Now many are engaged in poultry farming in their personal plots. Breeding geese at home is not only an aid in the procurement of meat for your family, but also an excellent profitable business, as it requires relatively small costs. With the first warm spring days, geese can be transferred to pasture. In addition, they are also beneficial in that they are not afraid of cold weather, and it is quite possible to keep already grown individuals in the house on an irremovable litter, but with obligatory daily walking.
If you decide to engage in fattening birds, then perhaps the best option for you would still be geese. Breeding, maintenance, care of them is briefly described in this article.
Benefits
Home breeding of geese in the homeland is the second most popular after chickens. These large birds are characterized by their high precocity. Goslings grow very quickly, and an example of this is the following fact: from daily to 9 weeks of age, they can increase their live weight by about 40 times. The weight of such a grown bird can be 4 kg or more. As you know, goose meat is famous for its high taste, and the carcass itself consists of 60-65% of the edible parts.
Birds as a business
Like any other business, breeding geese at home will require a certain amount for the initial investment. The purchase price usually depends not only on the number of goals, but also on their breed. Therefore, it is worth taking this issue more seriously.
The most popular breeds of geese for breeding are Italian, Toulouse, Kholmogorsk, Kuban, as well as Legart and Gray. Birds quickly gain weight and are most resistant to various diseases. In addition, they have an enlarged liver, which is why they are valued and grown not only in personal plots, but also in industrial conditions. If the emphasis is on high egg production, then the breed of Japanese geese is just perfect. One such female can lay about 50 eggs per year.
Making geese breeding your business is a good option for people living in rural areas. To start this type of activity, a small starting capital is enough. It is not necessary to buy many goals at once, and a hundred birds will be sufficient. They will need to purchase food, as well as build a room. If there is already a barn, then the initial costs of this business immediately decrease several times. It is also necessary to buy an incubator, which will cost about 10 thousand rubles. When adding up all the costs, taking into account the construction of the premises from scratch, you can keep within the amount of 120 thousand rubles. And in order to sell finished products, you will need to register with the tax office.
Such costs will need to be done in the first year of work, and in the next you can start breeding your own chicks. Often, farmers begin to breed their own breeds, while crossing several varieties of geese. As a rule, such an activity improves not only egg production, but also the quality of the meat itself.
In order not to buy goslings, but to get them from your own birds, you need to collect eggs in advance and make nests for brood hens or lay them in an incubator for a certain time.
Brief description of the most popular breeds
● Italian. Ideal for growing in households. Gains weight very quickly. Egg production per year is up to 45-50 eggs.
● Toulouse. This breed of geese is the fattest. It was bred in France and is valued for its large liver, which can weigh up to 1 kg. The weight of the goose is about 10 kg, and the gander is 2 kg more.
● Kholmogorskaya. A fairly large bird weighing up to 10 kg. Its distinctive features are folds under the beak and on the neck, as well as a bump on the forehead. The goose of this breed is capable of laying up to 40 eggs per year.
● Kuban. It is considered a light variety, since the weight of the bird is only from 4.5 to 5.5 kg. However, it is characterized by high egg production - from one goose you can get about 70-90 eggs.
● Legart. These geese, the breeding and maintenance of which are believed to give the greatest benefit during cultivation, eat feed 20% less than other breeds. However, they quickly gain weight. So, goslings that are 2 months old weigh up to 6 kg.
● Gray. It has good stamina and a fairly strong physique. Reaches a weight of 8 kg. The egg production of females is about 40 eggs per year.
Necessary equipment
Breeding geese at home will require the purchase of special equipment that will be needed to raise chicks.
● Incubator. This is the most important device necessary to create the most suitable conditions for eggs.
● Ovoscope. A small device for determining damage to eggs. Shining through them, he finds even small cracks in the shell. With the help of this device, breeding eggs are selected for subsequent hatching.
● Brooder. It contains hatched goslings. The device heats the young in the early days of life.
Breeding chicks
Breeding geese at home is done in two ways. The first of them is incubator. Most farmers prefer to use this particular device for young animals. It allows you to make a large brood of chicks at one time. The first 14 days of life, goslings are fed cottage cheese mixed with herbs and finely crushed eggs. Later mixed feeds are added to their diet. After reaching 3 weeks of age, the chicks are fed the same way as adult birds.
