Tips for raising geese in a small household. Geese in the household: the basics of growing, feeding and breeding for beginners

Geese are one of the most popular types of poultry for breeding and keeping at home. They grow quickly and gain weight, and do not require complex care or expensive feeding.

In nature, the goose is a waterfowl migratory bird, so flocks settle near bodies of water rich in aquatic vegetation, as well as in floodplain meadows with lush tall grass.

The room for geese should be dry and ventilated, but without drafts. The area required for an adult bird is at least a square meter per head. Geese are not afraid of frosts down to minus 10, and some breeds even lower. At the same time, they do not tolerate heat well; if there is a lot of crowding in the summer months, illness and death of the birds is possible.

If you follow these rules, keeping geese is not particularly difficult; it is enough to feed them grain feed twice a day, add bedding and monitor the cleanliness of the water. With this care, by two and a half months you can get a marketable carcass weighing more than 4 kg.

In the summer, geese can be successfully raised not only in a personal backyard, but also in a country house, even in the absence of pasture. You just need to provide them with a spacious walk with access to water and give them fresh grass daily as top dressing.

Breeds of geese for home breeding

The choice of breed depends on the requirements for the bird. Most often, geese are kept for their meat; some breeds, in addition, provide easily digestible fat and large and very tasty liver, used for preparing delicacies. Breeds characterized by high egg production are bred to produce not only meat, but also table eggs.

Down is also considered a by-product of geese breeding - it is used to stuff pillows, feather beds, blankets and winter clothing.

In addition, when choosing a breed, you should focus on the conditions of its maintenance, temperature conditions and the method of raising young animals - an incubator or a brood hen. Having studied all these nuances, it is easy to choose a breed of geese that is suitable for specific conditions and meets all the needs of the poultry farmer.

A brief description of the breeds is given in the table.

Where to start: eggs or young animals?

Help: the price of hatching eggs and young animals of different breeds can vary greatly, so when planning a livestock it is worth checking the current prices in your region.

It is sometimes difficult for a novice poultry farmer to decide where to start breeding geese. Prices for hatching eggs are usually much lower than for grown goslings, and at first it seems that by purchasing an egg they will save a lot.

Hatching egg of a goose of the "Large Gray" breed

However, it is worth taking into account such indicators as the percentage of goslings hatching and mortality in the first few days. Even experienced poultry farmers may have hatch rates of 80% or less. Beginner poultry farmers sometimes hatch no more than half of what was originally put into the incubator, so sometimes it’s better not to risk it and buy two- to three-week-old goslings.

In addition, independent hatching of birds involves the purchase of an incubator. These costs are reasonable for large planned livestock and further maintenance of poultry per breed. In this case, it is more convenient to buy breeding bird eggs from nurseries that have proven themselves among poultry farmers. Eggs are easier to transport over long distances, they are less demanding on temperature during transportation and allow you to regulate the timing of hatching.

Hatching eggs in an incubator

For successful hatching of young animals, careful selection of hatching eggs is necessary, including external examination, weighing and testing with an ovoscope. Upon external examination pay attention to the following signs:

• shape and size of the egg - elongated, small and too large eggs are rejected;
• no damage or cracks on the shell;
• absence of contamination that can cause infections and death.

Most poultry farmers do not recommend washing eggs before incubation, but they can be disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate or under an ultraviolet lamp.

It is not necessary to weigh the eggs; just sort them by size. But for a better result, you can weigh them on an electronic scale and compare the result with the requirements for different breeds

Checking with an ovoscope must be carried out. This device will help identify the following shortcomings:

• incorrectly located or movable yolk - normally it should be located in the center of the vertical axis, be slightly shifted towards the blunt end, and move slower when turning and rocking;
• the yolk should not have damage to the shell and mix with the white;
• the air chamber is incorrectly located - it should be small and located on the side of the blunt end of the egg;
• there should be no blood clots or dark spots inside;
• There should be no veins or uneven thickness on the shell.

Any of these signs is a reason to reject the egg, since it will not hatch into a full-fledged chick.

After inspection and testing, the eggs are placed in the incubator. Its design may be different, and its functionality may vary greatly. Incubators, depending on the model, are equipped with automatic temperature and humidity maintenance, rotation and ventilation functions.

For home hatching, birds usually purchase semi-automatic, inexpensive models that require more attention: only the temperature is automatically maintained in them, and the humidity has to be set using special tanks filled with water. In some models, you also need to turn the eggs manually.

Before starting incubation, it is a good idea to understand the operating mode of the device, check the stability of maintaining temperature and humidity, and also provide an additional power source in case of a power outage.

Incubation of goose eggs takes 30 days, and it must be done using a certain technology.

