GOOSE RAISING. 
15 
covering sections in the Southeastern States as far north as the Ohio 
River and as far west as Oklahoma, while the other sections (North¬ 
eastern, Central, and Pacific Coast) make up the other group. 
REPORTS FROM THE SOUTH. 
Small common geese were kept very largely in the Southern 
States, while only a few breeders kept pure-bred geese, of which 
the Toulouse, Embden, Chinese, African, and Canada were the 
most popular, in this order. Almost all these breeders picked feathers 
from the live geese once or several limes during the year, some 
farmers picking the feathers as often as once in six weeks. Many 
reported keeping the geese largely for the production of feathers 
and did not consider them profitable as market poultry. During the 
winter about one-third provided some shelter, such as an open shed 
or a barn, but very few had houses used only by the geese. 
The averages for these Southern States showed that the gander 
weighed 11.2 pounds, the goose 10.7 pounds, and the young goose 
7.8 pounds. The geese produced 1.15 pounds of feathers, which were 
valued at 51 cents a pound. An average yield of 1G.3 eggs was ob¬ 
tained, of which about two-thirds were hatched under geese and the 
rest under hens. The breeding stock were mated either in pairs or 
in trios of one gander with two geese, with an average mating of 
two males to three females. Three-fourths of the geese were mar¬ 
keted alive at an average price of 76 cents, giving a profit of 49 
cents. Geese sold for breeding purposes were not included in aver¬ 
aging the selling price and the profit. The selling price and the 
profit reported by farmers who produced geese only or largely for 
sale as breeding stock were considerably greater than those reported 
for market stock. 
REPORTS FROM THE NORTH AND WEST. 
Pure-bred geese were kept very largely in the Northern, Central, 
and Pacific Coast States, as shown by the reports, although some 
common geese were reported from most of them. The Toulouse and 
Embden were by far the most popular breeds, while the other breeds 
ranked in the following order: Chinese, African, and Canada. 
Less than half of the breeders in those States reported that they 
picked feathers from the live geese, the practice being more common 
and picking more frequent in the States farthest south, although it 
was reported from all the States. Most breeders picked the geese 
only once or twice, and then only during warm weather, but a few 
reported picking several times during the year. More than three- 
fourths of the breeders provided shelter for the geese during the 
winter, and many had houses used only by the geese. 
