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

Breed selection

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

Gallery: breeds of domestic geese (25 photos)

Raising geese in summer

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poultry house requirements:

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

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

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

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

Feeding

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

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

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

Geese breeding

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

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

To hatch eggs, geese should create certain conditions:

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

Reproduction in an incubator

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

Caring for goslings

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

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

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

Feeding

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

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

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

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

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

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Geese are a valuable source of meat, eggs, feathers and down, although raising them does not require large investments. Keeping geese is accessible even to a beginner in poultry farming, since these birds are unpretentious to feed and living conditions, quickly adapt to a new place and have high immunity.

In this article we will look at the most popular breeds intended for home cultivation, as well as the features of arrangement and profitability of a small farm.

Note: The area of ​​the goose barn directly depends on the number of birds. There should be approximately 1 square meter of area per individual. Crowded housing leads to a decrease in egg production, weight loss and a decrease in the quality of down and feathers.

It is advisable to set up a paddock nearby, but it will be better if the housing area is located next to a pasture or pond.

Basic requirements for keeping geese include:

• The room must be dry and free from drafts, since diseases occur with high humidity;
• It is advisable to insulate the roof and walls;
• The floor in the poultry house is covered with bedding 30 cm thick. Although geese tolerate low temperatures well, dampness is harmful to them, so in winter you need to carefully ensure that the bedding is dry, and it is advisable to remove snow from the paddock;
• Nests for females are built in the poultry house. It is better to make them from wood. The box must have a bottom so that the embryo in the laid eggs does not die from the cold.

It is advisable to divide the internal space into several parts in order to isolate aggressive individuals and young animals from the rest of the herd. An example of room arrangement is shown in Figure 1.

Feeding

There are several types of feeding geese: dry, wet and combined. At home, it is better to use the last two types, since in this case the birds can be fed raw or boiled vegetables and food waste. In general, the diet depends on the season. In summer, birds spend a lot of time on pastures, eating green grass, and in the evening it is advisable to give them sprouted grain.

Note: Geese can be taken out to pasture before frost sets in. But if there is a lot of snow in winter, grazing feeding can be continued, since the birds will independently find the remains of grass for food.

In addition to feed, it is necessary to provide a sufficient amount drinking water, which is changed daily.

The diet of geese in winter differs significantly from summer, since the birds cannot find food on their own. In the cold season, birds are fed three times a day: in the morning (immediately after waking up), in the afternoon and in the evening (before bedtime). If you develop a clear schedule and give out food at the same time, over the winter they will not only not lose weight, but will also gain additional fat.

Can be used for feeding in winter(Figure 2):

• Chopped bean hay;
• Boiled potatoes and chopped carrots and beets;
• Silage is a complete replacement for green grass in winter, since it includes all the plants that geese eat on pastures in summer;
• Chopped pine needles (spruce and pine needles). This food allows you to replenish your supply of vitamins and increase egg production;
• Cake, meal and hay flour are used as protein feed;
• Grain mixtures. It is advisable to supply sprouted grain by mixing barley, oats, wheat or its bran and crushed corn in equal proportions.

It is advisable to heat drinking water before dispensing, and to deepen the drinking water into the litter inside the poultry house.

Breeds for home breeding

Breeding geese at home requires choosing the right breed. There are about 40 of them, but there are breeds that are difficult for novice poultry farmers in terms of breeding.

The most popular breeds for home breeding such(Figure 3):

1. Gorkovskaya combines high meat qualities and excellent egg production. In addition, the birds are quite hardy, but geese have a poorly developed brooding instinct.
2. Large gray considered one of the best breeds for beginners. Geese of this breed can be bred not only for meat and eggs, but also fattened for liver. Females are good brood hens, and birds do not necessarily need to set up a pond.
3. Kholmogory breed also good for beginner poultry keepers. The birds have a peaceful disposition, they adapt well to new climatic conditions and are unpretentious to food. In addition, the birds are distinguished by their high precocity.
4. Italian white breed has a meat direction of productivity, and birds can be fattened to produce meat and liver.

The Arzamas and Chinese breeds, which are distinguished by good endurance, early maturity and meat productivity, are also considered popular.