1. Before laying the tested eggs, it is necessary to warm up the incubator for two to three hours and set it to the desired humidity - 70%.
2. The eggs are placed on a special grill for goose eggs and placed in the incubator.
3. In the first few hours, the temperature is maintained at 38-38.5ºC, then it is reduced to 37.8ºC and maintained at this level until the fourth week of incubation.
4. On days 8-9, the eggs are briefly removed one at a time from the incubator and checked again with an ovoscope. They should not show the defects mentioned above; in addition, the first signs of embryo development should appear - the threads of the circulatory system and the embryo itself in the form of a shadow. If the appearance of the egg has not changed in 8-9 days, then it is not viable, there is no point in putting it back into the incubator.
5. The regime throughout the incubation process is maintained in accordance with the regime indicated in the table, not forgetting to turn the eggs.

Goose egg hatching mode.

Feeding young animals from the first day to three weeks

Hatched or acquired day-old goslings are placed in a special compartment - a brooder, where the temperature is maintained in accordance with their age, and feeders and drinkers are also placed.

The area of ​​the room must be at least 0.1 m² for each individual, that is, no more than a dozen goslings can be placed per square meter. If this requirement is not met, weak goslings cannot approach the feeder or drinker and gradually weaken even more.

Feeding goslings in the first days of life
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The main condition in the first days of life of the chicks is maintaining the temperature regime. It must correspond to that shown in the table.

Further, the temperature can be maintained within the same limits until the feathers grow, after which the geese become less susceptible to the cold. The temperature can be maintained using a heating pad, infrared heaters or a convector, while it is also necessary to monitor the humidity, which should be within 66-75%.

It is equally important to feed the goslings properly. In the first week, the chicks are fed at least 6-7 times, optimally every three hours. It is most convenient to feed goslings with starter feed - it has a balanced composition and includes all the necessary elements. You can replace the feed with homemade feed, consisting of a finely crushed mixture of wheat, corn, peas, buckwheat and oatmeal.

The feed is given in the form of a moistened mash, crumbly, but under no circumstances sticky, otherwise the goslings' sinuses become clogged and they may die.

From the third day, a boiled chopped egg, cottage cheese, finely chopped greens - clover, nettle, alfalfa - are introduced. The ratio of protein and herbal supplements to the grain part of the feed should be equal. From the age of one week, goslings can be gradually accustomed to boiled root vegetables, chopped to a size convenient for the chicks.

There must be constant access to clean and warm water. It is best to use automatic drinkers that prevent contamination and spillage of water onto the litter. Additionally, for better growth and development, it is necessary to place a feeder with fine gravel, chalk and shell rock in the brooder.

Upon reaching a week of age, in dry and warm weather, the goslings are gradually accustomed to walks, starting with half an hour a day and increasing the time by 0.5-1 hour daily. Two-week-old goslings in the summer can stay outside all daylight hours.

The selection of young animals for intensive fattening or breeding is carried out at three weeks of age, after which they are separated. The parent flock is transferred to a poultry house with an area of ​​at least 1 m² per head; fattening geese can be kept in a denser scheme - 4 heads per meter.

Intensive fattening of geese

For early slaughter, geese are kept without walking and fed without restrictions with high-quality compound feed with the addition of fresh herbs, the feed ratio is equal. The feed contains crushed grain, sunflower cake, peas or beans, and bran. Table salt, chalk, and shells must be added to it. The grass is mowed daily in the morning, giving it to the geese right in the holding room. The amount of grass may not be limited.

With this feeding, by 70 days of keeping the geese reach a marketable weight corresponding to the breed and are subject to slaughter. It takes about 12 kg of mixed feed and 25 kg of grass-fed green feed to fatten one individual.

Maintenance of broodstock

To create a parent flock, families are formed consisting of one gander and three geese. The composition of the family often remains unchanged, so it is necessary to take into account the nature of the bird and their peaceful coexistence. Fights lead to deterioration in egg production, diseases and injuries, so it is better to transfer a bird that “doesn’t belong in the yard” to fatteners, no matter how promising it may seem.

In the poultry house, it is necessary to create all the conditions for maintaining the parent flock - sufficient area, thick dry litter, absence of drafts. In secluded places at some distance from each other, nests are placed - wooden boxes with hay.

The geese are provided with adequate nutrition, exercise and constant access to water. The diet of the broodstock is somewhat different from that of the finishing stock. During the unproductive period - in summer - pasture maintenance is recommended. High consumption of green feed is beneficial for two reasons:

• ganders and geese do not get fat and maintain reproduction;
• they are saturated with vitamins and minerals necessary for fertilization, laying and incubation of eggs.

Combined feed is fed to geese when there is a lack of pasture or poor grass cover, usually in the evenings - this ensures that the geese return from the pasture at the same time. If it is not possible to let the geese out to pasture, they are provided with a sufficient amount of green grass, and feeding is done twice a day: in the morning with wet mash, and in the evening with crushed grain feed.

