Geese maintenance and care. Artificial pond for waterfowl

Geese are one of the most popular types 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 summer period Geese can be successfully raised not only in a personal yard, 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 regime 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.

Features and description	Live weight of an adult bird (goose)	Live weight of an adult bird (gander)	Egg production, Qty, pcs. in year	Egg weight	Slaughter weight at the age of 2-2.5 months.
A fighting breed, currently used as a meat breed. Plumage white with gray feathers	6-7 kg	7-8 kg	from 25 to 30	170 g	3.5-3.7 kg
Meat breed, can be fattened for liver. Maternal instinct is well developed. Plumage color white	4.5-6.0 kg	5.5-7.0 kg; liver up to 500 grams	from 45 to 55	165 g	4.0-4.2 kg
Not large, but very hardy geese, used in crosses to increase egg production. Color gray-white	4.0-4.5 kg	4.5-5.0 kg	from 45 to 70, in some cases up to 100	120 g	3.0-3.6 kg
Meat breed, can be fattened for liver. Maternal instinct is well developed. Gray plumage	6-7 kg	7-9.5 kg	from 30 to 40 g	175 g	4.0-4.5 kg
Good combination of egg production and weight gain. Not very good brood hens, requires incubation. Color white	6-7 kg	7-8 kg	45 g average	150 g	3.5-3.8 kg
The fighting breed is also grown as an ornamental and for meat. The color is variegated, light gray, the body is squat	5.0-5.6 kg	5.4-6.0 kg	from 14 to 17 g	150 g	4.0 kg
A heavy breed of geese, raised for meat and liver. Plumage gray or gray-white	7.0-9.0 kg	8.0-12.0 kg	from 15 to 25 g	190 g	3.9-4.0 kg

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. Beginning 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 if the planned population is large and the birds will continue to be kept 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 best 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.

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%.
The eggs are placed on a special grill for goose eggs and placed in the incubator.
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.
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.
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.

Incubation day	Temperature, ºС	Humidity, %	Turns per day	Cooling eggs by airing
from 1 to 7	37,5-37,8	70	at least 4	no need
from 8 to 14	37,5-37,8	60	at least 6	no need
from 15 to 27	37,5-37,8	60	at least 6
from 28 to 30	37,5	85-90	no need	twice a day for 15-20 minutes

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.

day of life	Temperature, ºС
from 1 to 3	28,0-30,0
from 4 to 5	25,0-28,0
from 6 to 7	23,0-25,0
from 8 to 10	22,0-24,0
from 11 to 15	20,0-22,0
from 16 to 20	18,0-20,0

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 correctly. 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 everything 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 area. 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. Nests are placed in secluded places at some distance from each other - 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 from the nest must be removed in a timely manner, especially when sub-zero temperatures. Eggs intended for hatching are marked with soft with a simple 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 home business, especially with a responsible approach to the choice of breed, maintenance and breeding work, many poultry farmers were convinced of this, starting with a small livestock 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

Breeding geese is an excellent business option. The mini-farm will begin to pay for itself in just six months, and in a couple of years it will reach a stable profit. To successfully sell meat, eggs, fluff and other goose products, owners will have to register entity, acquire the necessary certificates and correctly calculate financial investments.

How to breed geese at home? Read our new article with step-by-step instructions!

When choosing a direction of activity for a future farm, many entrepreneurs opt for goose farming. These birds have a lot of advantages.

Breeding geese as a business has the following advantages:

fast growth. The gosling acquires the size and weight required for slaughter within 3-4 months after birth;
good performance. Purebred geese lay about 70 eggs per year.
unpretentiousness and simplicity in content;
resistance to diseases and infections;
low costs for fattening and maintaining poultry;
waste-free production. You can sell not only goose meat and eggs, but also offal, feathers, and down. Breeding young animals are also in demand, as is goose droppings, which are used as fertilizer.

Farm breeding of geese as a business: where to start, how to succeed?

You need to start work by choosing a location for the future farm. The easiest way is to rent suburban area with free access to water. An ideal reservoir for goose farming - small river with creeks or a small pond. An industrial pit with gentle slopes to the water is also suitable.

It is desirable that the leased land can be purchased over time. Own areas significantly increase the profitability of the farm.

