Tips for raising geese in a small household. Breeding and raising geese at home

Geese are a valuable source of meat, eggs, feathers and down, although their breeding does not require large investments. Keeping geese is available even to a beginner in poultry farming, as these birds are unpretentious in terms of feed and keeping 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 growing, as well as the features of the arrangement and the profitability of a small farm.

Note: The area of ​​the goose house directly depends on the number of birds. One individual should account for approximately 1 sq.m of area. Overcrowding results in reduced egg production, weight loss and reduced down and feather quality.

Nearby it is desirable to arrange a paddock, but it would be better if the room for keeping is located next to a pasture or pond.

Basic requirements for keeping geese include:

• The room must be dry and without drafts, as diseases occur with high humidity;
• It is desirable 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 monitor that the bedding is dry, and it is advisable to remove snow from the paddock;
• In the poultry house, nests for females are equipped. They are best made from wood. There must be a bottom in the box so that the embryo in the laid eggs does not die from the cold.

It is advisable to divide the interior space into several parts in order to fence off aggressive individuals and young animals from the rest of the herd. An example of the arrangement of the premises 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, raw or boiled vegetables and food waste can be fed to the birds. 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 desirable for them to give out sprouted grain.

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

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

The diet of geese in winter is significantly different 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 going to bed). If you work out a clear schedule and give out food at the same time, not only will they not lose weight over the winter, but they will also put on extra fat.

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

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

Drinking water should preferably be warmed up before issuance, and drinkers should be deepened into the litter inside the poultry house.

Breeds for home breeding

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

The most popular breeds for home breeding are(picture 3):

1. Gorky combines high meat qualities and excellent egg production. In addition, birds are quite hardy, but geese have a poorly developed incubation 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 for fattening for the liver. Females are good hens, and birds do not need to equip a pond.
3. Kholmogory breed also well suited for beginner poultry farmers. Birds have a peaceful disposition, they perfectly adapt to new climatic conditions and are unpretentious to feed. In addition, birds are characterized by high precocity.
4. Italian white breed has a meat direction of productivity, and birds can be fattened for meat and liver.

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

Breeding geese at home

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

Growing goslings

Breeding and raising goslings is one of the foundations for obtaining a productive adult bird. In order for the chicks to develop properly and quickly reach maturity, they must be properly maintained and fed.

Breeding geese as a business

Breeding geese 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 the range (preferably with a pond). It is better to buy a plot outside the city.
2. Aviary: despite the fact that geese tolerate winter well, a poultry house needs to be equipped for keeping at night and in the cold season. It is insulated, protected from drafts and connected to heating and lighting. Only under these conditions can egg production and meat productivity of poultry be preserved.
3. Inventory: when building a goose house, you must immediately provide drinking bowls, feeders and nests. Nests are best made of wood and placed in the shaded parts of the goose coop. Feeders and drinkers should be made of materials that are easy to clean and disinfect (iron, wood or plastic).
4. Buying a bird: for people who start breeding geese, it is better to buy young animals intended for fattening. After the birds reach the desired weight, they are sold, and productive geese intended for breeding are bought with the proceeds. The breeding business will only be profitable if the hatching of the young is carried out directly on the farm.

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

Drawing up a business plan for a goose farm is necessary to calculate the profitability of the business. For the arrangement of the farm, the following expenses will be required:

• Construction or repair 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 acquire several breeds of different productivity directions so that part of the herd can be sent for meat, and the females can be used as hens.
• Stern. If it is not possible to independently grow and harvest grain, hay and vegetables on a personal plot, the purchase of feed will cost about 40 thousand rubles.
• An incubator, a brooder and an ovoscope may be required to hatch young animals. Their purchase will cost about 50 thousand rubles, but all these devices can be made independently from improvised materials.
• Registration of documents, certificates and certificates will cost another 30 thousand rubles.
• It is advisable to vaccinate the birds, as one infected individual can lead to the loss of the entire herd. The average cost of one vaccination is 30 rubles.

Considering all the expenses, the farm will pay off 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 sought after.

