CHIlfESE GOOSE. J 



POULTEY. 



The goose will begin to lay about the latter 

 end of February, or the beginning of March. 

 The commencement of her laying may be 

 readily discovered, by noticing her running 

 from one place to another, carrying straws iu 

 her mouth. This is for the purpose of forming 

 a nest, when she should be watched, lest she 

 drop her eggs where they cannot be found. 

 On this account Mascall recommends trying 

 the geese manually over-night, and confining 

 such as are ready to lay. When a goose is 

 shut up, and lays her first eg^ in any particular 

 nest, no further trouble need be taken with 

 her, for she will continue to lay in that spot, 

 and will not be likely to stray elsewhere. 



When the inclination to hatch discovers 

 itself, the nest should be made of straw, with 

 a little hay as a lining, and should be so 

 formed that the goose will not throw the eggs 

 over the side when in the act of turning them. 

 There is no necessity for banishing the gander. 

 On the contrary, he may be suifered to remain 

 as near the nest as he chooses, and he will act 

 the part of a guardian. Fifteen eggs will be 

 found sufficient for a fair-sized goose to pro- 

 perly cover ; and they should not be touched 

 during incubation, or the goose interfered 

 with. As she is heavier than the hen, her 

 food and drink should be left rather nearer to 

 her than is necessary with common poultry, 

 because, if she chance to absent herself from 

 her eggs so long as to allow them to get cool, 

 she may abandon the process of incubation 

 altogether. It is, however, not necessary to 

 mix either vinegar or pepper with her food or 

 water, as some recommend, or in any way to 

 meddle with her. The necessary period of in- 

 cubation is one month ; but the early-hatched 

 goslings must be removed, lest the more tardy 

 be deserted. About the twenty-ninth day 

 these begin to chip the shell ; and, should their 

 own capabilities prove inadequate to their 

 liberation, aid should be rendered them. The 

 Eggs should all, as nearly as possible, be of 

 equal freshness, that they may be hatched at 

 one time. On the appearance of the goslings 

 they should be turned out into a sunny walk, 

 if the weather will permit ; but they should 

 not be made to feed for twelve hours, at least, 

 after leaving the shell. Their food may then 

 be bread soaked in milk, boiled greens, curds, 

 porridge, or even bran, mixed with boiled 

 876 



[CHINESE GOOSE. 



potatoes; and care must be taken that th& 

 food is not given in too hot or too cold a state. 

 Avoid exposing them to rain or cold breezes ; 

 and be particularly careful that the walk into 

 which they are turned is sheltered both from 

 wind and weather. The goslings should also 

 be kept from water for at least two days after 

 hatching, lest they become afiectedwith cramp 

 — a disease which frequently proves fatal to 

 them. 



Geese should be confined as little as pos- 

 sible, and should be kept in an inclosed yard, 

 sufficiently large to admit of their having 

 plenty of room for walking about ; and if there 

 is a common in close proximity, they should 

 be allowed to stroll about and shift for them- 

 selves. This will considerably lighten the 

 expense of keeping them. They require water, 

 and cannot be advantageously kept when 

 they are deprived of it ; still, however, they 

 may thrive without having access to any pond 

 or river, if they have only a small artificial 

 pool in which they may bathe themselves. 

 When geese are within range of water, 

 and suffered to roam at large, they usually 

 discover it, and afterwards daily resort to it. 

 Though they are so fond of water, their sleep- 

 ing-places must be kept perfectly free from 

 damp. Grass is as necessary to them as 

 water; and the rankest, coarsest kind, such as 

 cattle reject, constitutes their delicacy. Such 

 grasses as they prefer will be found on swampy 

 lands, of which, perhaps, no more profitable 

 use could be made. The stubble-field is, when 

 it can be obtained, also an excellent walk for 

 geese ; for they not only find the young grass 

 and herbage springing up amongst the stubble, 

 but likewise pick up much corn that would 

 otherwise be lost 



Goslings, produced in June or July, will 

 fatten without other food than such as the 

 stubble-field may yield, as soon as they are 

 ready to consume it ; but if required to be 

 brought up by a given time, potatoes, tur- 

 nips, or other roots, bruised with meal, 

 should be given at least once daily. The 

 goose is very voracious, and only requires to 

 get plenty to eat in order to accumulate fat. 

 Geese, fed principally on grass and corn, dO' 

 not, perhaps, attain the same bulk with such as 

 are crammed ; but their fat is much sweeter, 

 and they are altogether much more desirable- 



