The concept of poultry includes not only the cultivation of chickens. The geese make worthy competition to restless layers. According to the population, they take second place. Growing geese at home for meat is not an easy task, and the eggs they carry can replace chicken.
There are several breeds that are grown by poultry farmers. They differ in weight, habits, appearance, egg production and other indicators. Each breed has its own advantages and disadvantages.
General information
Domestic species of geese are relatives of wild species. It is from them that they came from, but domestic species are larger and have a high maturation rate and, as it is, white color. Wild relatives have a gray-brown color.
When growing geese at home for meat, by the fourth month of life, some breeds weigh about four kilograms. This weight gain indicates a high feed saving and the profitability of poultry farming for meat.
Leaving the bird for breeding, take into account the ratio of males and females. Three geese are left for one gander. For a small farm, two families are left, from which they receive about 50 heads of offspring. If you plan to get more geese, then you should leave more birds for breeding.
Breeds of birds
All breeds of geese belong to the meat direction. This is due to the fact that the bird almost does not carry eggs - about 90 pieces per year, and then, if you're lucky. Usually this indicator is half lower - 45-50 pieces.
Inside the meat sector, all birds are divided into small, medium and large breeds of geese. The largest and heaviest: Kholmogorsk, Toulouse. The geese are moderate: Adler, Arzamas, Rhine. Birds of Romain, Chinese and mixed breeds are considered light.
Adler Geese
This species of geese is bred from an unproductive variety with low fat content and low egg production. They were crossed with other breeds, including the Solnechnogorsk, Large gray ones. As a result of painstaking breeding work, the Adler breed of a medium-heavy white bird was obtained. It is perfectly adapted for cultivation in hot climates.
Arzamas
For growing geese at home for meat, Arzamas breed is often chosen. It is characterized by a small carcass weight and excellent presentation. However, this breed inherited from its ancestors yet another quality - fighting character.
As a rule, the bird has white plumage, but gray and clay species are not rare. Gander gain about seven kilograms of weight, and geese - up to six. They produce about 40 eggs per year. Moreover, the breed is characterized by high fertility, which reaches 90%. The brood gains weight quickly and at nine weeks live weight of about 3.5 kg.
Vladimir geese
The breed is characterized by a calm character and stature. These geese are large, they get a lot of meat from them. However, the breeding of Vladimir clay birds did not become popular. This is due to their gray-brown color, due to which the carcass is not attractive and because of the low fertility of the eggs, which does not exceed 55%. Otherwise, the breed is worthy of attention.
When growing geese for meat at home, you can get up to 8 or more kilograms of an excellent product from one bird. The egg production of the breed is average, up to 40 pieces. Offspring are themselves. Goslings grow rapidly and weigh about 4 kilograms by two months.
Gorky breed
Purposeful selection led to the Gorky geese. They were bred from the native species when crossed with Solnechnogorsk and Chinese species.
Basically, the breed has white plumage, but there are gray and pied pie birds. Growing geese at home for meat allows you to get 7-8 kg of product. Females are smaller than males, give about 55-60 eggs per season. Fertility is high - about 90%, of which approximately 80% is excreted. Young growth has high safety, about 95%. In two months, goslings weigh an average of 3.5 kg.
Danish Legart
To grow geese for meat as a business, it is worth paying attention to this breed. Gander weigh 8 kilos and geese weigh 7 kg. At the age of two months, goslings gain 4 or more kg of weight.
The breed is unpretentious, although it requires greenhouse conditions. Because of this feature, it is not always used for home breeding, but is used only for business.
The lack of Danish Legates in low egg production and goslings survival. They give about 30 eggs per year, of which about 60% of the chicks are hatched and survive. The breed has excellent fluff: up to 500 grams can be collected from one individual.
Demidov birds
Demidov geese - the collective name, which includes the Ural, Italian, Lindovskaya breed.
Italian is famous for its high productivity. Gander grow up to seven kilograms. Moreover, about four kilograms of meat can be obtained from an individual already at the age of two months. Geese weigh about six kilograms. The breed is characterized by good egg production - from 50 eggs per year, hatchability - 65%. Representatives of the Italian breed are precocious and profitable for breeding.
The Lindovskaya breed of geese was obtained on the basis of the Gorky and Chinese breeds. Gander weigh up to eight kilograms, and geese weigh one kilogram less. During the season, the bird lays up to 50 eggs. Moreover, they have high rates of egg production and the safety of the brood.
Lindovskie geese are unpretentious, precocious and quick adaptation to any conditions.
Ural or Shadrinsk
This breed is not characterized by high productivity. Males rarely exceed 6 kg in weight, and geese - 5 kg. Representatives do not differ in egg production - up to 20 eggs per year. The geese themselves incubate eggs and then breed offspring.
Shadrinsky birds are familiar with Ural weather, showing high growth rates and unpretentiousness in the content. However, the total yield of meat and eggs indicates the mediocrity of productivity. In addition, the carcasses are not very attractive appearance.