Breeding geese at home

If you plan to breed large livestock, the following video will be useful. Its author is a farmer who has a large population of birds of various breeds. After watching the video, you will learn which breeds are best to breed on a homestead farm, how to properly keep and feed geese, depending on the direction of their productivity.

Raising goslings

Breeding and raising goslings is one of the basics of producing productive adult birds. In order for chicks to develop properly and quickly reach maturity, they must be properly maintained and fed.

Geese breeding as a business

Geese breeding is one of the most profitable types of agricultural business. But to generate income, certain investments will be required to equip the farm:

1. Land plot: for maintenance you need a barn or any other building located on a paddock (preferably with a pond). It is better to buy a plot outside the city.
2. Poultry house: Despite the fact that geese tolerate winter well, for keeping them at night and during the cold season, you need to equip a poultry house. It is insulated, protected from drafts and connected to heating and lighting. Only if these conditions are met can the egg production and meat productivity of the bird be preserved.
3. Inventory: When building a goose barn, you must immediately provide drinking bowls, feeders and nests. It is better to make nests from wood and place them in shaded parts of the goose nest. Feeders and drinkers should be made of materials that are easy to clean and disinfect (iron, wood or plastic).
4. Poultry purchase: For people who are starting to breed geese, it is better to buy young animals intended for fattening. After the birds reach the required weight, they are sold, and the proceeds are used to buy productive geese intended for breeding. The breeding business will be profitable only if the breeding of young animals is carried out directly on the farm.

You should also take care of the sales market. First of all, you need to obtain a certificate from a veterinary service confirming the quality of meat and eggs. In the future, you can sell not only goose meat, but also down, feathers and liver (subject to breeding special breeds).

Drawing up a business plan for a goose farm is necessary to calculate the profitability of the business. To set up a farm you will need the following expenses:

• Construction or renovation of premises, purchase of equipment and inventory will cost approximately 150 thousand rubles;
• It is more profitable to purchase birds in bulk, but it will cost more if you purchase several breeds. On average, the price of one chick is 70 rubles. Accordingly, 500 individuals will cost 3,500 rubles, subject to the purchase of one breed. But it is better to purchase several breeds of different areas of productivity, so that part of the herd can be sent for meat, and the females can be used as brood hens.
• Stern. If it is not possible to grow and harvest grain, hay and vegetables on your own plot, purchasing feed will cost about 40 thousand rubles.
• To hatch young animals, an incubator, brooder and ovoscope may be required. Their purchase will cost approximately 50 thousand rubles, but all these devices can be made independently from scrap materials.
• Registration of documents, certificates and certificates will cost another 30 thousand rubles.
• It is advisable to vaccinate the birds, since one infected individual can lead to the loss of the entire flock. The average cost of one vaccination is 30 rubles.

Taking into account all expenses, the farm will pay for itself within a year, and the profitability of such a business is approximately 75%. However, it is important to find a good market, although goose meat is considered one of the best and most in demand.

Geese are very popular among rural residents and ordinary summer residents. This poultry easily adapts to various living conditions, they are resistant to diseases and very smart, and most importantly - unpretentious. Even a novice poultry farmer can cope with breeding domestic geese. At the same time, it is very profitable, which is extremely important for the family budget. Let's take a closer look at how to breed geese at home for beginners.

As banal as it may sound, the goose is a useful bird. Since ancient times, these birds have faithfully served humans. There are many legends, myths, interesting tales and exciting stories associated with them. Geese unpretentious in content. By providing them with normal living conditions, often walking them and giving them the opportunity to swim in a pond, you can get the following results:

• delicious meat;
• nutritious eggs;
• goose liver, which is very healthy and highly prized;
• soft down, suitable for everyday use.

Breed selection

Currently There are about 25 breeds of geese. They differ in their appearance, maintenance requirements, size, growing conditions, egg production and other characteristics. Beginning poultry farmers often ask the question, which breed to choose?

Geese breeds are divided into three main categories:

• heavy;
• average;
• lungs.

Heavy - these are meat breeds. Representatives of this category are large, they are rarely used in industrial poultry farming, because some breeds are difficult to purchase and at the same time they are quite expensive. Heavy breeds are bred exclusively for meat, as they have low egg production and are difficult to breed. The most common meat breeds are: Lindovskaya, Kholmogorskaya, Toulouse.

