ganders.
Care is not particularly difficult. For the development of immunity, housing conditions from the first days of chick development are important. It is important to take into account three component factors: features of the premises, feeding and care.
Firstly, the flock needs an appropriate room, which should have high-quality lighting, including the use of artificial sources. With a lack of light, egg production decreases.
Important requirements for the premises are cleanliness, dryness, and regularly replaced high-quality bedding (sawdust, shavings, straw).
Main elements of the home:
A corral should be set up near the premises. Along its walls, install boards with fresh bedding for laying eggs.
It would be useful to arrange a reservoir with regularly changed water. Breeders note a direct connection between wet plumage and the hatchability of goslings. Birds grow faster in the fresh air.
If necessary, disinfection is required. Area per bird: approximately 1 m².
The habitat of young animals should be reliably protected from visits by predatory animals (rats).
Geese eat food quite often due to their increased metabolism. The first feeding is carried out immediately after the chicks dry out. To stimulate, you can tap on the feeder, this helps attract them.
Within a month and a half after birth, meals should be 6-8 times a day. It includes different products:
From one month: Green food and grain are found. And also bone meal, shells, gravel. Small animals should be included in the food: frogs, worms, beetles. Peas that are pre-soaked for 10-12 hours and chopped are useful. Kids also love corn porridge. The drinking bowls are increasing. Bowls are recommended as mini-ponds. When raising young animals, new feed elements are introduced gradually in small volumes.
Lush grass and bathing water are a pleasure for geese and a growth stimulant.
Adult birds eat a lot of grass (up to 3 kg). As well as tops, root crops, mixed grains, silage. It is profitable to breed geese, as they happily eat leftover vegetables (beets, pumpkins, potatoes, carrots).
It is optimal to eat green grass directly from the meadow (nettle, clover, dandelions, sorrel, alfalfa), as well as algae.
Required equipment:
Important rule: To prevent water from freezing in winter, it is poured hot.
To protect against winter cold, good, insulated rooms without drafts are needed. A special flooring of up to 30 cm is installed on the floor. In summer, geese are comfortable in enclosures with canopies to protect them from sunlight and rain.
The optimal temperature for chicks is 28 degrees with a gradual decrease to 22. From 21 days of age, individuals adapt to natural conditions. The warmth of their plumage and fat layer save them from the vagaries of the weather. At temperatures up to 15 degrees below zero they feel comfortable.
Geese are not afraid of the cold, but of drafts!
Common diseases of geese: rickets, paratyphoid, aspergillosis, vitelline peritonitis, cholera, poisoning.
In general, geese are hardy. They walk in the fresh air in any weather, winter and summer. They are only in the goose barn at night. They are ready for independent grazing upon reaching 2 kg of live weight.
Geese love “water treatments.” Birds are well oriented, find food and their way home. To prevent them from flying away, their wings are clipped as adults.
Geese love space, walks, and movement.
With good care, geese gain weight from 100 grams of day-old chicks to 5-6 kg (some breeds up to 10) after 5 months. By 12 months the weight doubles.
Breeding geese is not a difficult and quite profitable activity in rural areas. Unpretentiousness in care, undemandingness in feed, natural walking conditions help strengthen their immunity and increase egg production.
Among all poultry, geese are the most independent. They will provide the breeder with juicy meat, goose fat, dietary liver, down and feathers not only for personal needs, but also for sale.
Along with chickens, which are kept not only by residents of rural areas, but also by ordinary summer residents, geese are also very popular as poultry. These birds easily adapt to various living conditions, are resistant to diseases and at the same time very smart, and, most importantly, quite unpretentious. Even beginners can cope with raising geese at home. At the same time, keeping geese is very profitable and is an excellent help for the family budget.
No matter how trite it may sound, the goose is a useful bird. This is one of the first feathered creatures to be domesticated by humans. Since then, geese have been serving people regularly. Legends, myths, interesting tales and exciting stories are associated with these birds. The most famous is about how geese saved Rome by cackling in time and thereby warning the Roman soldiers about the enemy invasion.
Geese are unpretentious birds to keep. If you provide them with a roof over their head in the form of a barn, and on a sunny day you take them out to pasture and give them the opportunity to swim in a pond, then they will repay you handsomely. As a result you will get:
By the way, people previously used goose feathers in everyday life - they were used as a means of writing. Nowadays, goose feathers can be used to create crafts and decorations.
Thanks to the work of breeders, there are quite a lot of geese breeds in our time - about 25. Birds differ in appearance, size, maintenance requirements, growing conditions, egg production and other characteristics. And newcomers to the world of poultry farming often wonder which breed to choose.
Geese breeds fall into three main categories:
The table below shows the main breeds of geese that are most often raised at home.
