Category Archives: Geese

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.

10 Popular Domestic Geese Breeds And Their Predators

1. Toulouse

Known to be the largest and one of the most used standard geese breeds, the Toulouse breed is marked for having a weight of about 20 to 26 pounds. The back of this domesticated breed is seen to be dark gray in color. The color starts to transform to light gray color as we move towards the breast regions.

The feet are marked for their deep reddish and orange colors. The bill of the Toulouse breed is pale yellow. In terms of the predators, raccoons, owls, foxes and weasels are in the lead.

2. Embden

This geese breed comes from a German city that was famous for exporting them to the regions in England. In comparison to the Toulouse, the embden breed is a bit smaller and white in color. Moreover, it is also a better sitter in comparison to the different breeds of geese.

It is also the most popular and desired market goose in the United States markets. In addition to being a rapid grower, the breed is also quite agile in maturation. The adults can easily reach the weight of about 16 to 26 pounds. In order to wither off the predators, the breed is famous for making use of stylized sounds, hissing and movements.

3. African

Marked for having an ashy brown color and dark orange colored legs, The African geese breed had originated in India. But at the same time, it has been erroneously reported that Africa is the region where it had come from. It also has a kind of protuberance on the top regions of its head.

The male members of the breed are really famous for cross breeding into the other breeds. The adults in this breed are able to have a weight of about 14-20 pounds. Its dark beak together with some other features make it less desirable in comparison to the Toulouse and embden.

4. The American Buff

Being light buff in color and having a white shaded breast, The American Buff is considered to be latest addition into the American market standards. In a matter of no time, the breed has been able to bag a fame and popularity, which is all because of its amazing features and breeding characteristics. The adults in the class of American Geese breed can reach the weight of about 15-18 pounds.

5. Chinese Geese

Presently, you can find the brown as well as white varieties of the Chinese geese. Being smaller and having a swanlike appearance, this breed of geese is well adopted and suited for consumption at the home based settings. The brown Chinese goose is known to have a brown colored plumage, while the white ones are known for their orange colored bill.

6. Sebastopol Geese

Marked for their twisted, curled and feathery upper regions of the body, the Sebastopol is classified to be an ornamental breed. The weights for the adults can top the 12 to 14 pounds limit, thus also making them suited for non-commercial purposes.

7. Pilgrim

The pilgrim is more like a fast growing and sturdy geese breed which is desirable for varying reasons and features. It has always been raised for its feathers and for the purpose of its delicious meat. The breed is also different in terms of the plumage color with which the males are separated from the females.

The males happen to have blue colored eyes, while the females are marked for having hazel colored eyes. The optimal weight for the adults reaches to about 12 to 14 pounds.

8. The Canada Goose

Mechanisms of close confinement are what that are used for the captivation of this geese breed. Mostly they are used in the public parts and by the hunters to serve the purpose of decoys. Their plumage varies from grey to black colors while the feathers on their breast happen to be light.

The ganders or male members do not breed before the age of 2 years. Moreover, they are famous for the mating process in pairs. But there is one drawback in making use of this breed for commercial reasons i.e. they are not efficient in terms of the reproduction.

9. Egyptian

Having long legs, but a small sized body appearance, the Egyptian is used for varying ornamental purposes. Surely, the breed is beautiful but has no potential for competing in the commercial markets all over the world.

The only ones who prefer to purchase them are the ones who are obsessed with their beauty. Their weight, which ranges from 4 to 6 pounds, is also what makes them the least desirable.

10. The Buff Back Geese

Europe is the place of origin for this geese breed, which can be differentiated in terms of its plumage size, color and a long bodied appearance. It is used for the purpose of meat and eggs together with its broody nature. They can be breed effectively in the form of pairs and trios.

Protecting Geese From Predators

For the purpose of protecting the breeds from the geese predators, you would need to provide them with some adequate levels of shelter. It is best to allow them to roam in the day time and keeping them confined in protected shelters at night.

Not to forget here that some predators are quite lethal in terms of attacking from under the ground due to which it is recommended to secure the base of the shelter with some strong and durable materials. It is also preferable to make the use of low intensity electric fences. The common predators for all the breeds of geese include bobcats, dogs, coyotes,

An insight of Geese

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The geese which are used for the poultry related purposes are known as domestic geese. They are used in the poultry industry for the purpose of eggs, meat and for their down feathers. Since the olden days, they have been used for a number of purposes. Some people used to keep as pets while others made use of them for their delicious meat. In the present times, the poultry industry does make use of the meat and eggs derived from this domesticated animal.Below are some facts about geese which will come to be useful for those who are planning to raise them at the farms or as pets

Origins and the Regions of Geese

It is widely accepted that the geese, which belong to the family of Anatidae and to the genus named as Anser, were indeed one of the first animals in the world that were used for the domestication purposes. The domestication had probably started nearly 3000 years ago in Egypt. Some of the researchers are of the view that it all had started much before that, but there is a general consensus among them in terms of Egypt. Despite of their ancient origins, they have never been used on a large commercial scale like the ducks and chickens have been used.

Features and Characteristics

The geese are found all over the world. In terms of their physiological makeup, they are well suited for all seasons. In other words, they are able to adapt themselves to warm as well as cold climates. Moreover, they also come in a number of different colors and sizes. In comparison to their wild ancestors, the domestic geese happen to be quite larger in size. The same applies to their egg laying capacity which is higher in comparison to the other breeds. In addition to having varying levels of feathers on their bodies, the male goose also happens to have a very strong neck. It is also said that these animals are quite hardy i.e. they are immune to a number of diseases due to which they fall sick less often. All the geese have a sharp edged beak in addition to having a pointy tongue. Their digestion mechanisms are also quite agile due to which they are able to digest their food in a matter of 20 to 30 minutes. The domestic geese can be of any color ranging from white to gray. The domestic geese are termed to be the descendants of the wild geese. Moreover, they also happen to have short legs and beaks. The desired features for which they had been bred was to obtain a number of features including heavier weight, white plumage, body posture, more egg laying capacity and much more.There is a lot of other information about geese which you should prefer to have, if you plan to raise them in a more effective manner.

Production and Consumption of Geese

The production and the success in the domain of goose poultry rearing depend largely on the amount of attention that the young birds are given at the time of brooding. A slight decrease has been seen in the geese production since the year 2002. More of the geese are being raised in the major poultry production companies, but few of them are being sold. In the year 2007, nearly 339,000 geese had been raised in USA only. Geese production has also been rapid in Poland, Hungary and Eastern European regions. Moreover, in Asia the goose production is on the rise which makes it the only continent which is in the lead in terms of geese production and consumption. The total goose meat production had been nearly 2.5 million tons in the world as of the year 2010. In terms of the consumption, there is no substantial data which can offer a clear picture, but it is believed that the consumption is about 0.4 KG per person on an annual basis.

Geese Products and Marketing

The goose products are available in Europe, Asia, and in the United States. A number of goose products like the ones made from the legs and thighsoffer a complete presentation of the exports.The Geese feathers are one of the first feature which can help distinguish them.Some other special goose products include goose pelts, stripped skin of goose, goose tongue, goose fattened liver and many more. The costs for other poultry products have been increasing, but at the same time, the prices of the goose products have been seen to be showing a regressive tendency. It is a fact that these products have not been marketed on a large scale relative to the marketing of chicken and duck products. The countries which happen to be in the lead in terms of the geese farming and marketing include USA, Hungary, Poland, Canada, China and in many other countries.

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