Chinese breed
To start keeping geese at home for beginners, it is best with this breed. It is considered one of the oldest.
Despite its low productivity - weight 4.5-5.5 kg, the breed has high egg production and can carry up to 80 or more eggs per year. Young Chinese geese are rapidly gaining their mass - already by the age of two months a bird weighs about 3 kg.
The disadvantages of the species include the fact that they need an incubator to breed them, they themselves do not incubate offspring.
Gray large
According to the description of the breed, the large gray goose reaches a weight of 10 kg. Moreover, the geese by weight practically do not lag behind the gander, gaining up to 9.5 kg. With the right technology for growing geese for meat, representatives of this breed can weigh about 5 kg in two months.
The egg production rate is about 50 pcs., But the conclusion is suffering, about 60-70%. Most often, this species is used to create broiler breeds.
Kuban birds
For beginners, keeping geese at home can begin with this breed. It does not differ in high indicators of productivity in meat, but in egg production it can be considered a champion.
The feather is brownish-gray. The average weight of a male is 5.5 kg, and that of a female is up to 5 kg. And how much does a goose grow before slaughter, and in what month can it be made? Representatives of this breed can be sent for meat from the age of 2.5 months. At this age, the bird weighs about 4 kilograms.
Young Kuban birds of moderate precocity. In two months, gaining weight about 3 kilograms.
Geese are highly egg-laying. They are capable of producing over 100 eggs per year.
Care Features
Having decided on the breed, everyone begins to be interested in questions, how many geese live and how to properly care for them? If the main task of growing is to get meat "for yourself", then it is worth considering pasture content. You should start growing birds with the purchase of daily goslings, the price of which is from 200 rubles. Usually young animals are raised to three months, then sent for slaughter.
For breeding birds in the summer, it is not necessary to have outbuildings. These individuals spend all the time on the street. If you wish, you can build a mobile type of crawler, collecting it from the rails and mesh. Top of the room is covered with roofing material. In a simplified version, a canopy is arranged in the yard. If there is no reservoir nearby, then a swimming tank will be organized for geese.
Ideal is the presence of pasture with a lake, a pond, a river. From a week old, goslings begin to graze, accustoming to pasture conditions.
When organizing a mobile walker, the calculation of the fence should be as follows: for one adult individual - 15 square meters. m, and for goslings - from 5 square meters. m
And how to feed geese at home with summer keeping? In the summer, the bird is kept on pasture and feeds on grass. In the morning and evening feed grain.
When closed, when birds are grown on meat enclosures, they need to provide a complete diet with a rich content of vitamins. For this, it is recommended to feed the geese with compound feed, grain, root crops, freshly cut grass, and aquatic plant species. On a properly selected diet, goslings will weigh an average of 4 kg by two months of life.
Winter content
In winter, birds are kept for eggs and offspring. Therefore, the daily diet, conditions of detention should contribute to an increase in egg production, egg preservation and offspring. It can be obtained in a natural way, when hatched by a goose, or in an incubator. The latter method is more reliable.
To increase egg production, it is necessary to provide the bird with daylight hours of at least 14 hours. After installing such lighting, about a month later the geese begin to trot. During this period, it is important to take the eggs on time so that they do not become cold, otherwise the percentage of hatchability will drop.
In the period before laying, the bird provides good nutrition. The geese are fed three times, giving wet mixes and succulent types of food in the mornings and evenings, and sprouted grain for lunch. In the diet, it is necessary to provide for high-protein feed, including animal origin.
During masonry, gander begins to lose weight. To make up for it, it is recommended to give a mixture of oats, fish oil, fish meal, carrots. This mixture is given only to males.
The maintenance of poultry in the winter is not limited to obtaining eggs, which can be incubated or laid under a brood. Experienced geese at the age of 2-3 years are used for hatching. They are left in the same nests where they laid eggs, fenced off by septa due to possible fights. During this period, the bird provides peace, access to food and water.
Life span
How many domestic geese live? Life expectancy of a bird directly depends on the quality of care. Domestic breeds live on average about 20 years, and certain species - up to 35 and longer. If the geese provide perfect care, then their life expectancy will be long.
Feeding
In the summer, the bird can get most of its food for itself. But in the winter, it is necessary to feed it, having prepared fodder for future use. For the winter of one individual, it is necessary to provide up to 15 kg of hay, 35 kg of succulent feed. For grass suitable forbs, specially grown clover, alfalfa. These herbs can be silo. In its value, the finished product is not worse than freshly cut grass; it helps to improve digestion in the winter. From succulent feed, geese are given sugar beets, carrots.
Of great value are water plants, birch leaves, linden, aspen. Boiled oak acorns are given to the bird, which are pre-crushed. They are included in the mash. If possible, you can give the geese worms, which are kept in the basement in clay containers with earth.
Such a diet allows you to quickly grow a bird in the summer, and in winter to provide all the necessary vitamins, nutrients. And if you provide proper care, then the bird will thank you with good egg production, brood and delicious meat.