Breeding geese at home for beginners is an exciting activity that can eventually turn into a very profitable business. Growing geese and small goslings, with the right approach to business, does not require special costs and is within the power of a novice poultry farmer.

The main thing is to know how to care for geese and goslings, to have the necessary premises and equipment for breeding geese, to know all the subtleties of raising goslings at home. Properly organized keeping of geese is the basis of their successful breeding.

Those who are just starting to breed geese and raise goslings at home should, first of all, have a separate room for keeping adult geese and goslings at home.

First of all, a novice poultry farmer should pay attention to the following aspects of keeping geese at home:

• feeding adult geese and goslings;
• maintenance of goose livestock in the cold season;
• growing goslings at home;
• sales of goose meat and eggs;
• maintaining a certain number of goose livestock;
• breeding breeding geese at home.

These aspects of keeping geese and breeding goslings at home are presented most important for those who are taking their first steps in keeping goose livestock. Especially seriously it is necessary to approach the maintenance and feeding of goslings.

Little goslings are quite different weak immunity Therefore, improper feeding, insufficient (over) feeding or keeping in unsuitable conditions can cause serious illness or even death of goslings.

Principles of growing geese at home for beginners

Breeding geese at home has its own specifics. The main feature of keeping geese at home is that they cannot be kept in cages, such as chickens or guinea fowls.

It will be beneficial for a novice poultry breeder to breed this bird if there is a place for them to graze- at least a small pasture with a small natural body of water: a river, a lake or an artificially created body of water (pond).

Geese definitely need free space, they are big lovers of space. For intensive growth and full development, geese must certainly walk in the fresh air as much as possible, move, run and swim.

That is why goose meat is always darker than chicken meat (there are many more blood vessels in the muscles of geese - veins, arteries, capillaries).

Breeds of geese for breeding

The most popular breeds of geese for breeding at home are as follows:

It is better to hatch small goslings from an egg with the help of a mother goose than in an incubator. However, if there is only one hen in the poultry yard, then the result is a small brood of goslings, up to fourteen goals, since goose eggs are very large.

For successful breeding of chicks, it is necessary create the right conditions. To do this, it is necessary, first of all, to maintain in the room where the mother goose is located, the optimum air temperature is around fifteen degrees, no less.

Basic requirements for a nest for breeding goslings

To successfully hatch goslings from eggs, the nest in which the eggs and the hen are located must meet the following important requirements:

The nest must be dry. Accidentally damaged eggs must be urgently eliminated, while it is necessary to wipe other eggs, those that survived.

The need for building barrier between nests different hens is connected with the fact that while one hen is gone, another goose moves her eggs to her, therefore the maternal instinct in geese is exceptionally developed.

Excessive accumulation of eggs in any one nest will inevitably lead to the complete impossibility of their simultaneous heating. And also in such a situation there is an extra risk of damage to the eggs.

It is necessary to watch when the hens return to their nests after the obligatory walk, feeding and bathing, so that each hen took her nest and not the neighbor's nest. When the geese are sitting on their eggs, it is necessary to change the water in the drinking bowl of the hen daily to prevent indigestion.

For feeding brood hens it is recommended to use exclusively selected grain. And the mother hen will cope with hatching the chicks without outside help. In order for the eggs in the nest to be heated evenly, the goose periodically rolls them in different directions.

If suddenly for some reason the goose does not come to its place in its nest after feeding for twenty minutes, it must be put on the nest. This happens, as a rule, with a bird hatching chicks for the first time.

The first goslings are usually born on the twenty-eighth day. After birth goslings are removed from the nest, put in a separate box and organize round-the-clock lighting to regulate the air temperature in the box. After the birth of all the goslings, they are given back to the goose. In the first two days, a goose can be put a couple of goslings from eggs born in an incubator. This procedure is usually done in the evening.

Features of breeding goslings from eggs in an incubator

Incubator hatching of baby goslings is much more difficult than hatchery hatching of chicks. These difficulties are due to the fact that goose eggs have a large amount of fat, and in addition they are very large.