The next point is registration of a legal entity. The process of collecting papers can take from several days to a month, so it is worth starting in advance.
Having resolved the legal issue, start organizing the space. Geese need a house with sufficiently thick wooden walls and a durable roof. Any shed that can be additionally sheathed with boards will do. Nearby you need to organize a spacious walk with access to water. It is recommended to equip the poultry house with an incubator; it will increase the number of eggs and the survival rate of newborn goslings.
Purchase breeding eggs or young stock. For beginners, it is recommended to start breeding geese at home with breeds that quickly gain weight, are unpretentious and have strong immunity. The choice should be made depending on what direction you plan to develop.

For example, geese of the Kholmogory and Gorky breeds, as well as the Danish Legard, are suitable for meat production. Large gray geese are distinguished by good egg production and unpretentiousness. Representatives of the Toulouse breed will be the supplier of gourmet meat and liver. It is worth considering that the gentle Toulouse is very demanding in terms of care and does not tolerate cold well.

Business plan for breeding geese: expenses and income

For example, you can take a small farm of 500 heads:

The purchase of breeding birds will cost about 40,000 rubles, another 15,000 will be needed to build a poultry house, organize nests and walk.
Registration of documentation for the farm and obtaining veterinary certificates will cost 30,000 rubles.
The purchase of feed and monthly maintenance of the poultry house will cost about 15,000 rubles.
Rent of land for the farm is added to the expenses - about 150,000 rubles.

The bird gains the weight required for slaughter by 3-4 months. When selling from 100 whole carcasses per month (weight from 5 to 10 kg), you can get up to 70,000 rubles. Thus, the farm will reach the level of profitability within a year, the return on business will be 75-80%.

You can learn how to properly raise laying hens at home and how to draw up a competent business plan with calculations

Nuances of product sales

You can sell goose products at markets or industry fairs. Whole and gutted carcasses can be sold; by-products can be sold separately: heart, liver, kidneys. High-quality goose down or sorted feathers are also in demand.

A convenient and profitable option is to sell meat by prior arrangement. For example, for the New Year holidays, you can specially fatten geese until required sizes. Selling by request simplifies implementation.

You can sell goose meat not only to individuals, but also to restaurateurs who rely on environmentally friendly and useful product. Restaurants can offer offal and cut fillets, which are more expensive than whole carcasses.

Delivering goose meat to buyers is the most unprofitable option, since prices for this category of consumers are very low.

This option is only suitable for large farms that rely not on high quality products, but on fast turnover. It is better for owners of mini-farms to master related industries.

For example, meat can be processed into tasty and healthy canned food. Stewed goose can be stored for a long time, and it can be sold at a much higher margin. Some farmers are experimenting with the production of goose liver pates, an alternative to the famous foie gras. It is important to remember that real “fatty liver” is produced only by special meat breeds, which are not cheap.

Down and feathers collected from your own farm can be used to stuff pillows, which you can also sell yourself. The advantage of the goose is its waste-free production; this feature must be used with full dedication.

A promising option is the sale of breeding eggs and young stock. If you have purchased high-breed poultry, such a business can bring significant profits. You can sell breeding eggs at fairs or specialized Internet portals.

Information about the farm and its products can be disseminated through trade magazines, both print and online.

How to breed geese at home? The answer is contained in the following video tutorial:

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 subsidiary farming, a summer cottage or a 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 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 live weight growth and increased fattening characteristics in comparison with purebred counterparts and can be raised at certain conditions like geese broilers.

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. Young animals are different 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 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 public 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 emerging chicks to total number laid eggs.

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 state. 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%.

For incubating goose eggs great value has ventilation, 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 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. Compound feed is used as feed good quality, 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 early dates, goslings are selected at three weeks of age and put on intensive fattening 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 attract not only experienced birders, but also people whose path to agriculture it's 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.

Geese are very interesting birds, which are often found on farms. Before starting breeding, it is necessary to properly organize the place of keeping and walking, and prepare food.

Where to start for a novice goose breeder?

The first thing a person who decides to start breeding geese must do is decide on the breed. These birds are not distinguished by high egg production, but the young quickly gain weight. Geese are kept for tasty meat and feathers.

