Breeding and Rearing of Geese

Of all forms of the domestic birds, the geese are the ones that can be termed to be the fastest growers. They are quite hardy and can become disease free if kept under constant care. Although a small number of these animals are kept in the poultry settings, there is still a lot of scope for the raising geese industry all over the world. The geese can be grown and brought up successfully on the green pasture, due to which the cost for the production can be lowered down by substantial levels. Keeping in view the feeding and geese breeding, you can expect to start a successful poultry business. Below are some types of geese, which you should know about when planning to raise the waterfowl geese or the water geese.

Famous Breeds of Domestic Geese

Embden

Classified to be a large and an upright bird among the breeds of goose, the Embden is known for its glossy feathers. Its eyes happen to be light blue in color. Initially, the breed had originated from the regions of Germany, but is now well distributed all over the world. For the gander, the weight falls around 8 to 9 kg and for the goose, the weight usually falls around 8 kg.

Chinese

The Chinese geese can be divided into two different classes i.e. the white and the brown. This bird is able to stand upright with its arching neck. It also has a very distinct knob on the areas of its bill. The eyes of this breed are brown in color. Moreover, this breed is considered to be the noisiest among all the breeds, due to which their sound can be heard to far of places.

Sebastopol and Toulouse

The Sebastopol breed is identified from its fuzzy and curling feathers due to which the birds that fall under the breed appear to be untidy. Furthermore, this breed is also known to be of having an ornamental nature. At the same time, the body of the breed is also more round in comparison to the other breeds. On the other hand, the Toulouse breed is believed to have originated in France and is quite similar to the Embden. But it is not so popular in relation to the other breeds mentioned here.

Moreover, the breeds of wild geese include The Barnacle Geese, Bar-Headed Goose, The Red Breasted Geese and many more.

Brooding of Goslings

After the goslings hatching, a lot of care should be taken in terms of handling them. In other words, for the first few days the goslings are quite delicate due to which they should be kept warm. Now for the goslings which are brought up under the supervision of their parents, the occurrence of problems is less likely. You can provide some simple housing arrangements for them for the first few days in order to protect them from the changes in the weather. At the same time, you should also ensure that the floor litter is kept as dry as possible.

On the other hand, for the goslings which are being brought up in an artificial manner, the need for a warm enclosure is highly crucial. For the purpose of providing the goslings with some heat, you can make use of infrared as well as the carbon heating globes. For example, a 250 watt globe will prove to be enough for nearly 30 goslings. In order to know the optimal temperature for the goslings, you can also observe their movement to get an idea.

Breeding and Mating of Geese

How to breed geese? Well, the geese enjoy their best breeding period from the age of 2 to 8 years. After the age of 10 years, the pace of egg production declines slowly at which you should introduce some new flocks of geese. The process of geese breeding can be run using the free range method. It is best to make use of the healthiest gander for 3 to 4 healthy females. You should also allow the birds to mate for one month at the beginning of the geese breeding season.

Feeding and Nutrition

In addition to the availability of the green pasture, you can use of a supplementary ration which can be in the form of geese food pellets or mashes. The feed should be given to the birds 3 to 4 weeks before the fertile eggs would be hatching. Moreover, also prepare vitamin and mineral based mixes in accordance with the guidelines and directions given by the manufacturers.

The goslings should be given a constant access to the water from the very first day. The water provided should be good in quality and should be subject to quality assurance from time to time. Now here you can make use of some specialized jars and troughs for the purpose.

Shelter Needs

The need for having a spacious shelter for the geese is quite crucial, especially in times of the winter season. For the optimal levels of comfort for the birds, the shelter should be at least 8′ x 10′. Each bird should be given around 6 square feet. Moreover, the shelter should also be water and predator proof. It is also important not to confine the birds for a long time as they might get restless at times.

Gizzard Worming Issue and Solutions

At times when you find the presence of the gizzard worms on the body of the birds, then it is best to begin with contacting the specialists. Moreover, you should also ensure that a proper heat supply is available to the birds due to which the worms including, acuaria, tapeworm and at all others won’t be able to heavily influence the health of the birds. You can also administer the doses of the medications including Nilverm, Aviverm, Droncit and many more.