When more than seventy percent of goslings were born from one masonry, then this is considered good result. Basic rules for breeding goslings from eggs in an incubator:

1. Eggs are selected within ten days.
2. Three or four hours before laying eggs, you need to warm the incubator to a temperature of thirty-nine degrees.
3. For breeding in an incubator, you need to use only healthy eggs of the correct shape.
4. Eggs intended for breeding goslings in an incubator cannot be washed, but they can be disinfected by lightly sprinkling with a non-concentrated solution of potassium permanganate.
5. The first four or five hours after laying the eggs, the temperature in the incubator should reach thirty-eight degrees. Then it is gradually reduced to thirty-seven and a half.
6. Eggs should be turned at least six to eight times a day to keep the shell from sticking to the net or pan and to ensure even heating.
7. To prevent the accumulation of harmful gases, the incubator after fifteen days from the moment of laying should be periodically opened for ten to fifteen minutes for ventilation.

In the first five to seven days of life, it is very useful for goslings to give the yolk of hard-boiled chicken eggs. The weak body of goslings digests this food well.

During feeding you need be sure to give the chicks fresh herbs. It is a valuable source of vitamins necessary for intensive growth and development.

Goslings are very fond of finely chopped feathers of fresh green onions. To do this, you need to finely chop the feathers of green onions and mix them with chopped yolk of a boiled chicken egg. In the first two days of life, newborn goslings need to be fed at least seven to eight times a day. This is the main condition for their full growth and development in the future. Drinkers for babies should be very comfortable and shallow so that the goslings cannot choke in the water or even drown.

In an enclosure designed for keeping newborn goslings, should be warm and dry, there should be no drafts. Gradually, goslings, as they grow older, introduce various fodder grasses into the diet. The most popular are alfalfa and clover due to their high nutritional value.

Water in drinkers for goslings needs to be changed regularly, especially in hot weather, in order not to provoke indigestion or diarrhea. When the goslings get older, they can be gradually accustomed to boiled potatoes and corn porridge.

Breeding geese at home is a very profitable business. The main thing for a beginner poultry farmer - follow the basic guidelines experts in keeping and feeding goose livestock. And it is also necessary to pay special attention to the proper development of young animals, because the subsequent development of goslings depends on the proper care and maintenance.

And also a novice poultry farmer should pay special attention to the choice of breed suitable for the climate conditions of a particular region, since each breed of geese is adapted to live in different climatic conditions.

Growing goslings at home is considered a profitable business. Adult birds are used for two purposes - for meat or for eggs. Chicks reach maturity in 4-6 months. From the first days, they need proper care in order for most to survive. Beginning poultry farmers need to remember the rules and recommendations that will help you take good care of goslings. If they are followed, the babies will grow up healthy, and they can be used for their own purpose.

Care in the first days

Chicks are born from an egg on about 28-30 days. Not everyone can hatch, and sometimes a person's help is required to remove the bird from the shell. Healthy individuals need good care so that they do not get sick and die. Therefore, raising goslings from the first day should be correct.

Newly born babies should be divided into weak and strong, and then transferred to a warm place. The temperature should be around +30°C. If there is a hen, then take the strong chicks to her after 3 days, and leave the weak ones for another couple of days so that they get stronger.

Newborns should be kept separate from adults. For the first ten days, there should be ten heads per square meter of the corral. Three weeks later, increase the territory, now by 1 sq. meter to settle no more than 3-4 chicks. When the birds are crowded, it is inconvenient for them to eat and drink, the drinker quickly becomes dirty, which is why the young begin to get sick. If you do not increase the enclosure, a case is possible

The question of how to care for goslings at home worries many beginner poultry farmers. Immediately after birth, let the young animals dry out, and after a day try to feed them. The first food will be corn grits and a boiled egg. It is possible to give fresh grass and crushed grains that have undergone heat treatment already for 3 days. The food should be crumbly, the glued version is unacceptable.

It is necessary to ensure that all the birds eat. Individuals that refuse food should be fed in a separate box.

Babies need water. They can not only drink it, but also bathe in it almost from the first days. However, it is undesirable that they now splash in the liquid. Therefore, it is better to install a vacuum drinker that they are not upside down.

