POUL TRY-CRAFT. 255 
(1). Feeding Breeding Geese.— (Wi_sur).— Turn out on pasture from June until 
fall; feed no grain while grass is available, then feed lightly of oats and whole corn. 
After February 1, give full ration:—a mixture of corn meal, shorts, beef scraps, boiled 
potatoes or turnips in the morning; whole grain in the afternoon. 
(2). Feeding Breeding Geese.—(Newman).— They must have a pasture where 
from early spring they will live almost exclusively on green rye, clover or grass, needing 
but little grain, and thriving well. Do not feed much corn in winter, as it is apt to get 
them too fat for breeders. Oats and barley are better. The way I feed is this: —I take 
some boxes about eight inches deep, and put the grain in them. These are placed in the 
pasture away from other fowls. One need not be careful in feeding them as in feeding 
other poultry. You cannot spoil their appetites, and by putting boxes of grain in the 
runs, they get a good run, and a light feed, and are in no danger of overfeeding. Give 
corn only in the hardest weather — when it is storming, or there is so much snow they 
cannot go foraging. 
(3). Feeding Breeding Geese.— (Rupp).— Adult geese can be turned out to 
pasture precisely the same as cattle, and in this latitude (Massachusetts) will obtain their 
own living more than six months of the year, during which the cost of keeping them is 
simply the value of the grass consumed. Through the laying and breeding season, in 
addition to grass they should be fed twice a day with shorts and Indian meal, equal parts, 
thoroughly moistened with cold water, but not too wet, lest it produce diarrhoea ; the mass 
should be dry enough to crumble. (If stale bread can be had at reasonable prices, soak 
it and use instead of shorts). Add ten per cent of beef scraps or its equivalent. Feed all 
they will immediately eat up clean. Supply shell liberally, and abundance of water to 
drink. 
389. Hatching Goslings.—As geese lay so few eggs, breeders usually 
keep the geese laying as long as possible, and hatch most of the eggs with 
hens. So far, hatching goose eggs in incubators has not been satisfactory. 
The hens are given five, six, or seven eggs each, according to size. After 
five or six days the eggs can be tested, and infertiles removed. The period of 
incubation is usually thirty days. It may bea little longer. When the eggs 
are hatching the hens.should be closely watched to prevent the goslings being 
trampled upon or killed by hens that will not own them. The goslings, as 
hatched, should be given to quiet, gentle hens, or wrapped in flannel and kept 
in a warm place. 
When geese are used to hatch the eggs, they may be given about fifteen 
each. Usually they must be set where they have been laying. They will 
bear little interference when incubating. 
390. Rearing Goslings.—The goslings should be allowed to remain 
warm and quiet for at least twenty-four hours after hatching, and for the first 
few days every precaution must be taken to prevent their being chilled. By 
the time they are a week old they need no artificial heat if the weather is at 
all moderate. They do not require much care. Until strong enough to have 
full liberty they should be confined to small movable pens, which can be 
moved to new grass each day. With each pen some sort of shelter must be 