Medium breeds– decorative. Such birds give personal plot a kind of decoration. The cost of decorative geese is quite high. This breed includes: Sevastopol Curly, Crested, Ribbon.

Light breeds- These are small birds that lay eggs well, so they are easy to breed. They eat a lot, but do not gain weight. Representatives of this breed are Kuban and Italian geese.

I would especially like to mention one such as mulards. They are the ones who attract novice farmers. Mulard is a hybrid, that is, it is the result of crossing an Indian duck with any domestic duck. They weigh approximately 3 – 4 kg. The main reason why breed geese of the Mulard breed- is receiving large quantity meat. Breeding such birds is not expensive. If, then you can get the most valuable resource - fatty liver, which is a delicacy. Mulard meat has a more delicate taste than that of an ordinary goose and has a less specific smell. This breed has one drawback - they cannot produce their own kind.

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 a large amount of valuable products. Healthy and strong birds provide valuable dietary meat, high-quality down and feathers, and delicious liver. All these goods have a fairly high price and, when sold, bring a significant profit to the owner. At the same time serious material costs 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. At 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:

1. Kholmogory geese are one of the best 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.
2. Gray birds, like Kholmogory birds, are representatives of the heavy type. Adult ganders weigh about 8 kg, geese - about 6 kg. IN 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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 choosing individuals to form a parent flock, it is necessary to take into account both the individual characteristics of each bird and the 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.

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.

How to recognize a good hatchable egg

There are several ways to obtain offspring from the parent herd. Natural Method involves the use of a mother goose, and the artificial one 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 openings, which often causes inflammation. 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 in severe frosts it is better to avoid walking.

Farming. This topic is of interest to many. Some people dream of having a large farm of their own that will bring significant profits, while others want to have environmentally friendly products on their table that they are confident in their quality. Caring for, breeding and keeping geese is an interesting and profitable business.

Breeding geese is a profitable business, especially if you take proper care

A lot of meat, delicious liver and fluff - all this can be obtained by breeding. The rapid growth of young animals makes goose farming an excellent activity during summer holiday in the country and a profitable business.

If you have never kept poultry, choose which goslings to buy. Here are several popular breeds that provide good profits at relatively low costs. Currently, there are 3 types of geese: heavy meat breeds, decorative, fighting. At dachas and in private farmsteads, large birds are often raised for meat. The best breeds for personal farming.

1. Large gray geese. Males weigh up to 9 kg, females - 6 kg. The breed is highly productive, unpretentious to feed, can do without a pond, and geese are excellent mothers. Ganders are strong and hardy and are often used for crossing and creating hybrid species. In 2 months, geese reach a weight of 4.5-5 kg.
2. Italian. The breed has been bred in our country for the last 30 years. Delicious meat, tender liver, which reaches a weight of 600 g. The weight of an adult gander is 6-9 kg, a goose is 5-6. They tolerate summer heat well and withstand winter. The presence of a reservoir is mandatory.
3. Lindovskie. Large, peace-loving birds that adapt well to their living conditions. Average weight - 8 kg. They grow quickly, gain weight well, and rarely get sick. They do not tolerate the lack of a place for swimming. It is necessary to protect from drafts.
4. Kholmogorsky. Representatives of the breed are large, with excellent immunity; ganders can reach 12 kg, and geese 8 kg. Females are excellent at looking after their offspring, but due to their heavy weight they can crush the eggs.

Today more than 25 breeds have been bred. Which breed to choose is up to you.

It is better to buy goslings in April-May. With an abundance of green food, good pasture and a small pond for swimming, within 2 months after purchase you will receive your first product.

Selection and purchase of young animals

It is better for beginners to buy small goslings for raising. You can purchase them at a specialized farming with good reputation or in the market. It is preferable to buy goslings from breeders of the breed, but this is not always possible. You need to choose your goslings carefully:

• choose large beautiful chicks;
• babies should be active, squeak, stretch their necks, move their paws;
• they should be covered with an even layer of fluff, without bald spots or the impression that the fluff has been matted;
• beaks are clean, bright, without mucus in the sinuses;
• fluff without debris and traces of feces;
• the goslings stand confidently on their paws, which are not tucked in;
• paws are dry, bright in color, without blue on the membranes;
• the cloaca is clean, without traces of feces and mucus;
• the seller is ready to show documents for the bird and answers in detail all questions related to keeping chicks and adults.