Feeding geese in winter - photo

Closer to the beginning of the productive period, the diet of the ganders is changed. For high-quality fertilization, it is necessary to include sprouted oats in his diet - 100 grams per gander, and also increase the proportion of grain in the diet to 60-80%. It is also necessary to include up to 20% of plant-based feed in the diet.

Before laying begins, geese begin to occupy the prepared nests, become restless, and sometimes conflicts arise. They usually begin to lay eggs in January-February, when daylight begins to arrive. It is necessary to inspect the nests daily; geese lay eggs more often in the morning, once every two to three days.

Goose in the nest - photo

Eggs must be removed from the nest in a timely manner, especially at sub-zero temperatures. Eggs intended for hatching are marked with a soft pencil, putting the goose number and date. It is not recommended to store eggs for hatching for more than 10 days, and if much more time remains before the planned laying, it is better to eat them.

Natural hatching of goslings

If there is a broodstock, eggs are usually hatched naturally, with the geese taking all care of the eggs themselves. Hatching in an incubator, along with incubation, is practiced for certain breeds that do not differ in parental instinct, as well as in cases where the goose does not sit on the nest.

Choosing good hens is simple: just put several eggs in her nest in advance, not intended for hatching, and watch her reaction. If she sits on a nest, and when a person appears, she does not leave, but begins to drive him away, flapping her wings and making threatening sounds, then she is ready to become a good hen.

After drying, the first hatched chicks are placed in a box under a lamp, the temperature there should be about 28ºC. As soon as all the goslings hatch, they are returned to the hen; at the same time, the chicks obtained by incubation can be added.

Maintaining the size of the parent flock

To ensure that the productivity of the herd does not decline over time, it is necessary to regularly update it. This is usually done once a year, culling unproductive geese and geese, as well as nervous, conflict-prone birds. They replenish their numbers at the expense of young animals, selecting them based on weight gain, character and genetic indicators.

Breeding geese from a hobby can develop into a home business, especially with a responsible approach to the choice of breed, maintenance and breeding work, as many poultry farmers have become convinced of this, starting with a small number taken for fattening, and over time expanding the poultry house to the limits of a mini-farm.

Video - Caring for geese at home

Video - Breeding geese

Geese always have a special place among farmers as poultry. Unlike chickens and quails, they are bred not for food eggs, but for the purpose of obtaining tasty meat. The properties of the original product are far from dietary, but it is still highly valued for its juiciness and richness in microelements. A goose carcass accumulates a large amount of B12, zinc, iron, and amino acids, which are important in the fight against viruses.

To ensure that the meat does not lose its benefits, the birds must be kept correctly. Questions about arranging a poultry house, feeding, choosing a breed and breeding are especially relevant for beginning breeders.

Usually, at the start of a “goose” business, hybrids that attract attention are unpretentious, early ripening and have little disease. Factories recommend recruiting livestock from one species or breeds capable of crossing without loss of performance.

Geese are bred to produce tasty meat.

Based on these characteristics, a list of recommended geese for beginners has been compiled:

In order to obtain meat, it is recommended for beginners to keep Legart, Linda or Toulouse geese. For mixed production and large-scale sale of livestock, Chinese and Large gray individuals are suitable. Both of these breeds are often crossed with the Italian for better growth of young animals.

Separately, it is worth noting the Arzamas and Tula breeds. These geese are very aggressive and hardy. They are taken by farmers who organize bird fights. They are rarely bred for meat and eggs, but in competitions they have no equal.

Raising geese at home most often begins with the acquisition of young animals. It is easier to determine health status and breed by chicks than by eggs. You should prepare carefully for your purchase so as not to run into the tricks of unscrupulous sellers.

Initially, you need to study information about the selected cross, find out what a purebred gosling should look like, how to distinguish a female from a male.

At the second stage, behavior is observed. A full-fledged gosling stands firmly on its legs, behaves actively, reacts to sounds and movements. The eyes sparkle and follow objects. It is better to pay attention to slightly older individuals (5-7 days old). Those who are too young get scared quickly, cope less well with moving, and are more likely to die.

The third step will be visual acquaintance. The color of the chick's down must correspond to the breed standard, be soft and even. Bald spots, remains of stuck shells and moisture from feathers are excluded.

The umbilical cord of a healthy chick is completely healed, without crusts or pus. The cloaca is clean, without discharge or dirt. The belly is not sagging, the beak is without discharge or chips, the nostrils are clean, air passes freely.

The last important step will be consultation about vaccinations according to age and documented verification of this fact. If there are no problems on all counts, the goslings are transported to a new home in a box with bedding. For the first time, it is enough to buy 3, 5 or 10 heads.

