WATER FOWL' 259J 



corn at night, and oats and wheat at noon. Grit 

 should always be placed where goslings can reach it. 



The most important point next to feeding when 

 rearing goslings for market is to keep the little birds 

 tame and gentle. They should also be kept inclosed 

 at night. When preparing for market, feed should 

 be withheld for 12 hours before killing. After they are 

 killed, an operation managed the same as for ducks, 

 the carcasses should be plucked and singed. This 

 singeing makes all the difference between an at- 

 tractive and an unattractive looking carcass. Gos- 

 lings of such breeds as Toulouse, Embden, African 

 and some of the cross-bred geese weigh eight to 12 

 potmds when ten weeks to three months old. In- 

 dividual specimens may weigh even more. It is 

 generally more profitable to market them at that 

 age than to hold them for a later market ; prices 

 are usually higher and there is less likelihood of 

 running up the cost of feed. It is considered best, 

 however, to hold mongrel geese for the Thanks- 

 giving and Christmas markets, because of the higher 

 prices they command. The season for geese begins 

 in early June and continues until March of the fol- 

 lowing year. 



One of the important sources of income from 

 geese is the feathers. These, when properly man-, 

 aged, often sell for 50 cents or more a pound. Many 

 goose raisers still practice the barbarous custom of 

 plucking live geese. Whether this is a profitable 

 practice or not is not the question. It is cruel, 

 especially if plucking is resorted to frequently. 

 This practice is probably responsible for the low 

 prices often paid for certain classes of geese and 

 for the poor condition that many geese are in when 

 they reach the market. It is one thing for a goose 



