In nature, a combination of the absolutely incompatible has become quite common. The name sounds strange - chicken goose. What kind of bird? What a miracle? Maybe the breeders messed up something and crossed two different species. It turns out that nature itself created this miracle. Definitely in the photo, the chicken goose is so handsome!
Origin
Chicken goose is very rare in nature. It is unique and listed in the Red Book. Belongs to the family of ducks, anseriformes.
South Australia is the birthplace of this large beautiful goose. The researchers found such an amazing bird on the island of Cape. On New Zealand, remains of flightless geese of the genus Cnemiornis were found.
There is an assumption that these are the remains of the ancestors of the modern chicken goose. Therefore, at first it received the name "New Zealand-Cape-Barren Goose." However, this opinion was erroneous. Then, the mistake was corrected and described as a subspecies, Cereopsis novaehollandiae grisea B. They got their name from a group of islands called the Resherche archipelago.
Description of Chicken Goose
The appearance of this bird is quite impressive. She is endowed with a powerful physique. It has a large torso and healthy, strong legs. Growth reaches 100 cm.
Plumage with a beautiful ash tint. It has numerous black and white blotches. The head is small, the neck is short and thick. The legs have short fingers, long claws. On the red paws of the membrane are black. A very interesting beak is visible: high, short, slightly convex at the base with a dark sharp tip. Something like chicken. Chicken goose meat has a high palatability.
A weight of about 3-6 kg does not prevent the bird from running fast. Chicken goose moves quite easily. His gait is different from that of an ordinary goose.
Bird habitats
Chicken geese live in small flocks. You can find them near the shore. Chicken geese do not like to swim, they rarely and reluctantly enter the water. Birds do not swim well. Even at the moment of danger they will not go into the water. They live a land bird, not a water bird.
In the breeding season, chicken geese are located on the banks of the river, on small islands. Food is harvested along the coast. After a nesting period, they choose meadows and lakes with fresh and brackish water. Mostly chicken geese live on small islands.
Breeding conditions
For the most part, the chicken goose prefers land and a walking mode of travel than flying or swimming. A negative attitude towards water bodies does not prevent the bird from hatching chicks near the water. When this crucial moment arrives, the geese retire with their pair. The rest of the time they live with everyone in the pack. They feed on juicy grass where they graze.
Before mating occurs, the male performs a beautiful mating dance. The nest is twisted directly on the grass or in the open, or in the rocks. The nest inside is lined with soft down and feathers. The female lays eggs in an amount of 4-5 pcs. The eggshell is smooth, whitish-yellow in color. Couples are formed once and for life. But if for some reason misfortune occurs and one of the spouses dies, then the remaining one again forms a family with a single bird.
The hatching period lasts approximately 5 weeks. From the moment of birth, chicks are always near mom. The pope during this period carefully defends his family. It shows excessive aggressiveness towards others.
Can geese live in captivity
As you know, these wonderful birds appeared in Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. They were presented to the King of England from Lord Derby. Since then, in any European zoo you can see at least one pair of these beautiful birds.
For the content of chicken geese it is necessary to create the following conditions:
- Be sure to fence off a common paddock with pasture and lush grass.
- For breeding and procreation you need a pond. You can artificially create a pond or a small pool.
- If the breeding of the young generation is not included in the plans of the zoo, then you can use one aviary with an area of at least 200 square meters. m
- In order for geese to shelter from the weather, you need to have a house on the territory.
In cold climatic zones, birds are kept in heated rooms, although they tolerate temperatures well up to -15 ° C.
- The area of the house is calculated on the basis of 1 square. m per adult goose. In winter, the house should be insulated.
- Fresh hay is lined on the floor with a thick layer. Periodically, the litter needs to be changed. This takes about 40 kg of dry straw.
- Bird feeding is forbs. You can add to it: granules for waterfowl, wheat grains and chicken feed. If there is not enough grass in the place where the geese graze, then it is necessary to mow fresh and bring it. In winter, you can feed chopped vegetables, cabbage and salads are considered the best dish. The birds do not miss the opportunity to treat themselves to worms, mollusks and insects.
With proper observance of appropriate conditions, chicken geese live perfectly in captivity and even breed. Life expectancy in a zoo can be up to 25 years.