When buying goslings, make sure they are clean and healthy.

You can buy day-old goslings, but week-old chicks are more viable. High price not an indicator of quality.

Requirements for living conditions for goslings

Poultry house

Breeding geese at home will not cause difficulties if you arm yourself with knowledge.

Before buying kids, you should take care of housing for them. A clean, dry shed with lime-whitened walls is ideal to protect against mold and mildew. Capital construction is necessary for year-round keeping of birds.

Geese are sensitive to room cleanliness and drafts. Comfortable conditions will ensure a healthy, strong livestock.

Birds need clean, dry bedding. Straw, sawdust, peat, millet or sunflower husks are used for it. Be sure to install drinking bowls. It is better to place them on special trays so that splashing water does not wet the litter and does not increase the humidity in the room. With pallets it is easier to clean the house.

If there are few goslings, they are kept at the rate of 10 pieces per 1 square meter. m. If there are more birds, make separate enclosures and divide the population. Chicks, when there are many of them, can crush each other.

Goslings of different breeds are kept in different enclosures.

If you plan to keep the geese at the dacha only in the summer and a large permanent barn is not provided, you can place the kids on a closed veranda or in a summer kitchen, fencing off a pen for them. After only 7-14 days, they grow enough to pluck grass on their own. To keep them in the summer, you don’t need a warm barn; it is enough to protect your pets from rain, wind, and predatory animals.

Nutrition

For the first three days of life, chicks are given hard-boiled egg yolk, millet or oatmeal crumbly porridge with cottage cheese. Feeding every 2-3 hours. When caring for young animals, keep in mind that the water must be boiled.

There should be boiled water in the drinking bowl for young animals.

In the following days, the goslings are given a mash of finely chopped green onions, yolk, and young finely chopped grass. Eggs are excluded from the fifth day, cottage cheese is added little by little: this will provide the chicks with vitamins.

Week-old goslings are fed soaked peas, passed through a meat grinder, and finely chopped grass 1:1. Fish oil and grated carrots are added to the food. Bone flour - additional source vitamins

A little potassium permanganate is periodically added to the drinking water of older goslings. Pale pink water is an excellent means of preventing diarrhea. The water is no longer boiled, but drinkers and feeders are washed after each feeding.

From the second week, vegetables (potatoes, zucchini, pumpkin) are introduced into the chicks’ diet. Leave the peas and increase the amount of grass. From the third week, the chicks are fed like adult birds, 3 times a day.

Birds also eat at night, so there should always be food in the feeders.

Shells and chalk are mixed into the food for good digestion.

What should be in a goose barn

If you plan to keep geese all year round, you should equip a warm, light barn. It can be made of wood or adobe (a mixture of clay and straw), foam and cinder blocks are suitable for construction.

The main thing is to seal the cracks well so that in cold weather the birds do not suffer from frost and drafts. You can insulate the walls of a wooden structure with mineral wool, plaster and whitewash them with lime.

Good ventilation is necessary in the goose barn. Excessively dry and too humid air are harmful to the bird population.

Windows are required; they provide birds with light. If possible, it is worth installing electricity. Good lighting improves the well-being of the flock and has a positive effect on egg production.

The floors in poultry houses are made of wood or earthen; bedding 5-10 cm thick in summer and 15 cm in winter is required. Change the bedding in the feeding area once every 5-7 days, in the sleeping area - once every 10 days.

Geese's feet especially suffer from the cold; the presence of bedding is very important.

The goose barn room is divided into several zones.

1. Feeding area, in which there are feeders and drinking bowls. There you need to put a container with a mixture of sand, sulfur and ash. By bathing in this mixture, geese get rid of ticks and feather eaters.
2. Sleep zone. Geese spend the night in it. It should be remembered that these are large birds; it is necessary to calculate the area so that there is 1 square meter for each adult bird. m of space.
3. Chick incubation area. Geese are housed here and hatch their chicks. Birds are especially anxious during this period; they are separated from the rest and created comfortable conditions.

In the spring, after warm weather sets in, “general” cleaning should be carried out in the poultry house. Thoroughly clean the room of droppings, ventilate, dry, and re-whiten the walls.