Start taking the kids out for a walk when they get a little stronger, stand well on their paws and move actively. This will happen in about a week. It will be useful for them to spend 20-30 minutes in the meadow, where they can eat grass and breathe fresh air. A portable aviary will be a good help for a small livestock. Chicks actively peck at the grass, because it is their main diet. If it is not possible to release the bird to the pond, install wide containers. In hot weather, geese will bathe, which will greatly facilitate their maintenance.

Proper nutrition for goslings

Growing goslings at home will be successful if they are correct. The first few days after birth, it is recommended to give feed mixtures.

They should include:

• cottage cheese;
• bran;
• eggs;
• crushed peas;
• oat groats.

Mix in wet green food, as well as potatoes and pumpkin. Three weeks later, offer the chicks food waste.

In order for the birds to grow up healthy, it is imperative to add vitamins A, D, E, B. Please note that some feeds already contain them. To strengthen the immune system, dilute a few grams of biomycin and penicillin in a glass of milk, adding a little sugar. In this form, give antibiotics to chicks.

Do not forget about the mandatory walking. Fresh green grass is an excellent source of vitamins. If it is not possible to send the kids to the meadow, then independently tear the grass and throw it into the aviary. Then the question of how to grow goslings at home healthy and strong will be simplified.

Where and how to keep?

To grow goslings at home, choose a special place. Prepare a separate, well-heated room. Keep the temperature at least 30°C for the first week. With age, this will no longer be so important, but for now, the kids should be kept warm. On the 6th day of life, the temperature is reduced to 24°C, and on the 11th day to 20°C. Do not overheat the grown chicks, otherwise their development will slow down. As for humidity, its limit is 75%. In this case, good ventilation is required. Ensure the flow of fresh air, ventilate the room several times a day.

Do not turn off the lights for 14 hours a day. In the light, the chicks eat more and grow faster. If there is no light at night, it will be difficult for them to find their bowls to eat.

Information about growing goslings at home for beginners will be useful. The above tips and tricks will prevent mistakes. Although the correct care of the chicks is painstaking, but it will help to grow healthy young.

Daily goslings - video

The choice of breed of geese

Different geese were bred to implement all sorts of tasks of agriculture and poultry farming in particular. The most common types are:

1. . An adult male gains up to 10 kg, a female about 8 kg. These birds are capable of carrying 40 eggs per year, although the egg production of individual geese can reach 80 pcs. The plumage may be white or grey. You can grow geese of this breed in almost any climatic conditions.
2. Gray geese, as a rule, grow up to 8 kg. The average number of eggs is 40 pcs. Geese are comparatively worse mother hens than representatives of other breeds.
3. the breed is one of the largest and fattest, adult birds reach 12 kg of weight (geese up to 10 kg). They are able to produce up to 40 eggs per year, weighing 200 g each. Inactive, poorly adapted to cold climates.
4. Italian. According to the characteristics, they resemble the Kholmogory geese. They are bred, as a rule, to obtain the liver. The breed is distinguished by above-average egg-laying (up to 50 pcs.) And the precocity of the young.
5. Kuban geese are relatively small, weight does not exceed 5-6 kg. Very resistant to external factors, able to carry about 50 eggs, weighing 140 g each.
6. Chinese are in great demand among farmers due to the increased level of egg production (the best geese are able to carry up to 100 pieces / year). The mass of adult birds is 4-5 kg.

Geese and Toulouse breeds are excellent for the production and sale of liver, and for the purpose of obtaining down and feathers, farmers choose Edmen and Rhine geese.

If several breeds are kept on the same farm, each of them must be grown separately.

Depending on the chosen goals, the required number of heads is calculated, as well as the area required for their maintenance.

The optimal parameters of the poultry house will be the following: height - 2 m and above, area per bird - 1 sq.m.

The room must reliably protect the geese from drafts and precipitation, and the floor must be equipped in such a way as to prevent the penetration of rodents. That is, it can be covered with clean dried straw, sawdust or peat. For one goose, you will need to prepare about 40 kg of bedding material. Inside the house it is recommended to whitewash with slaked limestone.

