FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



dewlap under the throat. The standard 

 weight of these birds is also 20 pounds 

 for the gander and 18 pounds for the 

 goose, though they frequently much ex- 

 ceed this weight. At the Rhode Island 

 station, these were found the quickest 

 growing of all the pure bred geese. 



Chinese geese— These are smaller than 

 any of the breeds mentioned above, the 

 average weight of the gander being 12 



Fig. 424 — EMBDEN GEESE 



pounds and the goose 10 pounds. They 

 are much more prolific than the other 

 breeds, averaging from 50 to 60 eggs a 

 year and superior as table birds. There 

 are two varieties of the Chinese, the 

 Brown and White. Like the Gray Afri- 

 can, they have a large knob at the base 

 of the upper mandible, but their smaller 

 size and color at once distinguishes them 

 from this breed. 



Wild or Canada — The Wild Gray or 

 Canada goose is bred extensively 

 throughout the country, the ganders be- 

 ing in especial demand for mating with 

 the African or Toulouse geese for the 

 breeding of mongrels. These mongrels 

 are sterile, but are considered the best 

 of all geese for table purposes and bring 

 a much higher price than any other 

 kind. The Wild Gray goose has a black 

 head with a characteristic white stripe 

 nearly covering the side of the face. 

 The bill, legs, neck and feet are also 

 black, and the back dark gray. The 

 standard weight of the gander is 12 

 pounds and the goose 10 pounds. 



MATING GEESE 



When geese are grown for breeding 

 purposes, pure breds only should be 

 raised, but when they are grown for 

 market, the cross bred birds are larger, 

 develop more rapidly and are hardier 



than pure breds. Geese do not become 

 fully mature until at least one year old. 

 Many* of the eggs the first year will 

 prove infertile. They give their best 

 service in egg laying from the second 

 year on. Ganders are more useful about 

 the third to the seventh year. After 

 this the old birds should be replaced by 

 young ganders. In the case of the Wild 

 or Canada goose, the gander must usu- 

 ally be kept for two or three years be- 

 fore he will mate. The Canada goose 

 is seldom crossed with the improved 

 breeds, because it lays too few eggs to 

 make it worth while. For mating with 

 the Canada gander, African or Toulouse 

 geese are usually selected. 



In any case, the birds should be 

 bought in the fall, while still young, and 

 placed together in order that they may 

 become accustomed to each other before 

 the breeding season begins. Many breed- 

 ers claim that a larger percentage of 

 fertile eggs is secured if the birds have 

 access to ponds or streams of water. In 

 crossing geese, it is desired to secure 

 birds which dress easily and which have 

 white or light colored plumage. For 

 this reason Embden ganders crossed with 

 African, Toulouse or Brown Chinese 

 geese give good results. 



Feeding the breeding birds — When 

 the birds are purchased in the fall they 

 may be turned onto pasture without any 

 other feed. Later in the fall, when pas- 

 ture becomes scant, they may be fed a 

 mash ration made up of equal parts of 

 bran, middlings and corn meal, with 

 about 5 per cent of beef scraps. This 

 may be fed once a day, either morning 

 or evening. In addition, they should 

 have some grain, like cracked corn, oats 

 and wheat, mixed, and an abundance of 

 green food, such as steamed clover, boiled 

 potatoes, windfall apples, turnips, cab- 

 bage, etc. Many growers raise rape for 

 their geese in the fall. During the win- 

 ter at least 10 per cent of the ration 

 should be made up of steamed clover 

 boiled potatoes, turnips, etc. 



Coarsely cracked oyster shells should 

 be accessible at all times and an abun- 

 dance of water for drinking, unless the 

 birds have free access to ponds and 

 streams. 



Number and size of eggs — At the 

 Rhode Island station, the average egg 

 yield for two years of the different 

 breeds was as follows: White Chinese, 

 40; Brown Chinese, 31; Toulouse, 26; 