Feeders and drinkers

It is better to use long metal troughs for them. Birds eat together; long feeders will help avoid crowding. Containers can be made of wood, but they are more difficult to clean and wash. You should provide special dishes with shells, gravel and small pebbles that birds need for normal digestion.

Feeders and drinkers are located at a height of approximately 20 cm from the litter level. These feeders contain wet food. Make sure that the mash does not turn sour. Anything left uneaten should be removed.

Any uneaten food must be removed from the feeders, otherwise it will turn sour.

Several wooden boxes with dry food are attached along the walls of the goose barn. They make a special window in them so that the geese can eat whenever they want.

In winter, drinking water is heated to prevent the birds from catching a cold.

Geese run

It is optimal to provide a goose flock with pasture with good set herbs: birds love nettles, clover, dandelion, 15 square meters per adult. m of walking area with low-growing plants. For young animals, 5-7 square meters is enough. m.

Your pets can be outside all summer long; you just need to build a shelter so they can hide from the rain. If at the same time the birds have access to a pond, then this is just a dream.

If the area is small, or the geese live in the country only in the summer, place them in enclosures where they can roam freely, place several large containers for swimming, and provide food yourself.

Features of winter and summer care

Winter content

We have already talked about a warm, clean goose barn. In winter, geese should be let out for a walk, unless there is severe frost. Walking 1-1.5 hours a day strengthens and improves immunity.

If it is impossible to change the litter, sprinkle it with superphosphate once every 7-10 days. Single and double are suitable, 400 and 200 g, respectively, per 1 square. m. It dries the litter, reduces the release of ammonia, and enriches it with mineral components.

Don't forget that dirty, damp feathers no longer retain heat..

Nests

Nests are built near the side walls of the goose barn. Usually these are boxes made of wood or plywood 60x50x50 cm (length, width, height). The bottom protects the masonry from hypothermia and reduces the likelihood of breaking or damaging the eggs.

Each nest must be separate and with bedding

The end of the nest rests against the wall, on the opposite side there is a hole for the goose with a small 10 cm threshold so that the bedding does not scatter. Nests are arranged in shaded corners of the barn, each should be separated by blank walls.

Geese sitting on nests are separated from the rest of the population: they will worry less and will not abandon the clutch.

Nutrition

They are fed mash of mixed feed, boiled vegetables, corn and peas in various combinations. Add fish and bone meal, fish oil and cottage cheese as a source of vitamins, carrots to enrich the diet with carotene. The food should be moist but crumbly. Hay, oats, millet and mixed feed are used as dry food. Birds love silage, so you should take care of preparing it in advance. Feeding 3-4 times a day and a balanced diet will help you survive the winter without problems.

In summer

Most of the time, the birds are in the summer pen; a canopy needs to be built in it to protect from wind and rain. Change the water in bathing containers regularly so that the geese can wash their feathers.

Caring for geese in the summer is kept to a minimum. Independent and intelligent birds find food, return home themselves, and carefully care for their offspring.

Incubation

Reproduction of goslings occurs in an incubator or from a brood goose.

You can place more eggs in the incubator, and the chicks will hatch at the same time, but buying an apparatus is not a cheap pleasure. But if breeding geese has already turned from a hobby into a source of permanent income for you, it is completely justified.

Eggs for incubation must be large and clean

The best samples are selected:

• eggs must be clean; there is no need to wash them before placing them in the incubator or under the hen;

• large specimens weighing 160-180 g;
• the shell is smooth, without cracks, damage, or limescale deposits;
• correct shape;
• There are no foreign inclusions, blood stains, or dark spots inside;
• specimens with two yolks, with a displaced yolk and with a large air chamber are rejected.

They are stored at a temperature of +10-12°C in a dry room with a humidity of 75-80%. Lay horizontally, sometimes turning.

Natural incubation

Choose a calm goose that remains on the nest even when a person enters the room. The best hens are birds 2-4 years old. A good female does not stray far from the nest. If a goose is planted for the first time, then someone else's eggs are placed in its nest. Experienced poultry keepers advise covering the nest with the goose with a basket to force it to sit on the clutch. You lift the basket so that the goose can stretch and eat, and she doesn’t run away, which means she will be a good mother. The bird is kept under the basket for no more than 3 days. During this time, she gets used to incubation.