Here is a table with several breeds of geese and their main characteristics, which will help a beginner make a choice.

Live weight (male), kg	Live weight (female), kg	Egg production, pcs.	Egg mass, grams	Weight of young animals at 60-70 days, kg
7-7,5	6,5-7	25-30	170-190	3,8-4
6,5-7	6-6,5	40-60	170-200	4-4,5
7-12	6-7	45-50	125-150	3,5-4

Large gray geese– birds of domestic origin. They are often used to fatten foie gras for liver. Gray goose meat has excellent taste. These birds grow well even without a pond. An adult goose weighs 6.5-7 kg, a goose - 6-6.5 kg. Egg production - up to 60 eggs per season. Kholmogory is the most popular breed among novice goose breeders. These birds are unpretentious, quickly gain weight, and adapt well to any climate. main feature These geese have a calm character and lack of aggression towards humans. The bird's plumage can be white, piebald or gray. The weight of an adult goose is 9 kg, the female is slightly smaller - 7 kg. The goose produces up to 25-30 large eggs per year. Distinctive features of the breed are a bump above the beak and a large fold below it.

Geese Linda- very beautiful snow-white birds. The direction of productivity is meat. They have a large bump on their forehead. This breed makes up half of the total geese population in Russia. The female produces about 50 large eggs per year. The main feature of the breed is intensive growth and weight gain even after 3 months.

Geese of the Linda breed - photo

Equipment for keeping and walking areas

A thick layer of bedding is laid on the floor (for adult birds - about 50 cm, for young birds - no more than 15 cm), straw is most suitable for this purpose, but many use shavings or sawdust. The floor must be raised above the ground by 15 cm. Here are the basic requirements for the poultry house:

ceiling height – 2 meters;
area: for goslings - at the age of 2-3 weeks no more than 10 heads per 1 m2, by the age of 9 weeks - no more than 4 heads per 1 m2, for adult birds - 1-2 heads per 1 m2;
air temperature - for day-old goslings it should be 30 degrees, by 2 months it gradually decreases to 18 degrees, comfortable temperature for adults – 12-15 degrees;
humidity in the poultry house should not exceed 75%;
be sure to provide for ventilation and windows.

There is another way of keeping them that does not require deep bedding - on a slatted floor. In this case they shoot down wooden boards from slats that are located at a short distance from each other (birds’ legs should not fall into these cracks). To remove droppings, the floors are raised.

Geese, like many other farm birds, need walking. 0.8 m2 of area is enough for one head. The exit to the run from the poultry house should have a door that is closed on cold days. The height of the outdoor area fencing is at least 1.4 meters. On the walk and in the poultry house, drinkers and feeders must be installed, which should be cleaned and washed regularly. Geese must have fresh water.

In summer, geese walk outside almost all day.

If you want to keep birds only in the warm season, you don’t have to install a full-fledged poultry house on the site; it will be enough to build wooden frame with a canopy. If the geese do not have access to a pond, place a large container of water in the run.

IN winter period birds are kept in a draft-free room. Geese tolerate frosty winters well, so additional heating of the house is not required. Birds walk in the paddock, which is previously cleared of snow.

Feeding geese: young and adults

Particular attention should be paid to the preparation of geese diets. The type of feeding will depend on the following factors: age of the bird, gender, time of year, direction of productivity.

Types of feed and feeding rates

Geese eat a large amount of green food (up to 2 kg per head per day), so summer time it is best to send them to the meadows. If this is not possible, feed the bird plantain, nettles and dandelions. Geese love reeds, cattails and other plants that grow in ponds.

Here list of ingredients that make up the poultry diet, including the average daily rate per head:

green feed (fresh grass in summer, silage in winter) – up to 2 kg;
root vegetables (beets, potatoes) and tops – up to 500 g;
pumpkin, carrots, cabbage – up to 100 g;
whey and skim milk - only for goslings up to 4 months up to 50 g;
grain feed – up to 70 g;
herbal flour – up to 50 g;
mineral supplements – up to 25 g;
fish or meat and bone meal (or fish waste) – up to 50 g.

