The breeding and keeping of geese at home

Among the poultry, geese occupy a special place. If the hens are bred, mainly to get eggs, then the geese are grown for the sake of tasty, juicy meat.

Although it is inferior to the dietary characteristics of chicken because of the high fat content, but still very useful. It consists of microelements and vitamins A, C, B, including - and deficient for many B12, mineral components - iron, zinc, manganese.Especially appreciate goose meat for the content of amino acids in it, of which antibodies against viruses are produced in our body.

In this article, we will consider in detail the breeding, maintenance and care of geese at home for beginners. We learn whether it is possible to eat goose eggs, how they are useful and how much they can cost. After reading all the information you will be able to grow healthy and strong birds.

How to breed and grow geese at home for beginners?

For starters, let's talk about breeding geese at home. Specific content of geese is that they can not be grown in cages, like chickens. This explains the fact that their livestock is much smaller. It is advisable to breed this bird in the event that there is a place nearby for their walking - pasture with a pond (a river or a lake). For geese need room. They must walk a lot, move. Because of this, their meat is darker than chicken meat (there are more blood vessels in the muscles).

Goose breeds for breeding

The most common breeds are:

Large gray geese- weigh 6-7 kg. Eggplant 37-47 eggs. Eggs are large - 150-200 g. Very hardy.
Chinese geese - live weight reaches 5 kg. Yaytsenoskost - 50-60 pieces per year with a mass of 130-170 g. Hardy, but by nature aggressive.

Lindovsky breed- The mass of adult geese is 7-8 kg. Eggplant is 45-50 eggs with an average mass of 120-140 g.
Kuban - domestic breed. Eggplant - 80-90 eggs per year. Average live weight kg.
Kholmogorsky - weigh more than other breeds - 8-10 kg. But egg production is 30-40 eggs per year, but their mass is more than 200 g. They are calm and non-aggressive.

Italian Geese- characterized by high meat productivity. Live weight - from 6 to 7 kg. Eggplant - up to 50 eggs per year.

Toulouse- French breed. It is considered to be the largest with a weight of 10 kg or more. Eggplant - 30-40 eggs per year with an egg weight of 190-210 g. They are calm and sedentary, they are well and quickly fattened.

Emden Geeseweigh 8-9 kg. Eggplant is not high.

Rhine- withdrawn in Germany. In their characteristics are similar to the Emden.

Eggs with hen

To bring chicks from geese out of eggs is better than poultry,than in the incubator. However, if there is only one hen in the poultry farm, the brood receives a maximum of 13-14 heads, because the eggs are large. If you still choose this method of obtaining chicks, then before you create the necessary conditions.Temperatureindoors supportedat a level of 14-15 degrees.

It should be dry and well ventilated, but without drafts. A nest for a goose is made spacious. Be sure to separate it from other livestock and partition off the nests between each other (in case the poultry is several). Keep the poultry separate from the remaining geese. This is due to the fact that geese can, in the absence of a future mother, take the eggs to the already-laid clutch. Thus, the period of obtaining goslets will stretch over time, which is very bad for their further development.

We follow the dryness in the nest.Accidentally broken eggs must be urgently cleaned and wiped out the remaining survivors. The need to make partitions between nests is explained by the fact that in the absence of one hen, another rolls several eggs to itself, since the maternal instinct is very developed.

We make sure that when they return the nest to the nest after the necessary exercise, food and water procedures, they take their nests, and not confused with the neighboring ones. During incubation, the water in the bowl of the future mother changes daily to avoid diarrhea and feed only the selected grain. She herself will take care of all the processes during incubation.

She rolls the eggs in the nest for uniform heating.If for some reason the goose does not return to the nest after eating for 20 minutes, it is driven to the nest. This happens, mainly, with the bird, sitting on the eggs for the first time.

The first chicks appear on day 28. After that they are taken from the nest, placed in a separate box, illuminated with a lamp, creating the desired temperature. After all the chicks are born, they are returned to the goose. In the first two days of the day, a few chicks from the eggs that are hatched in the incubator can be put on by Mom. Do this in the evening.

Eggs in an incubator

To breed chicks of geese in an incubatormore difficult than chickens. This is due to the fact that goose eggs contain a lot of fat and in themselves they are large. If more than 70% of the chicks hatch from one bookmark, then this is a good result. Several features of the incubation of goose eggs:

• selectedthem within 10 days - no more;
• preliminary 3-4 hours before the bookmarkthe incubator is warmed upwith an elevated temperature of 39 degrees;
• selectedonly healthy,ideal shapeeggs;
• you can not wash them, but you can disinfect by spraying with a light solution of potassium permanganate;
• the first 4-5 hours after the temperature in the incubatorstand at around 38 degrees. Further reduce to 3,. The last couple of days it is reduced to 3 degrees;
• eggs are turned 6-8 times a dayto avoid sticking of the shell to the mesh or mold and for uniform heating;
• so that no harmful gases accumulate, the incubator after 15 days of bookmarking periodicallyopen for 10 minutes to ventilate.

How to care for, grow and maintain goslings

It is extremely important to care for goslings at home from the first days of life.

With the beginning of life, the immune system of the gusat organism is formed and strengthened. thereforeit is important to make a balanced dietto grow a large and healthy bird. For each period of growth and development is composed of their diet. It is also very important to drink freshly hatched goslings.