From 9 to 15 eggs are placed under one individual. The hen should completely cover the nest. Eggs are laid no older than 12 days. The chicks hatch after 4 weeks, often at 30-31 days. A feeder and fresh water are placed next to the goose so that it does not wander too far.

10 days after planting, the masonry should be inspected against the light. In a fertilized egg with a well-developed embryo, it will be visible. Those without an embryo are removed. This is done when mommy has gone to eat. On day 27, another examination is carried out. Eggs with frozen embryos are thrown away.

Artificial breeding

There are two types of incubators - with and without ventilation. A device with ventilation is preferable. Selected eggs are placed in the incubator. From days 1 to 9 you need a temperature of 37.8-38°C. From days 9 to 28, the heat is maintained at 37.5°C, after hatching until hatching - 37.2°C. The eggs are turned 4 times a day. After the 15th day, the masonry must be sprayed with water at 37°C. After drying, the hatched goslings are placed next to the goose with the babies.

Possible diseases

Non-communicable diseases

With good resistance to diseases, birds can suffer from vitamin deficiency due to poor nutrition. Lack of vitamins provokes the development rickets, diarrhea, cloacitis. Adding bone meal, fish oil, vegetables and mineral supplements to the food will help avoid problems.

The next subgroup of diseases is caused by room pollution, lack of space, and poor ventilation. These include: cannibalism, enteritis. Symptoms of cannibalism include ruffled feathers that break and fall out, revealing a bleeding back. With enteritis, disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract occur. It is necessary to clean the goose barn, ventilate it and reduce the number of animals in the room. Add potassium permanganate to drinking water; if additional treatment is necessary, consult a specialist.

Lack of fresh grass and quality wet food can lead to blockage of the esophagus, goiter catarrh. At the same time, shortness of breath appears and appetite disappears. The individual may die from suffocation. You should carefully squeeze out the contents of the esophagus through the mouth, after giving the bird a little sunflower oil.

For goiter catarrh, gentle massage will help.

Diseases of the reproductive system. Yolk peritonitis. Only geese get sick; when the disease occurs, the peritoneum and intestines become inflamed, and the bird becomes very restless. There are no treatment methods.

Oviduct prolapse occurs when very large eggs are laid. It is necessary to rinse the oviduct with cool water, followed by a cool solution of potassium permanganate. Then carefully straighten the oviduct and place a piece of ice in it. If the goose cannot lay an egg on her own, she needs help. Either carefully remove it from the oviduct using Vaseline, or crush it with your hands and remove the remaining shell.

Infection

Aspergillosis, salmonellosis or paratyphoid fever, colibacillosis, pasteurellosis or cholera. With any of these diseases, loss of appetite occurs, the herd becomes less active, diarrhea occurs, and the temperature rises. It is imperative to contact a veterinarian, who will not only establish an accurate diagnosis, but also prescribe treatment, preventing the death of the entire livestock.

Geese may get poisoned poisonous plants or low-quality feed. It is necessary to carefully monitor the diet and grazing areas.

1. For beginners, the advice of experienced poultry farmers is especially relevant. What should you pay attention to?
2. Buy chicks from breeders who value their reputation. Breeding stock pays off very well.
3. There should be 3-4 geese per gander.
4. Geese are slaughtered before molting begins. If you skip this period, the presentation of the carcass deteriorates. It is spoiled by the stumps of the new feathers that cover the carcass.
5. Slaughter for meat is carried out on 70-75 days.
6. When superphosphate is added to the litter, it becomes an excellent fertilizer for the garden plot.
7. It is better to wash drinking bowls and feeders with the addition of a 2% caustic soda solution.
8. A clean barn is the key to healthy, strong livestock.
9. Be patient, and soon you will be able to happily answer questions about how to keep geese and what is needed for success in this matter.

Summary

Breeding any living creature on a summer cottage or in personal farmsteads requires effort and expense, but it pays off handsomely. It brings us back to closer communication with nature, an understanding of its laws. Caring for poultry is exciting and interesting, it allows you to get delicious, healthy products with your own hands and forever forget about the rich variety of chemical compounds surrogates filling supermarket shelves.