FATTENING AND MARKETING GEESE 



It is then mixed up with water, the practice here 

 varying. Some fatteners mix in a trough with boil- 

 ing water a short time before feeding, while others 

 mix it with cold water letting it soak over night and 

 adding more water in the morning if it is too dry at 

 that time. It should be mixed until it can be shoveled 

 readily but should be quite solid, never in a sloppy 

 condition as this is likely to cause diarrhoea. A 

 little salt may be added, if desired, as an appetizer. 

 While com meal is generally used, hominy may take 

 its place. After the geese are started on the fatten- 

 ing ration, this must be given throughout the fatten- 

 ing period. Changing to some other feed will throw 

 the geese off feed and cause a loss. 



Feeding. When the mixed feed is ready it is 

 shoveled into boxes or barrels on a low wagon and 

 driven to the fattening lots where it is shoveled into 

 the troughs for the geese. Ordinary V-shaped 

 troughs are favored instead of flat troughs as the 

 latter afford hiding places for rats which may cause 

 damage in addition to the feed which they eat by 

 frightening the geese. 



Geese are easily frightened and must therefore 

 be handled rather carefully and gently as a severe 

 fright will interfere with the gains they will make. 

 Some fatteners provide electric lights where the 

 geese rest at night so that they can see and will not 

 be so likely to become frightened. 



When the geese are ready to be killed they are 

 driven up to the killing house and into a pen where 



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