560 The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



breeder would at all doubt this story, his own experience corroborating it in every essential point." 

 Mrs. Seamons, formerly so celebrated as an exhibitor, has kindly added the following notes on 

 the breeding and rearing of geese : — 



" Geese require little trouble or expense, as they will support themselves roaming about the 

 fields. They generally commence laying about February, and will lay from thirteen to fifteen 

 eggs each, when they will feather the nest for sitting. After the goose has sat a day or two 

 thirteen eggs only should be put under her, that quantity being quite as many as she can cover. 

 Thirty days is the usual time a goose w'ill sit, but if the weather is very hot she will hatch a day or 

 two earlier. Keep the goslings warm, and well fed, at first with hard-boiled egg, bread-crumbs, 

 and weed ; and when strong let them out on a good grass-run, with the goose under a coop, or she 

 would lead them too far away. They grow very fast, and will require very little feeding or care 

 after they take to the fields, a great many every year being killed at Michaelmas just as they are 

 taken out of the fields, and hence called " green geese." Those which are kept on for Christmas 

 will, however, require feeding for about six weeks, which should be done in rather a dark place, 

 where they are kept very quiet. I have always fed on the best barley-meal with a little whole 

 barley put in the water, and have thus made some splendid birds ; in fact, my geese were always 

 sought after as very superior, and {^.w could beat my exhibition specimens in weight. The heaviest 

 single bird I ever had weighed thirty-six pounds, and gained many prizes ; and a pair of Toulouse 

 weighed sixty pounds by the scales of the judges at Darlington, after travelling the long distance 

 from Aylesbury. My exhibition birds were always fed the same as the others, only were not 

 allowed to run out so much, or to sit, as this quite spoils the plumage for exhibition. 



" Toulouse Geese are not good sitters, and their eggs are generally set under hens ; but these 

 must be large and heavy, or they do not do well." 



The goose, when set upon her own eggs, will not brook much interference, nor is such 

 necessary, as she is almost invariably (except the Toulouse, which has already been stated to sit 

 badly) a patient and steady mother. When leaving the nest, she covers her eggs like the duck, 

 though not so perfectly. Neither is it needful to take any precautions with the gander, 

 who takes the greatest interest in the process of incubation, and if the sitter happens to be his 

 favourite mate, will often go and sit by her for an hour or more. We say if it be his favourite 

 wife, because the wild goose is monogamous ; and though the domestic bird will mate with three, 

 four, and even more wives, there is generally a marked favourite among them. The best ready- 

 made coop for a goose is one of the large square crates used for packing earthenware; but as 

 soon as the goslings are strong, if the grass-run be good and not too large, it is as well to turn all 

 loose, Vv'hen the gander will protect them, and assist in bringing up the family. If from any cause, 

 such as bad weather, they cannot be put out when hatched, plenty of fresh turf must be provided 

 daily, grass being the natural food of the goose, without which it cannot thrive. 



The goose lives, lays, and produces strong and healthy progeny to a very advanced age, 

 many cases being recorded of birds being in full breeding to at least forty years old. Whether the 

 ganders would remain equally vigorous is somewhat uncertain, as their temper generally becomes 

 very bad at a comparatively early period, when their great power (the blow of a gander's wing has 

 been known to break a man's leg) makes it by no means safe to keep them, especially if there 

 are many children about. There are exceptions, no doubt ; but bad temper in an old gander 

 is certainly the rule, as we have divers most vivid recollections of in our childish days. 



In olden times, when the commons then so abundant really belonged to the people around 

 them, instead of being enclosed by rapacious landowners in the neighbourhood, vast flocks of geese 

 were kept. Wiltshire was then a great goose-rearing county, each flock on a common having its 



