The breed of geese Linda is considered the best among the representatives of the species. To obtain it, Chinese and Russian species of birds with the best characteristics were crossed. For a long time, according to one legend, geese defended Rome and saved it from invaders. But at present they are not grown for the purpose of defending cities, but for meat, fluff and feathers. How to grow geese at home, read the article.
Goose Linda: breed description
Birds have a large physique, their body has an elongated shape and well-developed muscles. On a large head in the forehead is a kind of bump. Thanks to the frontal growth of geese, they are called humpbacked. The plumage is white, the beak and short legs are orange, but the degree of intensity of this color is different. Wings to the body fit tightly. These birds are owners of a long fleshy neck. The geese have small dark eyes, they seem expressive on a white background of plumage.
Females of the Linda geese breed, when they reach adulthood, weigh up to seven kilograms, taking into account average indicators. But in some cases, the weight of one individual may be 12. The weight of the goose lind is more - almost eight kilograms. These birds behave calmly at night. But if the flock is large, during the day they can make noise, which indicates their good health. They are distinguished by their friendliness to people and their relatives, geese linda. The description of the breed will be incomplete, if not to say that they get along well with other breeds. These are very curious and contact birds.
Geese Linda: Characteristic
This breed of birds is one of the most prolific and largest. It has the following characteristics:
- Birds grow quickly and gain weight. By breeding Lindovsky geese, you can build a business that will bring good income.
- They have high egg production and a developed maternal instinct.
- From birth, chicks have great stamina and resistance to disease. For this, they do not need to be fed according to a special diet.
- Breeding geese is for meat, which tastes great.
- Birds feel good in all weather conditions. They calmly endure cold and intense heat.
- They have a complaisant character and sociability.
Breeding eggs
A high egg productivity depends on a large amount of calcium and green feed in the diet. Considering that these two factors are supplemented by daylight hours with a sufficiently long period of time, the egg production of geese Linda per year can be 50-65 eggs. Laying begins to produce them in late February and ends in early June. One egg weighs from 150 to 170 g, 90% of them are fertilized. However, their viability in incubator conditions reaches no more than 80%. Of all the hatched chicks, 90% of the goslings reach maturity. Such a high rate is the merit of the hens who are good mothers.
How do birds eat?
When breeding geese it is very important to correctly compose their diet. Birds feed on grain mixtures, herbs, vegetables, shellfish. Before slaughtering young animals, they feed him meat with a special compound feed intended for feeding broilers. Such food is absorbed in full, due to which the mass rapidly increases.
Adult geese Linda, reviews of which are positive, being on a free range, they get their own food. Poultry farmers note that in the summer, food costs are significantly reduced. Goslings under the age of 18 weeks should not be given algae, and therefore they should not be let out for swimming in open waters. This kind of food makes them feel upset. From the age of 22 weeks, the main food for geese is a mixture of crops.
In order for the body to receive all the nutrients, vitamin complexes are added to the feed, in winter their amount should be increased. The tops from root vegetables cannot be given to birds, it is poisonous to them, as it provokes spasms in the intestines. If timely assistance is not provided, the bird will die.
Lind geese need to be fed twice during the day in summer and three in winter. If they are on a walk, the daily meal is canceled, the birds are already full. They have already enjoyed dandelion, yarrow, nettle and other herbs, as well as the gifts of a reservoir in which they repeatedly bathed: fish, shellfish and algae. Dinner is a must. It consists of a mixture of legumes and grains. Fodder yeast, herbs and boiled potatoes are added to it. It is very useful to give hay, carrots and beets. Fresh water should be in the drinkers constantly.
Breeding young
For breeding geese need eggs. The female begins to carry them from the end of February, she brings one at a time. The eggs need to be stored, so they are stored in a cool place at a temperature of five to six degrees above zero. During the day they are turned over, at least once. The first laid eggs in the amount of two pieces are unfertilized. They are not taken from the nest, so that the goose gets used to the masonry and does not leave it afterwards.
Fertilization of eggs, hatchability of chicks, and survival of goslings in this breed are high. Geese are excellent mother hens and responsible mothers. There are no problems with breeding offspring. Eggs should be laid under the female when she does not leave her nest for several days in a row. This is a sign of the readiness of the hen to hatch. If at this time she will leave the nest for a long time, the eggs must be sprayed with water heated to a warm state. They must not be allowed to cool. The goose hatches eggs for about a month.