Where to buy goslings

It is better to choose farms, clubs or breeders for purchase based on recommendations. In markets, the risk of acquiring a sick and unpedigreed chick or the wrong egg is much higher. Many sellers are willing to ship chicks and hatching eggs by rail.

The living space for new residents should be prepared in advance. For the first 2-3 days they can be kept in boxes, but then they will need to be moved to a small barn or given an isolated pen in a common poultry house.

The place should be away from pets and protected from rodents. The living area is lined with straw. Feeders and drinkers are placed on grates with a tray to avoid harmful dampness.

The temperature regime is observed depending on age:

• up to 5 days – 28C;
• from 6 to 15 days – 26C with a gradual decrease to 24C;
• from 16 to 20 days – 23C;
• from 21 days – 18-20C.

From day 40, during the summer season and good weather, they try to transfer them to natural conditions for walking.

Meals for the first days - every 3 hours with a gradual transition to 4-5 times. Until the 21st day, goslings are given crumbly grain porridge with a small amount of water. Add chopped herbs, chopped eggs, grated carrots.

Then there is a gradual transition to an adult diet. It is good to provide the opportunity to eat pasture from the 3rd week of life. If walking begins before the 40th day, it is limited to half an hour and human presence is required to ensure protection from large birds and predators.

The bedding is changed every day. Layer – 10-15 cm.

Before moving in, the poultry house is disinfected and its walls are whitewashed. A fenced-in warm corner in a summer kitchen or room may work for up to 2 weeks.

There should be a lot of light. It is better to have a window nearby for daylight, and put lamps in the evening. The first 10 days require almost round-the-clock lighting. Then it is reduced to 18 hours.

Drafts and stuffiness are unacceptable in the poultry house. Goslings may catch a cold or crush each other in an attempt to stay warm. Heat is no less harmful to a fragile body. The acceptable population density before 21 days is 10 animals per 1 sq.m., after 21 days - 5 or 6 individuals per 1 sq.m.

Important. Cages for goslings are prohibited. For healthy development, they need to exercise a lot.

Domestic geese: maintenance and care

Adult geese should also not have drafts, excess moisture or stuffiness in their place of residence. The floor of the poultry house may not be lined so abundantly, but thick litter will be a plus during the egg-laying period. For laying hens, nests should be arranged on boards 30 cm from the floor.

They can be from a basket, box, wooden frame. Size 40 by 60 cm, the bottom is covered with straw and sawdust, for easy lifting the mother is supported by an inclined board.

All cracks in the room must be sealed, doors are tightly closed, and the roof is protected from leaks. It is advisable to raise the floor 20 cm from the ground. The straw flooring is replaced 1-2 times a week depending on the condition. The temperature in the poultry house is 10-16C. Daylight hours - 14 hours.

Ventilation is carried out regularly, and artificial heating and light are used if necessary. Population density – maximum 2 heads per 1 sq.m.

In the goose barn, a special space is organized for drinking bowls, feeders and baths. Their role is usually played by wooden troughs of different sizes. Perch boards with nests are placed against the opposite wall so that the birds do not get confused.

To inspect eggs, it is advisable to purchase an ovoscope. You can organize a burger in the common area. Burder is a large wooden cabinet with a grid, separate lighting and heating. It is good because the little goslings do not have to look for additional place to stay, but the right conditions will be provided.

Walking begins when individuals reach a weight of 2 kg. When using a limited pen, there are at least 8 linear meters per individual. Adult geese can graze freely because they easily find their way home. The site should be densely sown with grass and meadow flowers.

It is good to have a pond nearby, but it can be replaced with several outdoor troughs with water or an artificially dug ditch. The wings of the individuals are slightly trimmed to prevent the geese from flying away. In warm weather, birds can sleep outside.

In winter, peat is added to the litter to better retain heat under the paws. If the room temperature drops below +5C, heaters are installed. The flooring is thickened. It is advisable to insulate windows and doors.

Experienced farmers recommend making vestibules so that the birds can come out to breathe if they feel stuffy, and when food is brought in, the cold air does not create a draft. You also need to hang brooms of steamed dried grass for feeding. Water and food are given warm.

In summer, sand and pebbles are added to the poultry house litter to better clean the paws. Birds spend more time outside, so a shelter from rain and sun will be required in the enclosure. Water should be available for bathing and drinking at different points on the street.

The water in the room is changed more often to prevent it from fading. They feed in the morning and evening. During the day, birds get food themselves.

The main food for geese of any breed is grain of barley, wheat, millet, peas, corn, bran in dry form and in the form of wet mash. Boiled chopped beets, potatoes, carrots, and a little cabbage must be added to the porridge.

Fresh herbs, hawthorn, rowan and rosehip berries are mixed into the dry grain. For winter, herbs and vegetables are prepared in dried form. The food is slightly salted, sprinkled with chalk, shell rock, and meat and bone meal. They also serve boiled small fish.