The health of the birds will ensure uniform heating and proper lighting. In addition to piece light, the sun's rays should also penetrate into the room, for which several windows should be provided.

For breeding geese at home, it is desirable to design the house in such a way that it consists of several separate boxes. This will sort the birds by groups and age.

A huge plus would be the presence of a green area with a pond where you can carry out walking. For goslings, you will need 1 sq.m. / 1 ​​pc., And for an adult bird, an area of ​​15 sq.m. will be the best option. For bathing, it is advisable to install a large container with clean water, which should be changed regularly.

Particular attention should be paid to the feeders. They are usually made in the form of a trough, which ensures easy cleaning and uniform feeding of the entire herd. It is advisable to choose a drinker with height adjustment, because, according to experts, its bottom should be several centimeters higher than the back of the bird.

Feeders and drinkers are periodically washed with warm water with the addition of a 2% solution of caustic soda.

Despite the fact that geese survive absolutely normally in poultry houses with temperatures down to -10 ° C, it is advisable to keep the goose house warm (optimum temperature is + 4 ° C). This will promote good egg laying and hatching of healthy chicks.

For every 2-3 geese, a wooden nest with clean and dry bedding should be provided.

For the prevention of skin and feather diseases among geese, it is useful to install a trough in the yard, with the addition of sand, ash and fodder sulfur. Geese "bath" in this mass and, thus, clean the feathers from pests.

What else is useful to know about raising geese

Growing geese at home has several key points that every novice farmer should know.

After oviposition (approximately in June), the geese begin the molting period. At this time, you need to pluck the birds, which is completely painless for them. Thus, the resulting fluff and feathers can be used in the household.

The day before the procedure, the geese are bathed in clean ponds or troughs, and then they are given the opportunity to clean the feathers. The next day, the birds selected for plucking are not released to the pasture, but are closed in a paddock.

Features of feeding geese

Goose feeds are relatively high in calories and fiber. Due to this, the bird consumes less food, but at the same time it actively and quickly grows.

For females that lay eggs, the diet should not be limited to cereals or mixed feed.. In order for them to produce healthy offspring, their food must include fresh green grass, bran, various vegetables, steamed hay, etc.

In winter, the diet of each adult goose should contain daily:

• grain flour crops - 150g (with an admixture of whole oats);
• hay from legumes - 100-150 g;
• vegetables (including potatoes, beets and carrots) - up to 0.5 kg;

It is also allowed to add 50 g of sauerkraut. Finely ground chalk and gravel should be added to separate containers.

Geese, unlike other birds, can eat at any time of the day, so you need to monitor the availability of food in their feeders around the clock.

What you need to know about raising geese for meat?

Fattening should begin in August, when young birds reach 3-4 kg of weight.
Several times a day, geese are given grain top dressing, while not stopping grazing.

1.5-2 weeks before slaughter, the birds are placed indoors and fed up to 4 times a day with a mixture of steamed grain. The calculation of grain is carried out according to the formula: 35 g - 1 kg of weight.

Birds are slaughtered for meat on the 70th day of life, when the goose gains 5-7 kg. If this period is missed, the goose will begin to molt and will have to wait until 4 months of age.

The meat of young lean poultry is always in great demand. For this reason, many farms are engaged in raising chickens, geese and other birds, not only for themselves, but also for sale. From the point of view of economic benefits, the most profitable is the breeding of geese for meat. Why geese? Yes, because they are unpretentious, they prefer green fodder, which allows you to save a significant part of the money, besides, in addition to dietary meat, you can get the most valuable fluff from them, as well as liver - the main component of the famous Foie Gras.

The key to successfully raising geese at home is choosing the right breed. Like all birds, geese are divided into three main groups: light, medium and heavy (meat breeds or broilers). Since in this case the goal is to breed geese for meat, you should choose among heavy breeds with good meat performance. Such birds grow quickly, gain weight within 4–5 months, and their meat is distinguished by higher palatability.

