CHAPTER XII 



Feeding and Fattening Geese 



Influence of the Grazing Habit of Geese Upon Feeding Practice Starting the Goslings With Hens On Grass 



Handling Large Flocks Ra e of Growth of GoslL-g., Methods and Rations Used On Commercial 



Goose Fattening Plants Relation of Feeding Methods to Profits in Common Practice 



NO one can really appreciate the value of green 

 feed for all kinds of poultry until he has had a 

 little experience in growing geese and has 

 grown good geese quickly. Geese are as fast growing as 

 ducks, and they can be grown almost entirely upon green 

 feed. They do better with a little grain feed. They 

 grow quicker, larger, and carry a little more fat as they 

 ai rive at marketable age if they have one or two light 

 feeds of ground grain daily; but their prime need is for 

 pasture in summer, and for liberal supplies of vegetable 

 feed with a moderate grain ration in winter. 



The novice in growing geese usually and quite nat- 

 uially supposes that the goslings should be fed about the 

 same as young ducks. He waits the conventional twenty- 

 four to thirty-six hours before giving them anything to 

 insure that they will not be hurt by feeding too early 

 and then feeds them a substantial meal of mash of some 

 kind. If they do not seem to feel right after being filled 

 up with this, he puts a 1'beral amount of sand or grit in 

 their next soft feed. That helps, but in general those 

 who try to grow goslings with a heavy grain diet have 

 a great deal of trouble with them and lose many. If it 

 is understood that the goose is a GRAZING BIRD, and 

 that all kinds of poultry want the vegetable feed they 

 eat very succulent and tender, the requirements in feed- 

 ing geese are much more readily apprehended. They 

 like to have access to the water, but do not get nearly 

 as much of their natural feed from it as ducks. They 

 prefer marshy land to clear water, because it affords 

 them plenty of succulent grass and weeds, with enough 

 animal feed of various kinds to give variety to the ration; 

 but the goslings can be grown on dry pastures with only 

 water for drinking, if the flock and the pasturage are so 

 managed that the grass is never allowed to become hard 

 and tough. 



Starting the Goslings Right 



Most goslings are hatched with hens, especially in 

 the early part of the season when, if the geese are not 

 allowed to sit, they will lay many more eggs. The com- 

 mon hen can brood only about half-a-dozen goslings at 



the start and these quickly grow so large that they have 

 no further need of her services. A hen with a brood of 

 goslings, should have such a shelter coop as would be 

 given her with a brood of chicks; but instead of such a 

 run as is usually attached to a coop for chickens, the 

 goslings should have a pen of boards or of narrow poul- 

 try netting. A board eight or ten inches high will keep 

 them in. The pen should be about 6 ft. square, or as 

 much larger as is convenient, and should be placed where 

 there is a good growth of short, tender grass and weed?. 

 Where only a few goslings are grown, it is a good plan 

 to use wire covered runs such as are used for other 

 young poultry when they must be protected from cats; 

 then the goslings need not be confined to the brood coop 

 at night and can eat grass at will. With large lots of 

 goslings this is not practical because they need protec- 

 tion for so short a time that the cost of providing a lot 

 of such runs and the labor of putting them out and put- 

 ting them away would be out of all proportion to the 

 benefit of giving the goslings the opportunity to feed at 

 night while small. 



The hen with her brood of goslings should be put 

 in the coop with a run or pen confining the goslings to a' 

 little plot of grass near it, as soon as the goslings are 

 dry. Those that hatched first will usually begin to nibble 

 the grass a little as soon as put out. The hen should 

 be fed two or three times a day what mash she will eat 

 up clean when the goslings are eating with her. If there 

 is grass enough available so that the goslings can always 

 have all the green feed they will eat while growing, it is 

 best to give the hen only two feeds of mash a day, and 

 give one feed of whole or cracked grain. The goslings 

 may have as much of any feed that is given the hen as 

 they can eat while she is eating what she will take read- 

 ily at one time. They like mash much better than hard 

 grain, but will eat some of the latter. If the supply of 

 green feed is not going to be ample, and must be con- 

 served to make it last, the hen and goslings should have 

 three feeds of mash a day, for as long as the hen stays 

 with them. Any mash that is good for the hen will do 



A FLOCK OF WATERFOWL ON POULTRY PLANT AT WISCONSIN UNIVERSITY 



103 