To increase the growth rate, industrial feed can be used. They are soaked with porridge at lunch or given dry in the morning with plenty of greens and water. Dry grain is recommended in the evening.

An incubator can be used to hatch chicks from scratch or when collecting eggs from laying hens. The device significantly increases the percentage of hatching and normal development of embryos.

Eggs are collected no later than 10 days. The incubator is heated to 39C for 3-4 hours, then the temperature is lowered to 37.8C and the egg is placed inside. They take eggs of the correct shape, do not wash them, but spray them with a disinfectant made from a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Eggs are turned 6 to 8 times a day. Every 15 days, ventilate the incubator by opening the lid for 10 minutes. In the last 2-3 days before hatching, the temperature is reduced to 37.5C. Incubation duration is 30 days.

Many diseases are treated with antibiotics or other drugs. But there are some that are beyond the capabilities of veterinarians. Prevention of any disease - maintaining sanitation, timely vaccinations.

Knowing tips from “experienced” people will help make raising geese more enjoyable and productive:

• There should not be more than 3-4 females per 1 goose;
• geese hatch only 5 eggs, so it is better to take a smaller number for storage and add it later, or immediately place it in an incubator;
• The ideal weight for slaughter is 5-6 kg, the rest is excess fat;
• Geese often lay eggs from 2 years of age, only some breeds lay eggs from 5 months;
• lack of walking is a costly option, since the amount of feed will have to be greatly increased even in the summer;
• Young animals are added every year in the amount of 20-30% of the existing herd.

We offer you to watch a video in which a farmer tells how to start breeding and keeping geese at home.

Breeding geese at home, at your own dacha or on a farm, provides the breeder with ample earning opportunities. Keeping geese will not be difficult even for beginners. These birds are unpretentious in food, do not require special attention and care, and are characterized by high productivity.

Geese meat and feathers are very popular

From them we obtain meat with dietary properties, egg products and offal (liver), down and feathers. In a dacha or garden plot, you can raise a family of up to five heads, weighing up to six kilograms. By autumn, breeders receive up to 60 kg of meat products from each female.

Breed and productivity

Currently, approximately 40 species of this bird are bred in the world. It is recommended to start breeding geese by selecting a breed. Among the popular ones, breeders name:

• Arzamas: meat type, gander - 7-8, goose - 6-7 kilograms, egg weight - 170 grams. It is characterized by unpretentiousness, vitality and precocity.
• Chinese: a gander weighs 5, and a goose weighs 4 kilograms. High egg production (weight 120 g), endurance.
• Toulouse: inactive, adapted for living in cages, grows poorly on pastures. The weight of the gander is 12, and that of the geese is 10 kg. Fatty liver weighs up to a kilogram. Egg production – up to 40 pieces weighing 200 g annually.
• Gorky: meat and egg variety of white color, male weight - 7-8, geese - 6-7, bring up to 45 pieces of egg production. Females have a weakened brooding instinct.
• Italian: gander weight – up to 7, goose – up to 6 kg. They are bred for meat and liver (up to 7%).
• Large gray: male weight - from 7 to 9.5, female - from 6 to 7 kilograms. Meat breed, suitable for fattening for fatty liver, does without a pond. Geese are used as hens.
• Kholmogorskaya: male weight - from 8 to 12, female - from 7 to 9 kilograms. Young animals at two months of age weigh 4 kilograms at the time of slaughter. High growth, early maturity, friendly and calm character. Unpretentious to living conditions.
• Tula: bred for meat and for decorative purposes, a former fighting breed. A gander weighs up to 6, a goose weighs up to 5.6 kg, and an egg weighs 150 grams.

The Tula goose can reach 6 kg in weight

On average, one sexually mature specimen brings to the breeder (in kilograms):

• meat – 6 (at two months of age – up to 4.5);
• fat – up to 2.5;
• offal (delicious liver);
• down and feathers (which retain heat and keep water out).

Productivity indicators vary depending on the breed.

Conditions

Keeping geese in a country house or farm requires compliance with conditions that are determined by the breeding season - all year round or only during the warm period. The area of ​​the room depends on the number, when there is a square meter per head. If it is kept all year round, then take care of heating the room (temperature not lower than 10 degrees). In the summer, the flock is left outside and you do not need to care for it.

Geese require minimal care in summer

Winter bedding is made from straw, peat, wood shavings or sunflower husks. Summer - made of sand or sawdust.

Caring for geese is reduced if there is a pond with running water and rich vegetation near the place of keeping. Under these conditions, feed consumption decreases. An artificially created pond or container helps. Sow cereal crops in fenced grazing areas. For the pen, allocate a covered room with access to the water, a clay floor and blank end walls. In winter frosts, the herd is still allowed outside.