The second way is to breed the young goose itself. One brood can produce up to 13 chicks. The withdrawal period lasts about 28 days. Since geese are rather wayward birds, it is not recommended to disturb the hen sitting on the eggs — it may refuse to hatch them at any time. A quiet, clean, dry and slightly darkened place is suitable for the nest.
Feeding recommendations
In the diet of geese, in addition to vegetable and grain feeds, even meat ingredients can sometimes be present. But you should remember some limitations. For example, to avoid a decrease in the egg production of geese, they should not be given barley and corn in their pure form. Otherwise, the bird quickly grows fat and poorly carried. Also, egg production can be significantly reduced due to feeding meat waste.
Fattening geese at home is somewhat different in summer and winter. In the warm season, green mixtures of juicy herbs, as well as various vegetables: beets, carrots, legumes, boiled potatoes should be included in the diet of birds. When colds come, it is better to give preference to mixtures with root tubers, various compound feeds and oats.
Oviposition Feeding
To obtain a high-quality incubation egg, it is necessary that the bird's body be provided with all the necessary set of minerals, because somewhere in February-March, the geese begin the period of breeding. Therefore, special attention should be paid to their proper feeding at this particular time. For this, the breeding bird is transferred to a more intensive diet a month before the indicated period. It should be noted that the goose will not be able to lay many eggs if it is weakened and exhausted. For proper nutrition, hay, premixes and raw chopped potatoes are added to the feed. In addition, if possible, it is also good to use high-quality compound feeds containing in their composition a whole set of useful trace elements and minerals necessary for the bird organism.
Winter maintenance
At this time of year, in the absence of grazing for geese, special premises are being built. They do not need to be heated, but the construction must be of high quality. Wintering geese at home requires the house to be well insulated and completely free from drafts. To do this, equip the vestibule. In addition, the entrance doors are additionally insulated with cotton. Planks are usually laid on the floor, but earthen flooring is also suitable. The main thing is that it rises above the ground by about 25-30 cm.
Care for geese, although quite simple, but in some cases requires special attention. If the bird is kept in a relatively small room, then in no case should the bedding be dirty or damp. Not only will this ruin valuable feathers and feathers, but it can also lead to serious colds. If the litter is dry, then the geese can perfectly survive even the most severe frosts. As it can be used as sawdust and large shavings, and ordinary straw.
To keep the eggs clean and not trampled by birds, it should be placed along the walls of the board. A fresh litter is placed on top of them. With this kind of equipment, the geese will get used to rushing in the same place. As for the litter, it is better to change it in the evening, so that in the morning you can collect clean eggs.
Care for the bird involves the fight against skin parasites. For prevention, in the room where the geese are located, every 2 or 3 weeks they put a trough filled with a mixture of sand and ash. They bathe in it and thereby not only get rid of various parasites, but also clean their feathers.
Additional lighting
To breeding geese at home was as productive as possible, you need to take care of artificially increasing daylight hours. This will be very beneficial for the egg production of geese. For example, if you turn on the light in the house every day at 6.00 and turn it off at 20.00, then the birds will not start flying in February or March (in the presence of natural light), but in January.
Summer content
In the warm season, breeding and rearing of geese takes place in specially equipped enclosures, when it is impossible to walk them on the pasture. The fence must have a canopy that protects the birds from the burning sun and cold rain. To make them feel good, the average area of space for one goose should be about 8-10 square meters. m
An ideal option for birds would be an aviary with an artificial pond. Hygiene standards require that the water in them change daily. It should be noted that the maintenance of geese at home does not require the mandatory construction of a reservoir. As studies have shown, its absence does not affect egg production or growth.
Bird sale
Breeding and keeping geese at home as a business is almost waste-free. Farmers with experience know that you can sell not only eggs and poultry, but also fluff. If the goose carcass weighs up to about 8 kg, then its cost can reach up to 1200-1300 rubles. About one gram of fluff comes out from one bird, and it will also cost about 1200-1300 rubles. And if you yourself make pillows and other products and sell them! In general, it turns out pretty good income.