Goslings care in the first days of life

When nursing goslings in the home, the first 5-7 days of the chicks are useful to give the yolk of cooked eggs. It is well absorbed by the immature organism of goslings. When feeding it is recommended to add greens. Better, eat this feather of green onions. It is finely crushed and mixed with yolk.During the first two days of hatching, the goslings are fed 7-8 times a day. It depends on this whether you will be able to grow healthy geese

We make sure that in the enclosure, where they are kept, it was dry.

Care in the first weeks: how to grow healthy geese

Gradually, the diet is diversified with mixed herbs and increases its presence in the stern. In addition to green onions give alfalfa, clover. We follow the presence of clean water in the troughs. Gradually in the diet we introduce boiled potatoes and corn porridge.

Drinkers are replaced by more voluminous, so that the goslings could swim in them. They turn into small ponds. To do this, use basins or bowls, but with low sides. This is a prerequisite.
The presence in the food of the necessary amount of nutrients and vitamins will provide the visited root vegetables and vegetables. If we cook for geese porridge, that they should not be too liquid. It is recommended to give more dry food.

Three weeks of geese is gradually transferred to the forage. It is desirable that they graze in a pen in the open air.Together with the grass they eat mixed fodder and crushed grain.

Care in the first months

How to care for goslings at home? Starting from this period, the goslings are intensively fed with mixed fodder, corn, sunflower meal and greens. They are grazed on an open small pond without a strong current. In addition to grass, they eat algae, which has a positive effect on the development and growth of live weight.

The proportion of green to all other foods should be 1 1.That is, give greens more. In this case, the content of goslings will be cheaper and this will not affect the recruitment of live weight.

Conditions of keeping and feeding

In addition to feed and water, the goslings need an appropriate temperature of the environment, sufficient room volume, lighting.

Selection of an enclosure for goose farming

Depending on the number of livestock, choose the appropriate room. In the early days, goslings are kept in cardboard boxes on the veranda, in the summer kitchen. Then they are given a place in the poultry house, a shed. It should be well ventilated (ventilation) and warm, drafts are not allowed.It is necessary to exclude the possibility of penetration of predatory animals, primarily rats.

As a bedding use straw, chaff. The litter is changed every 2-3 days in order to keep it dry. This will save the fragile still chicks from diseases and hypothermia. The presence of a window in the room is a prerequisite. Geese like to be in a closed dark space only at the time of sleep.

After 40 days they are grazed near water bodies. But while they are not stronger, and are not able to defend themselves, the presence of a person is mandatory. As soon as the live weight reaches an average of 2 kg (depending on the breed),geese are allowed to graze independently.

It is better to do this from early morning - the grass is juicy and nutritious. Geese themselves find food. They perfectly orient in space, so they easily find their way home. Adult geese are pruned with wings so that they do not fly away.

Daily temperature and lighting

In the first week of life, the temperature is maintained at 28-30 degrees. If the natural ambient temperature is not enough, heating with heaters or lamps, which, in addition to light, give heat to the room. The temperature is measured at the level of the litter.

Gradually, it is reduced to 22-24 degrees.And after three weeks, if the weather permits, we translate the goslings to the regime of life in natural conditions.Generally adult geese are quite hardy birds due to their fat, large live weight and warm plumage.

They can withstand temperatures as low as -15 degrees. Lighting should be sufficient to maintain normal conditions with an increased light day (more than 14 hours). For this purpose, use lamps.

Room dimensions

The basic condition for the size of the room for goslings is that it should not be crowded.

Ensure their free access to food and water.When the young grows up, it is recommended that it be released in specially enclosed pens in the open air during the day. At night they are in a shed (a gooseberry).

Period of growing geese

Now we will find out how many geese grow. If the daily chicks have a weight of only 100 grams, then after 5 months their mass reaches 5-6 kg. On average, this bird collects more than one kilogram per month. To ensure that the geese are healthy, and the live weight reaches good weight, you need to carefully and carefully monitor their diet.

The weight of adult geese of different breeds varies from, kg to 10 and above.If you plan to breed geese for meat, then it is advisable to keep them until two or three months old. During this period, they gain 50% of the weight of an adult one-year-old bird. Next, weight gain is suspended.

Goose eggs: how much you can eat and how useful

Depending on the breed, geese give 30 to 90 eggs per year. They differ in their size (up to two hundred and twenty grams) and thick shells. They can be used for food and useful, but due to the fact that they contain a lot of fat, they need them in moderation. The geese eggs were eaten by our ancestors 7 thousand years ago. This is the first domesticated bird.

In 100 grams of raw eggs contains 185 kcal, including proteins and fats - more than 13 g.They include vitamins K, D, E, A, B, micro- and macro elements.Their use has a positive effect on brain activity and genitourinary system, elimination of toxins. Goose egg is widely used in cooking and cosmetology.

Now you know what to breed and keep geese at home is profitable. In fact, in addition to the quick return of meat, geese provide us with eggs and down. For the successful cultivation of geese, it is expedient to have a pasture and an open reservoir. In this case, with sufficient care and proper nutrition, their content will pay off many times. Perhaps even in the future gussevodstvo will become the main item of your income.