254 MAKING POULTRY PAY 



and those having a record as being early and good 

 layers. Of most varieties mate one gander to two or 

 three geese, possibly to four. An Embden gander 

 will care for eight or ten, and an African for from 

 fifteen to twenty. 



A low shed, open to the south, with straw on the 

 floor, is all the shelter they usually need. They lay 

 early in the morning, and should be penned until 9 

 a. m. in order that all the eggs may be gathered. 

 ■Boxes and barrels on their sides make good nests for 

 them, or lacking these, geese will make their own 

 nests of the litter on the floor. 



They commence to lay in March. The first clutch 

 is ten to fifteen eggs, sometimes more. If not allowed 

 to sit the goose will soon commence laying again 

 and lay eight to ten eggs, and if not set will lay the 

 third clutch of a few eggs, but the latter are not very 

 fertile and the young are difficult to raise late. The 

 early eggs are quite fertile. To get best hatches, the 

 eggs should be gathered shortly after being laid, and 

 well cared for, and in a reasonable time set in a 

 warm place under a heavy hen. If well incubated the 

 eggs hatch in twenty-eight days, but if not it will take 

 thirty days; in the latter case one cannot expect a 

 good hatch. 



Breeding stock during winter should have free 

 .access at any time to a trough containing whole oats. 

 Only on very severe days a little whole corn might be 

 given to keep them warm over night. The tendency of 

 all geese is to lay on fat, and our efforts in conse- 

 quence must be to keep the breeding stock from get- 

 ting fat, that strong fertilizers and good hatching 

 eggs may be produced. 



Distinguishing Sex — It is almost impossible to 

 determine the sex of young stock. When they begin 

 to mate one can easily tell them, but no one wants to 