Many farmers use complete combined feeds to feed geese. In this case, the bird is given only dry food and greens. Daily norm feed for adult birds is about 350 g.

Feeding the goslings

Goslings begin to be fed immediately after they are born. In the first 7 days, the chicks are given food up to 7 times a day. It is best to feed goslings with complete feed, but you can replace it with a mixture of grains (peas, wheat, buckwheat, rolled oats, corn). In this case, include cottage cheese, chopped herbs and boiled finely chopped eggs in your diet.

Potatoes, beets and cake are given to goslings for 3-4 days. The food is well crushed and moistened, shell and chalk are added. Gravel is poured into separate containers.

Diets of laying hens

A month before the start of egg laying, geese begin to be fed more intensively. The diet includes more green food. Be sure to increase the amount of roughage, since grain often causes obesity.

The basis of the laying goose's diet during the breeding period is wheat and oats. Be sure to increase the amount of meadow hay, cake, root vegetables, legumes and animal flour. Females are fed up to 4 times a day: two feedings with wet mash, two with grain. A week before the start of laying, geese are fed vitamin supplements.

Fattening geese for meat

Goslings from 3 weeks of age are fattened in two ways: meadow and intensive. In the first case, the chicks are sent to pastures, where they actively eat fresh grass. One month before slaughter (at 3 months), grain (especially oats) is included in the diet in unlimited quantities. There should always be drinking bowls in the room.

With intensive fattening, goslings are sent to slaughter as early as 2.5 months. The birds are deprived of free range, kept in cages, and fed wheat, oats, barley and corn. If necessary, goslings are force-fed; for this purpose, special balls of hard dough are prepared (the composition includes wheat, corn and barley flour, as well as crushed bran), soaked in water and inserted into the esophagus using a tube twice a day.

Differences between winter and summer feeding

In summer and winter, the diets of adult geese differ slightly. Here main differences:

How do you know if your diet is wrong?

By the behavior of the bird you can understand whether you are feeding them correctly or not. When there is an excess of green food, geese experience diarrhea. In this case, limit the amount of fresh herb. A large amount of dry food leads to the development of cough. If this happens, start feeding the geese wet mash.

Preparing wet mash

Adults do not eat poisonous plants, but there have been cases of poisoning of young animals by nightshade or hemlock. In this case, give the birds plenty of clean water. If there is a digestive disorder at the beginning of the walking season, treat the geese with antibiotics. After a while the birds will start eating aquatic plants without any consequences.

Breeding Features

Geese reach sexual maturity only at 8-9 months, and females are used for breeding for up to 4 years (egg production increases every year). The best representatives of the breed are selected for breeding: all livestock are graded several times, during which individuals with low weight, uncharacteristic coloring and exterior defects are culled. There are 3-4 females per male, and geese are selected for each of them individually.

Females begin laying eggs in winter (February). Starting in December, the daylight hours in the poultry house are increased (for active egg laying it should last 14 hours). It is at this time that it is necessary to provide the geese with nests measuring 40*60*30 cm (one for 2-3 heads). From January the birds begin to be fed intensively.

Some breeds of geese are excellent hens, so eggs are often left in the nest. The female is not disturbed, is well fed and provided comfortable conditions. If the goose does not hatch the eggs, they are taken away and placed in an incubator. The chicks hatch after 27-28 days.

Selection of eggs for incubation and artificial hatching of goslings

Not all eggs are suitable for placing in an incubator. Here are the basic requirements:

eggs must be fertilized (checked with an ovoscope);
the shell is clean, without droppings;
there should be only one yolk in the egg;
You cannot use eggs that are irregular in shape, have cracks, or have a large air chamber.

The temperature in the incubator is the most important factor on which the hatchability percentage depends. Optimal readings are 37.5 degrees. High and low temperatures result in weak or nonviable goslings.

The humidity in the room where the incubators are located should be 62-65%. It is very important to ensure good ventilation. After 2 weeks of incubation, the temperature is reduced to 30 degrees for 30 minutes per day.

Raising young animals

Goslings have a peculiarity - they do not need additional heating at the age of 3 weeks. In the first 5 days after birth, in the cages or brooders where the chicks are located, the temperature is maintained at 26-28 degrees, by 10 days it is reduced to 22, and by 20 to 18 degrees.