The presence of a pond greatly simplifies caring for geese

Diet

In the summer, feeding geese is based on forbs growing in the meadows for grazing. In winter, they are given dry alfalfa and clover, harvested before the flowering period. They are fed bran and grains (wheat, corn).

Compound feed with the addition of vegetables (fodder beets, potatoes, carrots, etc.) is used. Ground berry crops (viburnum, rowan, rose hips, etc.) are added to food.

By eating this way, they quickly gain weight. For fattening, they are additionally given grains a couple of times a day (35 g each). For the last two weeks they have been kept in cages (when kept at a dacha or farm), not allowed out for walks, and fed with steamed grain up to four times daily. They are sent for slaughter at two months of age and weighing 4 kilograms or more. During the growth stage of new plumage, it is better to wait until three months of age until this period ends.

Proper feeding and maintenance of geese in the winter at a dacha or farm guarantees productivity even with the short egg-laying period for which these birds are famous. In cold weather, 130-160 grams of a mixture of grain and flour are given per head, bean hay - 100-150 grams, root vegetables - up to half a kilogram.

Wheat and other cereals are the basis of the geese’s diet

Breeding

Puberty occurs at 8-10 months. In the second year, egg production increases to twenty percent. For this, make a nest from wood materials with dimensions of 50 by 75 cm (one for 2-3 heads). The nests are periodically cleaned. The period of intensive oviposition lasts three years, in exceptional cases – up to four years.

To form goose families for keeping in the country, first select strong, healthy, well-built goslings.

After two months, an assessment is made of the rate and intensity of growth and other external indicators (feather condition, constitution). Males with a weight that exceeds the average weight by ten percent are allowed; females have a weight not lower than average. When the birds are 4 months old, breeders make a final assessment of the flock. This is how the parent herd is formed.

The parent herd is formed from the best representatives of the herd

Maintain the proportions of specimens by age:

• over a year old – 26%;
• over two years old – 24%;
• over three years old – 23%;
• young animals – 27%.

There are three times more female representatives than ganders. Breeders select a family of two or three females for one male. Several such associations make up a herd. Geese breeding allows ganders to stay in the same pen as long as they are not aggressive towards each other.

If you don’t know where to start breeding geese at home, then place nests on the floor 30 days before egg laying.

Choose a place hidden from light where there are no drafts. A clean straw flooring is placed on the bottom. Oviposition begins at the end of winter and lasts until May. Feeding geese during the breeding period includes oat sprouts (100 g per head) or a mixture of ground grain (80%) and animal food (20%). Do not overfeed so that this does not affect the fertility of the livestock.

Before she starts laying eggs (in the morning, once every two days), the expectant mother is worried. If the temperature is below zero, remove the eggs and place them in a ventilated room (for no more than 10 days). If they are stored longer, turn them every few days.

Goose eggs should be kept indoors in winter.

Incubation

Raising geese at home is carried out naturally (incubation of eggs by a goose). Another option is breeding offspring using incubators. Eggs selected for this purpose:

• fertilized (candling after a week) - at least 87 percent;
• with the hatchability of goslings (determined by the ratio of the emerging young to the initial number of egg-laying animals - at least 65 percent);
• not contaminated with excrement.

• with the presence of a double or moving yolk;
• irregular outlines;
• with cracks and other defects in the shell;
• with translucent blood clots;
• the air chamber is too large or incorrectly positioned.

The temperature in the incubator is maintained at 37.5-37.7 degrees. At lower rates, the embryos are delayed in development, and the young hatch weak. If you increase the heating, this will speed up growth at first, but then the chicks appear small and sickly. Maintain air humidity of 60-65 percent: dryness causes dehydration of the embryos, and the inner membrane dries out.

The humidity in the incubator must be maintained at least 60%

Air exchange in goose eggs is 12 times more intense than in chicken eggs. Ventilation in the incubator protects the embryos from oxygen starvation.

Periodic turning will ensure uniform heating and prevent the embryo from sticking to the walls.

After two weeks and until the end of incubation, the temperature drops to 29-30 degrees for half an hour once a day. This will remove excess heat. The chicks will hatch within a month of starting.

Incubation period

When the egg-laying stage comes to an end, the birds pluck out their down and line the nest with it. It is better if the breeder chooses an older specimen as a hen. If the female is young, she is checked first. She is experimentally given unfertilized eggs and left alone for three days. The goose passes the test if it does not leave the nest during this time and drives the person away with hissing.

In this case, it is left to incubate in the same place. 11-13 eggs are placed under it. If several hens are together, they are separated from the rest of the herd and from each other so that they do not get nervous and fight. They leave the nest to eat and drink.

Geese incubate their eggs and breed their offspring on their own.

