SUCCESSFUL POULTRY KEr^niNvj 



The young birds before in full feather must be protected 

 from inclement weather, but the adults can live most anywhere 

 at all seasons, open sheds or the shelter of buildings is all they 

 ever need in our vigorous winters. 



During the summer the adults may be plucked at least 

 three times, first at close of breeding season, the others as soon 

 as feathers are in condition; this is when the quills of the small 

 feather (no others should ever be plucked) are free from animal 

 matter, like blood, etc. These feathers will pay for the bird's 

 keep, leaving the price of fowl as profit. 



Geese are different from other domestic fowl, as it requires 

 no high fencing to keep them confined anywhere; a big tight 

 pasture is sufficient as they never think of flying over, and the 

 adults are too large for smaU openings. 



They are only fit for the common market about three 

 months in the year at best, November, December and January; 

 rest of the season are thin, no matter how fed (we never tried 

 stuffing them). The goslings are very vigorous with good care, 

 seldom die, barring accidents. We say, a gosling hatched means 

 a goose for market, and seldom miss it. To get the best size 

 one wants to keep them growing all summer. We hatch the 

 eggs and rear the young with chicken hens, as we find them more 

 docile and easier handled. They are then very tame, regular 

 pets, always happy and contented, while other young fowls do 

 lots of crying around. Our gosHngs reach from standard weights 

 up to as high as 20 to 22 pound females, and 23 to 26 pound 

 males, in December. Average good birds, 16 pound females 

 and 19 pound males, highest weights given are our exceptionally 

 fine show birds and fattened, although this is done on range 

 and whole grain. 



We have never been able to supply the fancy market at 

 good prices, since we have established our reputation to send 

 what we promise and cheerfully take back birds that are not 



satisfactory. True, we don't get as large sums for single speci 

 mens as is often received for turkeys or chickens, but on an 

 average (most all geese are good specimens in a well bred flock) 

 we make as much and often more profit off of our geese than 

 any other variety of fowl we handle. They are not as prolific 

 when it comes to eggs and young birds as turkeys, neither to 

 be compared with chickens in this respect, but the per cent of 

 young reared to maturity is too great for comparison. 



Being large birds the ordinary farmer need not expect 

 to rear large numbers of them, nor does he of any kind of stock, 

 but every farmer could easily keep a trio or two of old breeders 

 each year and rear all the young possible from these. The 

 adults while not laying can run in lots with shoats or even several 

 old hogs with little or no danger, or with horses and cows if 

 there are a few nooks for them that the large animals can't go 

 in. The old birds kept for breeding should never be made ex- 

 cessively fat during the winter, if one wants best results in 

 spring. 



Geese live to a good old age and breed well, young breeders 

 are not as good as old ones. Toulouse are by many farmers 

 called "dry land" geese, it isn't necessary for them to have 

 swimming pools; it won't hurt them to but they can't be fat- 

 tened to top weights when they do. Goslings should never be 

 allowed to swim while in down, or when weather is chilly. 



The young birds keep changing in color until in full feather, 

 then they remain the same, both male and female are aUke to 

 a feather, male coarser and larger, with more of a mascuUne look 

 about the head, but one not familiar with them can't distinguish 

 between the sexes nor can an old breeder until they about reach 

 maturity; then their voices become different, that of the 

 female, very hoarse and male squeaky; actions of birds also a 

 key to sex. 



Geese in common market bring from 10 to 12 cents per 

 pound; as breeders, good ones $5 up to $15 or more. 



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