After the goslings are 3 weeks old, they are released into the paddock (provided that it is not cold or damp outside). Summer chicks can walk outside from birth. If goslings are bred for meat, from 3 weeks they are moved to a separate room and begin to be fed intensively.

Common diseases: treatment and prevention

Geese suffer from contagious and non-contagious diseases. In the first case, there is a high risk of mortality, so it is important to monitor the health of the birds. Here are the diseases that farmers most often encounter:

For many diseases of geese, there is no treatment, so it is very important to follow preventive measures: do not allow the birds to become overcrowded, regularly wash feeders and drinkers, clean the bedding, and treat the room with lime.

Breeding geese is a very interesting and profitable activity. Be sure to study the information about keeping and feeding this bird, avoid outbreaks of various diseases, and observe the temperature regime when raising young animals.

Video - Breeding geese at home

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 large quantity valuable products. Healthy and strong birds provide valuable dietary meat, high-quality down and feathers, and delicious liver. All these products have quite high price, when sold, bring tangible profits 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:

Kholmogory geese are one of the most optimal options. Birds of this breed grow quickly and in the shortest possible time reach quite large sizes. Thus, adult males grow on average to 8-10 kg, and females - to 7-8 kg. One more distinctive feature representatives of the breed have high egg production. Geese produce about 30-40 eggs per year. The average is 200 g. Geese are gray, piebald and white.
Gray birds, like Kholmogory birds, are representatives of the heavy type. Adult ganders weigh about 8 kg, geese - about 6 kg. Under natural conditions, the female lays 30-40 eggs per year. The brooding instinct in geese is poorly developed, which can cause difficulties with the appearance of offspring. It’s good if the farm has an incubator. Geese have high resilience and adapt well to environmental conditions.
Toulouse geese were brought to our country from France, which explains their love and adaptability to warm climates. This breed is not very suitable for keeping on pastures, since the birds move little and do not eat plant food well. Toulouse are the largest and fattest geese of all existing breeds. Males often grow up to 12 kg, and females - up to 10 kg. From them you can get tasty and fatty liver weighing up to 1 kg.
Landbirds are native to Hungary. They were bred to produce fatty liver. Some particularly large individuals produce a delicacy weighing over 0.7 kg. Adult birds grow up to 5-8 kg.
White Italian geese have high fattening characteristics and produce tasty large livers. Adult representatives of the species grow to 6-9 kg. A feature of the breed is the rapid development of young animals. Already at the age of 2 months, the weight of the chicks exceeds 4 kg.
Chinese geese grow small, but produce a lot of eggs - 50-70, and the best geese produce 100 eggs per year. This breed is often used in breeding to increase the egg production of other species. Adult ganders grow up to 5.5 kg, geese - up to 4.5 kg. Birds are dark gray, less often white or brown.

You need to choose a breed taking into account the goals you are pursuing. If the choice is difficult, consult with specialists.

Breeding geese (video)

Selection of birds for the tribe

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 selecting individuals for the formation of the parent stock, it is necessary to take into account how individual characteristics each bird, and 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.

Features of keeping the parent stock

When forming a parent herd, you should pay attention not only to external characteristics and the health of geese, but also on 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 the country or in country house must be carried out in compliance 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

How to recognize a good hatchable egg

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:

be fertilized, which can be determined after 6-7 days using candling;
ensure the hatchability of goslings, as evidenced by the ratio of the number of chicks hatched to the number of eggs laid.

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:

2 yolks at once or 1 moving yolk;
irregular shape;
cracks and other defects on the shell;
blood clots determined by x-ray;
An air chamber that is too large or incorrectly positioned.

If you follow all the above rules, you will be able to get large and healthy offspring.

Goose farming (video)

Natural incubation

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.

How to care for little goslings

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:

1 part rolled oats, buckwheat, wheat, peas or corn;
1 part finely chopped greens, cottage cheese or eggs.

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 passages, which often causes inflammatory processes. 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 the young can be on fresh air already 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:

2 parts crushed grain;
1 part bran;
1 part legumes;
1 part cake.

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.

Features of winter keeping geese

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 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 very coldy It is better to refuse walking.