DUCKS AND GEESE 



farms. The purpose of goose raising is primarily 

 one of the production of meat although in the past 

 flocks of geese have been kept to some extent, par- 

 ticularly in the south for the purpose of plucking 

 them to secure the feathers. This practice of pluck- 

 ing live geese is decreasing and is much less com- 

 mon than formerly. The eggs of the geese do not 

 enter to any extent into th^ egg trade of the coun- 

 try. As a rule all the eggs produced are hatched for 

 the purpose of rearing young geese and it is only 

 occasionally that goose eggs are used for culinary 

 purposes. 



Opportunities for Goose Raising. Undoubtedly the 

 greatest opportunity along the line of goose raising 

 lies in the small flock kept on the general farm. 

 Where conditions are suitable, that is to say, where 

 there is an abundance of suitable pasture land to- 

 gether with some water to which the geese can have 

 access, a small flock can be most profitably kept. 

 They can be reared very cheaply as both the young 

 and old geese will secure practically their entire liv- 

 ing during the summer from pasture if an abundant 

 supply of suitable green material is available. The 

 cost of rearing them therefore is low. In addition 

 both the young and old geese are very hardy and 

 require comparatively little care. They are little 

 subject to disease and therefore losses are small. 



Geese live and breed for a long time and this 

 makes it possible to turn off to market a larger pro- 

 portion of the young stock reared than is the case 



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