While incubation is in progress, inspect the clutch twice: after a week and a half and after three weeks. The light ones, without an embryo visible through the light, remain unfertilized and are removed. Specimens with a dead embryo are also removed, which during the first inspection appears as dark circles, and during the second as a dark spot.

When the female begins to worry, this means that the chicks are about to hatch.

If you are breeding a breed heavier than 6 kg (such as the Kholmogory), then remove the eggs from under the hen 2 days before the young are born. The goslings appear one after another, and it is better to place each of them in a box with a temperature of 26-28 degrees until all of them hatch. Afterwards, the brood is returned to the mother (with the addition of other one-day-old goslings).

Raising young specimens

If hatching goslings using an incubator or as a result of natural hatching is not possible in a country house or garden plot, then breeders purchase one-day-old young animals from farmers who breed these birds. Create a temperature of 26-28 degrees until the fifth day, from the sixth to the tenth day reduce it to 24-22, then over the next days - to 22-15. Allow enough space for each head to avoid crowding. Breeding geese at home requires an area of ​​one square meter for 10 one-month-old specimens or 4 two-month-old ones.

One goose can lead up to 25 goslings

If the brood returns to the mother to care for the offspring, then do this in the evening. See if she has accepted all the chicks. At the same time, give her the young from another egg laying. An experienced female leads up to 20-25 heads of young animals, a young one – 12.

Monitor the temperature to prevent it from rising and the cleanliness of cages or other areas. From three weeks of age, heating is not needed. Provide ventilation. The lighting continues around the clock for the first week, then for 17 hours. Pay attention to painful specimens.

If the chick has trouble standing on his feet, tie his limbs loosely with braid until he learns.

Care

To raise a healthy flock, change the water every day. Feeding of geese begins from the day they are born. During the first week, food is given up to 7 times a day; some breeders feed the chicks after three hours. The diet includes mixed feed or a mixture of crushed grains of wheat, peas, buckwheat and other cereals. Chopped boiled yolk and white, cottage cheese are added to it. Greens (nettle or clover) are also finely chopped there with a ratio of 1 to 1. Give the birds boiled frogs, insects, and worms.

Geese need walks

Birds need movement, for which they are given pastures. You can start releasing them into the open air from the first days of life. When it's windy or rainy, leave them at home. In the second and third weeks of age, the young flock spends the entire day outside (only bring them indoors at night).

After a few days, boiled vegetables and cakes appear on the menu. Small pebbles are poured into the feeder nearby. Crushed chalk and shells are given as additives.

Young animals are released outside from a week of age for half an hour, gradually increasing the walking time. From two weeks onwards, the stay on the street lasts the whole day.

Raising geese for meat involves intensive feeding of three-week-old specimens without going outside, in cages. This diet contains mixed feed and fresh green food in a ratio of 1 to 1. They give a grain mixture of two shares of crushed wheat and one each of bran, beans and cake, with mineral additives - crushed shells, crushed chalk, table salt.

If you properly care for the livestock, then even in small plots at your dacha you will be able to raise a well-fed herd. It quickly gains weight, for which you will need to give plenty of food and monitor the conditions of detention. Then by the slaughter season you will receive meat, fatty liver, down and feathers.

Today, many owners of dachas and country houses raise poultry in their backyards. Along with chickens and ducks, geese have become very popular. These birds quickly adapt to any conditions and are very unpretentious in care, so raising geese at home for beginners will not be difficult. To always have tasty goose meat on the table, and even sell it, it is enough to follow the recommendations of experienced poultry farmers.

Breed selection

Thanks to breeders, today there are about twenty-five breeds of geese, which differ in size, appearance and maintenance requirements. The following breeds are most popular among farmers:

Gallery: breeds of domestic geese (25 photos)

Raising geese in summer

Only in summer, poultry is raised mainly in summer cottages. For this purpose, meat breeds are used that are characterized by rapid early maturity. So that over the summer the geese have gained the required weight, they need to be properly cared for and fed.

It is not necessary to build a permanent poultry house for the summer period. The herd can be kept in a barn or a mobile building can be built from available materials. It will only be needed to protect birds from cold nights and precipitation. During the day, geese should graze in a fenced walking area.

The area of ​​the walking yard directly depends on the number of geese in the flock:

• for one adult individual, 15 square meters are needed. meters of area;
• 5 square meters is enough for young animals. meters per head;
• one gosling under two months of age will need 1 sq. meter of site.

It is advisable that perennial grasses grow on the site, which the birds will nibble to obtain food and vitamins. Even ravines and wetlands can be used for walking geese. It’s good if there is a pond or lake near the site. If there is no reservoir, a trough with water is brought into the yard. Goslings begin to be released outside at the age of 7 to 10 days.

