MATING AND SETTING 533 



left to graze in the same pasture with cattle and horses. Many 

 poor pieces of land have been converted into good pasture lots 

 by being stocked with geese for a few years. 



They require drinking water in abundance, consequently, 

 unless they have access to large bodies of water in which to 

 swim, their drinking water should be supplied in fountains in 

 which they can only get their bills to drink. Otherwise they 

 will contaminate the water. 



Although the goose is aquatic, and it must be admitted they 

 seem to do better when given access to a body of water, especially 

 in the summer, it is not absolutely essential for them to have a 

 swimming place, any more than for ducks. They will keep 

 themselves cleaner if a stream is available, and the chances are 

 the fertility of their eggs will be greater. Then, too, the stream 

 of water affords a large element of their food, which is of immense 

 value in the cost of their upkeep. Bur it does not follow that 

 they are not to be reared on farms without a watering place. 



Age. — One of the most remarkable characteristics of the goose 

 is its long life. Many have been known to attain the age of 

 forty years, and have been handed down from father to son, as 

 though they were a fixture on the farm. It is not at all uncom- 

 mon for birds to live fifteen years, and as a general rule they 

 will maintain their laying and hatching qualities throughout 

 their life. Ganders are at their best as breeders at three years 

 of age. The use of immature stock should be avoided as much 

 as possible, especially for the renewal of breeding geese. To 

 produce early goslings for market it is sometimes necessary to 

 use eggs from young stock, as they usually lay earlier than the 

 older birds, which is perfectly proper. 



In selecting geese for breeders excessive size should not be 

 sought at the expense of other important features, such as width 

 of breast in proportion to length of body, depth of keel and 

 shortness of leg. Care should be taken to avoid inbreeding, and 

 to be sure of this it is sometimes necessary to procure ganders 

 from a distant point. If so, the ganders should come from the 

 same flock to insure their dwelling together amicably. 



