532 COMMERCIAL POULTRY RAISING 



which has increased their weight as goslings. They are very 

 hardy and easy to rear. The head and bill are black; neck 

 black, shading to a light gray on the chest, and to a dark gray 

 on the back. The plumage of the underparts of the body is 

 white. 



Colored Egyptian geese, sometimes called Nile geese, are the 

 smallest of the goose family, also the most beautiful. The 

 standard weight is lo pounds for the adult gander and 8 pounds 

 for the goose. They are not to be recommended for general 

 farm use, and are bred almost exclusively for ornamental pur- 

 poses. They are of a very quarrelsome nature, especially the 

 males, who will frequently fight among themselves until dead. 



Houses of the most simple construction are used for shelters 

 for geese, little more than sheds, in fact, having nothing but a 

 supply of straw or other material for litter on the floors. These 

 may be of dirt or concrete; the latter is best to conserve the 

 manure, which is in large quantities and a very valuable by- 

 product. If ground phosphate rock is sprinkled over the manure 

 at regular intervals, and fresh litter is added as required to 

 keep the houses in a sanitary condition, there will be a surprising 

 amount of the finest kind of fertilizer produced by even a mod- 

 erate sized flock. 



Fields that are worthless for cultivation may be turned into 

 goose pastures, and those which have streams or unused springs 

 are especially suitable. Unless too many birds are turned into a 

 small area, which is then likely to become depleted of its plant 

 life, the geese will gather the largest portion of their food, con- 

 sisting of grasses, insects, and other animal and vegetable life. 

 Or they may be made to work in the stubble of the grain fields, 

 in place of hogs, for it is a simple matter to drive geese to dis- 

 tant pasture and home again at night. 



Geese are much maligned, in that they are accused of destroy- 

 ing pasture for cattle and horses, which is true only if they are 

 kept in large numbers in a comparatively small area. The same 

 is true of sheep or almost any other form of livestock. Where 

 there is a sufficiency of grass and other plant life, they may be 



