' ' WATER FOWL 255 



fattening during the last few weeks. This estimate 

 of course does not apply to the special feeding 

 methods practiced in Wisconsin. For the Jewish 

 demand (see page 39), prices in the East usually 

 start in the early season at 30 to 35 cents a pound; 

 and sometimes fall as low as 15 cents during 

 autumn. The season begins in June. 



As a rule, good prices are realized during the 

 holiday season. The sale of goslings at five or six 

 weeks old to fatteners is rather common. Where 

 there is not much demand for geese, profits are not 

 as large as these figures might seem to indicate. It is 

 believed that the production of mongrel geese (that 

 is, crosses of the Brown China, African or Tou- 

 louse geese with wild ganders) is more profitable 

 than ordinary goose growing. The goslings from 

 these crosses, though sterile and therefore useless 

 for breeding, are excellent for the market because of 

 their large size — 12 or 14 pounds — and because of a 

 greater demand for them at advanced prices during 

 the holiday season. It is not usual to make the 

 reverse cross, that is, a domestic gander on wild 

 geese, because the wild birds are much less prolific 

 of eggs than the domestic geese. Generally the 

 wild gander will mate with only one goose ; domes- 

 tic ganders will take two, three or even four geese. 



When one plans to start goose raising he should 

 buy his stock birds in the autumn, because that is 

 the usual season for mating and also because the 

 birds take some time to become accustomed to their 

 new homes. If bought shortly before the breeding 

 season the results are almost sure to be unsatisfac- 

 tory. Either the birds will not mate or when they 

 do the goose will not lay as early nor as well as 

 she otherwise would, and the hatches may not be as 