Table 1. Main breeds of geese for raising at home
| Breed | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| Belongs to a heavy breed of geese, native to 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, easy to care for. Raised for meat. Due to the white color of the feathers, the carcasses are very clean and beautiful, with an excellent presentation. The average weight of an adult goose is from 8 to 12 kg. The geese sit well on the eggs and do not abandon the nest. Goslings grow quickly - at 3 months the gosling already weighs about 4 kilograms. | |
| 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 viability are lower than those of the Lindov breed. The goslings are actively growing and quickly gaining weight: at 2.5 months the young bird reaches a body weight of 4.5 kg. An excellent breed for producing meat and liver. They are unpretentious in care: they don’t even need a body of water to feel normal. There are no problems feeding these birds either. | |
| A breed of geese belonging to the “medium-heavy” category. 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 quite quickly: at 2 months, the feathered babies already gain 4 kg of weight. The breed is used for meat and is also fattened to produce fatty liver. Geese do not sit very well on eggs, so it is not recommended for beginners to breed this breed on their own. | |
| A decorative breed of geese that was bred in Europe. The plumage is white or gray-white. A characteristic feature of the appearance is long curly feathers on the wings, tail, and back. Ribbon geese are small in size: the weight of adult birds ranges from 4.5 to 5.5 kg. Productive qualities are low. Geese of this breed are used to decorate personal plots. | |
| Refers to light geese. The name speaks for itself about the homeland of the breed - these geese were bred in the Krasnodar region. The color of the feathers is gray, sometimes with a brownish tint. Birds of this breed have a characteristic brown stripe on their backs – the so-called “strap”. The weight of an adult bird is about 4.5-6 kg. Egg production is quite high, but the geese's incubation instinct is poor. The bird is unpretentious and adapts well to any living conditions. | |
| White birds come from Italy. They appeared in Russia relatively recently, about 30-40 years ago. The bird is unpretentious to the conditions of its detention (the presence of a reservoir does not matter to it), the young quickly gain weight - at 2 months the goslings already weigh 4 kg. The brooding instinct of geese is well developed. Birds produce meat with excellent taste, and the small size of the carcass allows the bird to be used for smoking. They are also grown to produce fatty goose liver. |
So, having studied all the information about the most common breeds of geese, you have made your choice in favor of the one that you plan to purchase and place on your summer cottage. Now it’s time to buy young animals, which you will start raising. But here everything is not so simple: often unscrupulous sellers, trying to make money, sell mongrel goslings, and often even sick ones. Therefore, you need to approach the purchase of young animals with special care.
It is best to go buy goslings in the company of a person who is familiar with this bird first-hand: he will help you choose high-quality and healthy babies from which you will successfully raise a good bird. If such a person is not “at hand”, then follow these recommendations:
And now you are the happy owner of three, five, and maybe ten little yellow goslings. They are 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 a house for them in which they would live.
It is best to place the kids in a specially built goose barn. If this is not available, then a small shed will do. Before moving the young animals into it, the barn is cleaned and disinfected, the walls should preferably be whitewashed, and the floor covered with a 10-15 cm layer of straw. If it is still cold outside and you have already bought the goslings, then place them in the summer kitchen, where it is possible to warm up the room. By the way, goslings are kept in warm rooms until they reach the age of 15-20 days (the weather should also be warm outside by this time).
Temperature is very important: if the birds are cold, they will crowd together and crush each other, and they can also die from excessive heat. In order to make the goslings comfortable, poultry farmers recommend observing the following temperature regime:
| Age | Air temperature |
|---|---|
| 1-5 days | 28-27 degrees |
| 6-15 days | 26-24 degrees |
| 16-20 days | 23-18 degrees |
The room for babies should have drinking bowls and feeders. To avoid dampness, install drinkers on grates, under which there is a container such as a baking tray to collect spilled water.
Small goslings should not be kept in a crowd - they can overwhelm each other if there are too many of them: divide the room into separate compartments. About 10 goslings up to 3 weeks old can live peacefully on 1 square meter. Moreover, in hot weather, the number of goslings in the same area should be reduced by 1.5 times.
You can let goslings outside for a while from the first days of life, if the air temperature outside is high enough. Birds are gradually accustomed to walking. It is best to walk them in an aviary so that birds of prey do not get to them. As soon as the warm weather finally settles in, take the geese out to pasture where they can nibble on grass. From 45 days you can visit water bodies with the goslings.
Very young goslings are fed millet or oatmeal porridge with the addition of finely chopped boiled eggs or cottage cheese. After 3-4 days, crushed 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 grated on a fine grater and given 5 times a day. A mixture of porridge, carrots, herbs and cottage cheese is called “mash”; goslings love it very much. It is given to babies 5-6 times a day. The mash should be crumbly, soft, but not watery.
Experts advise purchasing goslings in the spring-summer period, when nature dresses in its green attire: during this period there are plenty of natural pastures 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, kids like nettle, dandelion, sorrel, and sow thistle.
Goslings can be slaughtered for meat as early as 70 days of age - by this time they have already gained quite a lot of weight. If you have missed time and the goslings have outgrown this age, then you need to start slaughtering in 60-70 days, when the growth of new feathers has finished.
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