THE GAME BREEDER 



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Snow Geese and Blue Geese on H. J. Jager's farm 



HOW TO BREED WILD GEESE AND WILD DUCKS. 



H. G. Jager. 



(Mr. Jager is the first breeder who has successfully bred the Snow Goose and in all 

 probability these vanishing fowl will become abundant in the United States and Canada. 

 He has performed a great public service. — Editor.) 





To anyone who has developed the in- 

 stinct and feeling of the hunter or natur- 

 alist there is no more enjoyable and in- 

 teresting pastime than game breeding. 

 In fact, our feathered game friends are 

 so interesting and captivating that asso- 

 ciation with them has changed many a 

 "game-hog" into a game protector. I 

 know the enjoyment and stimulus of 

 hunting, but I much prefer to spend my 

 time among my flock of game birds and 

 the pleasure thereof is very difficult to 

 surpass. On my return from my week- 

 ly trips my birds come to see and greet 

 me like a faithful dog. If a strange 

 dog or anything else frightens them they 

 will rush towards the house for our pro- 

 tection. 



The Canada geese, or honkers, are as 

 easily raised as tame geese. With very 

 rare exceptions they do not breed until 

 three years old, in pairs only, and they 

 are mated for life. They are much like 

 folks in choosing their mates, some re- 

 maining single for several years until 

 they find a mate to suit them. I know 

 of one old gander that killed several 

 geese that were trying to win his affec- 

 tions, and he finally chose a toulouse 

 goose for his mate. I have a gander that 

 I offered three different geese before he 



found one to suit him. Once mated a 

 gander defends his goose and her nest to 

 his last breath. This makes it necessary 

 to have separate pens for each pair dur- 

 ing the nesting season, unless you have 

 a whole farm for them to run on and 

 plenty of water holes or ponds. I use a 

 pen about two rods square with a water 

 hole four feet in diameter, and an "A" 

 shaped coop facing southeast and filled 

 with leaves or straw, in the middle of 

 the pen or in the corner farthest away 

 from other pens, for their nesting place. 

 All my geese — about fifty in number — 

 run together in a ten acre cow pasture 

 containing two small ponds and plenty of 

 grass. As each pair selects their nest 

 and begins laying, I confine them to their 

 chosen pen. A few days after they 

 hatch I open the fence and let them go 

 out into the pasture. If I want to raise 

 the goslings as pets, I put the eggs under 

 a setting hen a few days before they 

 hatch. I feed the babies lettuce and 

 bread soaked in sweet milk for a few 

 days and let them run with the hen on 

 the lawn. As they become strong enough 

 to bite off the grass I feed them only a 

 little ground feed, of any kind, twice a 

 day. When about half feathered out I 

 let them eat whole grain with the chick- 