Growing young
After the set time, the goslings begin to peck eggs one by one and go outside. Until they are completely dry, stay with their mother. Then they are picked up, cauterized by the iodine of the umbilical cord and sent to another room, in which the air temperature should be 27 ° C. For ten days, the chicks need round-the-clock lighting. Subsequently, during the same time (11-20 days), the duration of daylight hours is reduced to 16 or 17 hours, and from 21 days to 90s to 14.
Goslings are released for a walk from the 45th day of their existence. Prior to this, they are kept in an enclosure, closed on all sides, so that there is no temptation to penetrate outside. A bathtub is installed for bathing, but of such a height that they can climb into it. Only after 50 days can kids be taken out for swimming in the open water. Keeping young animals in such a strict mode is necessary so that immature birds do not become infected with salmonella.
Young animals need to be fed compound feed for broilers and products from the sour-milk assortment, which should be at least 14% in the daily diet. In addition, they are given finely chopped eggs and fish fillets. Goslings begin to eat adult food from three months of age.
Proper Containment Conditions
In order to get good profit from growing birds, you need to create comfortable living conditions for them and arrange proper feeding. These two factors are the main condition for keeping geese Linda. When calculating the area of the house, they are guided by the following recommendations of specialists: one individual needs half a square meter. According to farmers, the room does not have to be heated, but there should be no drafts in it, otherwise the geese will get a cold.
How to equip a house?
In the premises for the birds should be everything necessary for their life. It is important that they do not need anything. Be sure to provide a place for nests in which the hens will hatch eggs: one for three females is enough. As nests, you can use plywood or wooden boxes measuring 40x60x50 cm, filling them with shavings.
In autumn and winter, when the daylight hours are reduced, the geese acutely feel it and feel uncomfortable. To prevent this from happening, you need to install sources of additional lighting. It is important to know that daylight hours for the Linda geese breed are 13 hours. The inside of the house must be equipped with feeders and drinking bowls. The height of their walls should not be high so that geese have access to water and feed, but do not climb into them with their feet.
Free range and ponds for birds
In order for geese to feel comfortable, they must spend a lot of time walking on a large territory. In summer, it is here that they find food for themselves. Many herbs that geese eat during the day are useful to them, they are treated by them.
Growing geese Linda at home is impossible without arranging a reservoir. Its presence supports the immune system of birds, while fluff will be much better. The best option in the content of this breed is their breeding next to natural streams, ponds or lakes, where they will be happy to splash around all day, not forgetting to get food out of the water. But if this is not possible, the aviary is equipped with an artificial pond.
Wintering geese
These birds are not picky, but in the winter season require care. Their plumage must be kept clean, as it is a protection against hypothermia. Therefore, the premises should be regularly cleaned and not allowed to remain wet.
In the house, the temperature must be observed. The optimal conditions for winter are three to five degrees above zero. At low temperatures, geese need to be fed frequently, which is extremely disadvantageous. In addition, egg production will decrease or may stop altogether. However, this process can be activated if additional light sources are installed. Electricity should be turned on from five o’clock in the morning until daylight, with dusk and until seven in the evening.
Despite the fact that it is winter outside and full of snow, birds need clean, warm water. It needs to be changed three times daily and washed drinking bowls. In winter, birds also need to walk, but only if the outdoor temperature is not lower than 10 ° C frost. At a special site, you need to remove the snow and lay the straw. In the presence of a reservoir, an ice hole is made in it so that geese swim in the thaw.
In winter, you need to give the birds germinated grain: barley or oats. Gusakov should be fed additionally, but separately from individuals of the opposite sex. The fact is that with joint feeding, they come to the feeders after the geese, and therefore often are malnourished. In order for them to gain strength and increase weight, once a day they need to be fed sprouted oats, peas, scraps of meat, leftover cottage cheese, yeast and fish oil.
How do geese get sick and how to avoid this?
Birds of this breed have the ability to tolerate adverse conditions, both weather and climate. But they are susceptible to infections of various kinds. Common diseases are salmonellosis, pasteurellosis, aspergillosis, neysseriosis, enteritis and others. Most of them arise due to a gastrointestinal tract infection.
To prevent the spread of disease, you need to keep the house and aviary in perfect cleanliness, for which the disinfection and washing of drinking bowls and feeders is a must. An effective preventive measure is vaccination. From enteritis, which is a viral disease, a vaccine is given, for which the live vaccine VNIVIP is used. It is done a month before the start of oviposition with a break of 14 days. To prevent goslings from becoming infected with salmonellosis, they are vaccinated using the Tilan preparation.