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CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



GEESE AND SWANS. 



SEVERAL wild breeds of Geese are more 

 or less spread over Europe and northern 

 Asia and America ; but there is no doubt 

 that all of the domestic varieties are descended 

 from the Grey-lag (Anser chierats), which 

 alone still breeds in Scotland and our northern 

 islands, and also breeds freely with the domestic 

 races and produces fertile progeny. This bird 

 ranges as far as northern India, and has an 

 orange bill and general resemblance to the 

 common grey geese of many farm-yards, though 

 smaller and lighter in build. It is singular 

 that the most common goose now found wild 

 in Britain is the somewhat smaller Bean goose, 

 which has longer wings and a shorter bill, but 

 is only a winter visitant ; as is also the Pink- 

 footed goose. Both these may be allied to the 

 Grey-lag, and have hybridised with it ; but 

 the other best-known wild geese, the very dark 

 grey Brent goose, and the Bernacle goose, 

 which has grey sides with each feather banded 

 with black and white, appear to be more allied 

 to the Canada goose presently mentioned, and 

 most of their recorded hybrids have been with 

 that bird. 



Wild geese resemble the wild ducks in their 

 habit of flying, which is in a V-shaped phalanx, 

 even more decided than in those birds ; but 

 they differ materially in habits and diet, which 

 difference is still more accentuated in the 

 domestic races. While the duck is a very 

 omnivorous and somewhat foul feeder, but 

 requiring a pretty large proportion of animal 

 food, the domestic goose especially, and the 

 others less so, seeks a vegetable diet, and is 

 a very clean feeder. Some of the wild birds 

 feed largely upon water-weed, but the domes- 

 tic breeds chiefly graze upon land. The period 

 of incubation is about thirty days ; rather less 

 in the smaller birds. 



Geese pay best to rear in an ordinary way, 

 where access can be had to commons or waste 

 lands, as then the stock birds will only need 

 a little grain in the morning, and 

 General graze for themselves the rest of the 



Management ^^^^ j^ jg ^^^ advisable to run 

 Geese. them very thickly upon good pas- 



ture, as they eat it freely, and crop 

 the grass even closer than a sheep, and would 

 rather "sour" the land for that year by their 



manure ; but in smaller number they are a 

 benefit to it, and grazing stock often thrive 

 better, as they are found to eat off the seeds 

 and ergot of the rye-grass. For housing they 

 should have a comfortable shed large enough 

 for the number kept, well bedded down with 

 straw, and in which it is better to keep them 

 confined in the breeding season until they have 

 laid, as the female is rather apt to try to steal 

 a nest abroad if there is any chance. They 

 spend so much time in grazing on land, that 

 large swimming range is not required, though 

 they enjoy it : they can do with even a very 

 large tub sunk in the ground, but it must be 

 large enough and deep enough for them to 

 bathe themselves in thoroughly, and of course 

 a pond is better. 



A gander is generally mated with three geese, 

 and they should be put together not later than 

 the new year. A month or two earlier is much 

 better, and would prevent many disappointments, 

 as explained more fully further on. For very early 

 breeding young geese must be used, and usually 

 lay in February ; but the strongest birds are bred 

 from females a year older. They have been known 

 to breed till thirty and even forty years old, and 

 are often kept on farms for twenty years and 

 more ; but old ganders generally become very 

 fierce and dangerous to children long before that, 

 and have to be killed. Breeding stock must not 

 be allowed to get over-heavy during the winter, 

 but, on the contrary, kept rather thin and spare. 

 All eggs should be taken away as laid, in 

 order that they may lay as many as possible. 

 Some breeders set all the eggs under the largest 

 hens procurable, which will cover about five: in 

 which case the eggs must be well sprinkled, 

 or the nest well watered, which is better. 

 Others let the goose (unless a Toulouse) also sit 

 when she desires, giving her a roomy nest in a 

 damp place. The gander will often stay an 

 hour or two by a sitting goose, and when she is 

 sitting the birds must not be disturbed, at least 

 by a stranger, or the male may attack, and a 

 blow from his wing is capable of breaking an 

 arm. The eggs hatch at or before the expira- 

 tion of thirty days. They also do very well in 

 an incubator, or under turkey hens. 



A goose which has hatched a family is best 

 cooped out when they are about twenty-ibur 



