POULTRY 



229 



their food. Except in the case of rearing ducklings as breecT- 

 ing stock, they should not be allowed to swim as it has a ten- 

 dency to keep them lean. Green food and grit should be fed 

 daily to the ducklings provided they are not on free range. 



GEESE 



Unlike the duck industry, the rearing of geese in large flocks 

 has not met with the same degree of success. It is true there 

 are numerous large ranges devoted exclusively to the culture of 

 geese but by far the greater bulk of the goose crop comes from 

 the small flocks of the farms of the country. Geese are raised 

 economically as they live almost entirely by foraging. 



FIG. 61. Toulouse geese. 



The most common breeds of geese are the Toulouse, the 

 Embden, the African and the Chinese. 



Feeding Breeding Geese. Breeding geese when kept in 

 confinement should be provided with plenty of green food and 

 not too much grain or they may become over fat. They re- 

 quire grit, oyster shells and water for drinking and swimming. 

 These should be in constant supply. While on range the geese 

 require little or no attention provided the pasture is good and 

 only during the laying period would they be benefited by a 

 small amount of grain each day. 



