Grey geese are profitable for breeding

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Grey geese are waterfowl belonging to the duck family. The body length can reach up to 0.9 m, the wingspan up to 1.8 m. The head is large, the beak is short, thick, red with a light end. The neck is shortened, the back is straight, wide, chest

convex. Wings developed, pressed to the body. The legs are short, there are skin folds on the abdomen. The plumage is mostly gray with various shades. The edges of the feathers on the back are slightly lighter. A wavy pattern is possible on the neck and belly. Ganders (up to 8 kg) are larger than geese (up to 6 kg).

Purebred gray geese grow up to 4 kg in 2 months. During the season, from an adult goose, given the offspring, you can get about 60 kg of delicious meat. To grow a caterpillar up to 75 days of age for meat, you will need about 12 kg of grain, about 30 kg of greens, vitamins and supplements. The numbers are given for those who doubt whether it is worth breeding these birds.

This bird is unpretentious, hardy, quite resistant to diseases. The abundance of litter and the territory for walking are important conditions for its maintenance. In the open air, the gray goose spends a significant part of the time, walking even in mild frosts. The photo shows it well. But the legs and beak can freeze, which is why you need a lot of bedding.

Grey geese graze on pasture grass, eating about 2 kg of greens a day. Preference is given to plantain, dandelion, nettle, bindweed, yarrow, etc. If the pastures are good, then they need to give about 60 g of concentrates per bird per day. In addition to greens, geese need vegetable protein food (peas, beans, cake), meat and bone and fish meal. Rye and vetch should not be given, they deteriorate the quality of the fat.

Geese should be provided with fresh water at any time of the year, not only for drinking, but also for washing their beaks. In winter, they willingly eat snow. Despite the fact that these birds are waterfowl, they can safely do without a reservoir.

Large gray geese - a breed bred simultaneously in Ukraine and Tambov region. Obtained by crossing Toulouse geese with Romanov. Egg-laying begins at 10 months of age and lasts up to two years, after which it drops sharply. Geese lay about 60 eggs a year. Their incubation instinct is well developed.

Goslings appear approximately 20 days after incubation. They need to be kept separate from adults. For growing young animals, a warm whitewashed room and dry bedding are needed. If for some reason the goslings are without a mother, then they need additional heating. To do this, you can use ordinary water heaters. At first, goslings are very vulnerable, they need to be fed and watered in plenty. At night, it is advisable to turn on dim lighting, the young will behave calmer.

Grey geese live about 5years, so the breeding herd must be formed only from individuals without physical defects. Otherwise, the maintenance costs will exceed the economic benefits. There should be 3-4 geese per 1 gander in the tribe. The breeding herd cannot be fattened in the same way as individuals intended for slaughter. For successful breeding, their nutrition must be balanced.

Breeding geese is a troublesome business, but the dietary tasty meat obtained from them is worth it.