POULTRY KEEPING 615 



The breeding stock should foe at least two years old, and fully ma- 

 tured birds. When stock is purchased in the fall, they should be 

 turned out in a pasture, and no other food than what they gather 

 themselves will be needed until the grass goes down. Their rations 

 should then consist of equal parts, by measure, of bran, middlings, 

 and corn meal, with 5 per cent of this bulk of beef scraps. They 

 should be given a light feed of this ration in the morning and at 

 night they should be fed cracked corn. Ten per cent of the bulk 

 of the daily ration should be green foods, steamed clover, and cooked 

 vegetables. 



The breeding season begins about February 1, though some 

 geese will begin laying as early as December, then stop, and begin 

 again the first of February. They make their own nests from the 

 straw and litter on the floor of their houses, and will lay from 12 to 

 20 eggs before becoming broody. As soon as the goose shows an 

 inclination to sit, remove her and place her in a dark box or small 

 coop, and keep her there for two or three days with water for drink, 

 but no food. Then she may be placed back in the yards and she 

 will begin another laying of eggs. The first and second layings of 

 eggs should be set under hens. After the goose lays the second 

 laying she should be confined again, when she will lay a third lay- 

 ing. When she has laid the third laying, she should be permitted 

 to sit on them instead of giving them to hens. A goose will lay 

 from 10 to 15 eggs in each of the second and third layings. 



It is recommended that after the eggs have been sat upon for 

 tw r enty-five days they be taken from the nest and placed for about 

 one minute in water heated to a temperature of 104. Thirty days 

 are required for incubation. After the eggs have hatched leave the 

 hen and goslings in the nest for twenty-four hours ; after the young 

 have become thoroughly dry remove hen and brood and pen them 

 in a large, roomy coop for four or five days. When the goslings 

 have reached this age four or five days they are perfectly able to 

 take care of themselves. The hen should then be taken from the 

 goslings, which should be allowed freedom to roam at will, but 

 they should always be cooped up at night 



Feeding and Dressing for Market. The first feed for goslings 

 is grass, fed on sod; a small allowance of corn meal, slightly mois- 

 tened, is also given them. Sand and charcoal are sometimes mixed 

 with the corn meal. They are fed on the above food three times a 

 day for a couple of days, when they are given a ration composed of 

 equal parts, by measure, of bran, middlings, and steamed cut clover 

 or cooked vegetables. This feed is given them morning, noon, and 

 night until they are 8 weeks old, when they are penned to be fat- 

 tened for market at 10 weeks old. 



To fatten young geese, place them in a pen, not too large, so 

 that they will not exercise too much, and feed three times a day all 

 they will eat up clean of the following : Corn meal mixed to a dry, 

 crumbly state, and beef scraps amounting to 20 per cent of the bulk 

 of the corn meal. While fattening young geosc they should be kept 

 as quiet as possible; no excitement whatever should disturb tlit-ni. 