The group of heavy (meat) crosses has more than two dozen, but the following breeds are the most popular:

1. Kholmogorskaya. One of the largest breeds, characterized by fast fattening and carcass weight gain. Already by the age of 60–65 days, the young growth grows up to 4 kg, therefore it is this breed that is most often bred for meat.
2. Large gray. Heavy cross, obtained from crossing the Toulouse and Romensky breeds. These geese are mobile, have a strong physique, a muscular broad sternum, and are also low in fat. For slaughter, goslings are recommended to grow up to 9-10 weeks - at this age, their weight is 4-4.5 kg.
3. Lindovskaya white. A breed very popular with domestic poultry farmers with high productive, including meat, indicators. Young animals reach their slaughter weight (4–4.5 kg) by the age of three months. Geese gain weight well, eat pasture, and are not demanding to care for.
4. Toulouse. French breed, characterized by rapid weight gain, not only meat, but also fat. Toulouse geese are inactive, do not eat plant foods well, so the young are slaughtered when they reach two months of age, otherwise the meat will become too fatty.
5. Broilers G 35. A highly productive cross bred by French experts through genetic selection. Ideal for breeding geese at home, as the birds are gaining weight intensively and have a high immunity to disease. The slaughter weight (4 kg) is reached by the age of 7 weeks, and already a three-month-old goose weighs about 7 kg.

How to contain

The technology of growing geese in a private household requires the creation of favorable conditions for keeping birds. While the goslings are small, a bright and heated room of such a size is suitable for them that for every 8-10 chicks there is at least 1 m² of area. In the far corner of the house, a resting area with bedding should be equipped, and drinkers and feeders should be installed on the opposite side.

For chicks under the age of 20 days, it is necessary to maintain a temperature regime of 26–28 ° C. When the temperature drops, infrared lamps can be used. Daylight hours for normal growth of chicks should be approximately 17 hours.

On farms, the rearing of young geese for meat occurs mainly in mesh or wooden cages. Typically, such pens have several partitions (sections), each of which contains 15–20 animals.

If cages are used to keep geese at home, then it is necessary to ensure that the number of goslings per 1 m² of area does not exceed 3-4 heads. With a denser placement, the livestock grows slowly and often gets sick, becoming infected from each other.

Mandatory conditions for cage keeping is the daily walking of birds for 1–2 hours. In normal home keeping, geese should always have access to water. It is desirable that the goslings grow near the reservoir, but if this is not possible, then large water containers should be installed in the yard for bathing and swimming birds.

What to feed

The diet of goslings depends on their age. During the first two weeks from birth, chicks should be fed with healthy and light foods: boiled eggs, low-fat homemade cottage cheese, chopped cereals. When the babies are 10 days old, bone meal, chopped greens should be added to the menu little by little: dandelions, nettles, ordinary grass, onion feathers. The first 4 weeks you need to feed the chicks often - up to 8 times a day.

When they are one month old, you need to put an additional feeder for solid grain feed. Geese are very fond of mash, made from vegetables (zucchini, carrots) and cereals. In such food, you can and should add good combined vitamin mixtures that promote growth and weight gain.

Water in drinking bowls should always be clean and in sufficient quantity. Sand, small shells should be poured next to the feeders - these components improve digestion. With the age of the chicks, the frequency of feeding decreases to 4-5 times, and the portion size, on the contrary, increases.

In the warm season, with good weather, it is better to let the geese outside for the whole day. Forbs, various insects and the sun will favorably affect the growing organism. The birds themselves will be able to choose which pasture suits them. In general, for the whole day, an adult bird can eat about 2 kg of greens, and it remains to feed it only 2 times - in the morning and in the evening, which is very economically profitable.

How long does it take to grow

How long do geese usually grow before slaughter? The answer to this question depends on the breed. The main criterion to be guided by is the achievement by the bird of a mass of 4 kg. For some breeds of geese, 60-75 days is enough for this, and for others 3-4 months. You can determine the period of readiness for slaughter by the state of the feathers - if you don’t feel stumps when you run your hand over them, this means that the bird is fully feathered and you can slaughter. Having mastered this knowledge, breeding birds at home for beginners and experienced poultry farmers will not be difficult.

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