To engage in goose farming seriously, it is necessary to study in detail all the nuances of keeping geese both in winter and summer. For raising poultry In winter, the barn will need to be insulated and equipped with special equipment.

Poultry house requirements:

The poultry house must be equipped with drinkers, feeders and nests in which the geese will lay eggs. Metal containers are installed for wet food, and wooden boxes or troughs can be used for grain and mineral feed. There must be a feeder with shells, bone meal and eggshells in the house.

Birds need daily in clean water, for which a drinking bowl 2 meters long is installed for every ten heads. It is recommended to install drinkers so that birds cannot overturn them. Otherwise, the litter will be wet all the time.

The number of nests depends on the number of geese. For two females, one nest will be enough, which is installed in the darkest corner of the barn. The geese must get used to the nests, so they are made and installed a month and a half before laying. The approximate size of the nest is 0.5 × 0.65 × 0.65 m. Boxes made of plywood or wood, or wicker baskets can be used as nests.

In winter, on warm days, the herd can also be released for walking, after removing the snow from the yard.

Feeding

In order for individuals to gain weight well and quickly, they must be fed properly. Geese raised for meat are fed with compound feed, to which fodder beets, potatoes, carrots and other vegetables are added. You can also add ground viburnum, rowan, rose hips. In the cold season, each individual should eat about 130 g of a mixture of flour, up to 150 g of bean hay and 0.5 kg of root vegetables.

In summer, poultry receives vitamins from grass growing on the pasture. During the flowering period, alfalfa and clover should be harvested, which are added to food in winter.

To fatten the geese, they are fed grain twice a day. During each feeding, one individual should eat 35 grams of grain. Two weeks before slaughter, the bird is fed 4 times a day with steamed grain. During this period, the herd is not allowed to walk and is kept in cages.

Geese breeding

Sexual maturity in geese occurs at the age of 8 to 10 months. To breed geese at home, families are placed in a separate pen, which should consist of one large gander and three geese. If the ganders treat each other is not aggressive, then several families can be placed in one pen.

Egg laying usually occurs at the end of February, so the flock should be fed intensively at this time. To do this, in the morning and evening the birds are given succulent food and wet grain mash, and at night dry sprouted grain is poured into the feeders.

To hatch eggs, geese should create certain conditions:

Approximately 28 days after laying, the chicks will begin to hatch. They must be immediately taken from the nest, placed in a box and, using a lamp, create the required temperature for the young animals. When all the chicks are born, they are returned to the hen.

Reproduction in an incubator

Since not all geese have the brooding instinct, poultry farmers often have to hatch chicks in an incubator. This procedure has its own characteristics:

Caring for goslings

For newly born goslings, the temperature regime is very important:

• from days 1 to 5 of life, young animals need an air temperature from + to +27 degrees;
• from 6 to 16 days - from +26 to +24 degrees;
• from 17 to 20 days the temperature gradually decreases from +23 to +18 degrees.

In the first days of life, babies can be kept in a cage, placing 10 goslings on one square meter. If the room is hot, then there should be 1.5 times fewer birds. At first, the goslings should be provided with round-the-clock lighting, dimming the light slightly at night. There should always be clean drinking water in the cage. The drinking bowls are installed on grates and are well secured. To collect spilled water, trays are installed under the drinkers. Otherwise, the goslings' bedding will be damp all the time, and the babies may get sick.

Feeding

For the first week, babies are fed boiled yolk, which should be crumbled first. You can add chopped green onions to the yolk. The first two days the goslings are fed 7-8 times a day.

On the third day, chopped alfalfa or clover can be added to the diet. You can also give your babies boiled potatoes and corn porridge.

In the summer, three-week-old goslings are transferred to pasture. In addition to grass, they are also fed chicken feed and crushed grain.

When babies reach one month of age, their diet should consist of mixed feed, sunflower cake, greens and grains.

If there is a body of water nearby without a current, then at this age the goslings can already be released to swim. Algae growing in a pond will become a source of vitamins for babies and will have a positive effect on their development.

Attention, TODAY only!

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.

For what purposes are geese kept and bred?

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.

Breed selection and productivity description

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.

Requirements for premises and equipment

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.

Selection of birds for breeding

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.

• after 1 year – 26%;
• after 2 years – 24%;
• after 3 years – 23%;
• replacement young stock – 27%.

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.

Selection and requirements for incubated eggs

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:

• be fertilized, which is determined on days 6-7 by candling;
• have hatchability of young animals, which is determined by the ratio of hatched chicks to the total number of eggs laid.

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:

• large eggs with two yolks or a mobile yolk;
• irregularly shaped eggs;
• cracked eggs;
• shell defects;
• blood clots in the lumen;
• incorrectly positioned or too large air chamber.

Natural incubation

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.

Artificial incubation

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 cannot 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.

Raising young animals

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.