MAR 12 1917 
GOOSE RAISING. 
Goose production 
Breeds. 
Goose breeding... 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
3 
3 
7 
Feeding geese and goslings 
Preparing for market. 
Reports from breeders. 
Page. 
12 
13 
14 
GOOSE PRODUCTION. 
G EESE are raised successfully in all parts of the United States, 
but are most abundant in the South and the Middle West. 
According to the census of 1910, Kentucky, with 400,000, contained 
the greatest number of geese, but this number was nearly equaled 
in each of the States of Tennessee, Missouri, and Arkansas. The 
total number of geese declined about 22 per cent from 1900 to 1910, 
due largely to the lack of cheap pasture land for grazing and per¬ 
haps partly to the limited demand for goose feathers and goose 
flesh. The last factor may be partly owing to the size of a goose, 
which is too large for the average family, and partly to the prevail¬ 
ing opinion that goose flesh is very greasy; this condition, however, 
is largely caused by improper cooking, by the failure to remove the 
sulplus fat of the abdominal cavity, and by not skimming off the 
grease while cooking. 
BREEDS. 
Six breeds of geese have been admitted to the American Standard 
of Perfection, namely, Toulouse, Embden, Chinese, African, Wild or 
Canada, and Egyptian. In addition to the standard breeds there 
is the so-called Mongrel goose, which is a hybrid made by crossing 
one of these varieties, or the common goose, with wild geese. Crosses 
of the varieties of geese, especially of the Toulouse and Embden, are 
occasionally made, but without any apparent gain. The common 
goose found on many farms contains more or less blood of some of 
the standard breeds and of the Wild goose, and is usually considera¬ 
bly smaller than the Toulouse or the Embden. It may be improved 
by crossing with a pure-bred gander. The Toulouse, Embden, Chi¬ 
nese, and African are easily the most popular breeds of geese in this 
country, the first two greatly leading the other breeds. All economic 
breeds of geese are kept primarily for the production of flesh and 
feathers, although their eggs are occasionally used for culinary 
purposes. 
57171°—Bull. 767-17- 
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