How to raise geese

As a major country in the goose farming industry, China is undergoing an important period of transformation, transitioning from traditional farming models to modern farming models. This transformation is accompanied by the development of society and the advancement of technology, and due to the huge amount of geese raised, breeding methods are also showing a trend of diversification. Let’s learn about the breeding methods of geese.

1. Suitable environment for stocking

Geese like aquatic environments and are good at foraging, playing and breeding in water. Except for the fattening period, they are usually stocked near water bodies such as rivers, lakes, streams and ponds.

2. Types of geese

Common goose breeds include the open-eyed goose, the hundred-son goose and the wild goose. The Huoyan goose, also known as the Wulong goose, the Scarayan goose or the Huo goose, is one of the small variations of the white Chinese goose and is famous for its excellent egg-laying ability.

3. Select goose seedlings

When selecting goose seedlings, you should check the hatching records of the breeding eggs , including the fertilization rate and hatching rate, and whether the hatching time is normal. Choose goslings that hatch on time, because the embryos of goslings that hatch early or late may not develop normally, which will have an adverse effect on their subsequent growth.

4. Feeding and management

Brooding house: Since goslings have weak ability to regulate temperature before 20 days of age, the brooding house should have good thermal insulation properties, keep the house dry, well-ventilated and airtight. The ratio of window area to floor area should be 1:10-15, the eaves height is 2 meters, and the floor inside the house is 25-30 centimeters higher than outside the house. The floor can be made of cement or mortar, which is convenient for washing, disinfection and rodent prevention. A sports field should be set up in front of the brooding house. The field should be flat and slightly inclined towards the ditch to prevent water accumulation on rainy days.

Meat goose house: Meat geese grow rapidly, have strong physiques, strong resistance, and are raised in a relatively extensive manner. The goose house only needs to have basic conditions of sheltering from rain and wind, and attention should be paid to cold protection in cold areas.

Fatten house: The fattening house should maintain a quiet environment, dim light and good ventilation. The eaves height should be 1.8 to 2 meters, and the ground is usually compacted soil. The trough should be placed on the drainage ditch so that the overflow water flows into the ditch. Aluminum wire mesh or wooden strips can be laid on the ditch. The house can be divided into several small rooms, each with an area of ​​about 12 square meters, which can accommodate 50 meat geese.

Goose house: The goose house should have good cold-proof and heat-insulating properties and sufficient light. The height of the eaves is 1.8 to 2 meters. There should be windows on the south side. The ratio of the window area to the floor area of ​​the house is 1:10 to 15. 2 to 3 breeding geese can be raised per square meter. The connection between the land sports field and the water surface should be built with stones and a slope should be made with cement with a slope of about 25 to 35 degrees. The slope should be deep into the water and level with the lowest water level during the dry season.

5. Gosling feeding

After the goslings hatch, they should be raised in groups according to their strength. After 24 hours, the animals were placed in shallow water deep enough to cover their paws and allowed to move freely and drink water for 5 minutes. When they are 1 to 3 days old, mix the soaked and rinsed rice with shredded vegetables and set aside. Sprinkle the mixture on the plastic sheet in appropriate amounts to entice them to eat. Feed them every 2 to 3 hours. When the chicks are 4 to 10 days old, gradually increase the amount of feed to 7 to 8 times a day, and feed water at the same time. You can use a feeding trough and a waterer for feeding. When they are 11 to 20 days old, they should practice swimming and grazing. The feed should be mainly green feed, and the concentrated feed can be changed to broken rice, with appropriate amount of bran mixed in, and the number of feedings should be reduced (5 to 6 times a day).

During the gosling rearing stage, special attention should be paid to preventing cold, keeping warm and preventing moisture. It is best to use a bamboo basket with hay or rags for insulation. The goslings are kept in a basket and their own heat is used to keep them warm, which is called "self-warming brooding". In cold climates a heat source should be provided. The room should be kept ventilated and well-lit. When feeding, be careful not to spill the drinking water. Keep the ground and straw dry to prevent diarrhea.

It is the natural habit of geese to graze and love water. The first grazing and swimming should be done 7 to 10 days after hatching, on a sunny and windless day. After feeding, they should be taken to the grassland to eat grass freely, and allowed to swim freely in shallow water. They should not be forced to go back to rest. After 20 days of age, they are gradually grazed all day and allowed to go into the water freely. After 40 days of age, they can be raised and grazed outdoors.

6. Free-range goslings

The bones, muscles and feathers of goslings between 30 and 90 days old are growing fastest. Grazing should be increased and the nutrients needed for growth and development should be supplemented to cultivate a flock of geese that are highly adaptable, tolerant of roughage and gain weight quickly. Geese mainly forage for wild, fresh green grass by grazing. As long as the weeds are non-toxic and have no odor, geese can eat them. When grazing, it is best to have 80 to 100 geese in each group. Make rational use of grassland, select grazing routes, graze piece by piece, and let them rest on the grassland after they have eaten. Generally they graze for 9 hours a day. When grazing, pay attention to "watering", which should be done at least 2 to 3 times a day, and each time for about half an hour.

Goslings are mainly raised by grazing all day long, and they also need appropriate supplementary feeding. Generally, bran and chaff are fed as supplementary food to reduce costs. Supplementary feed is fed when the pigs return to grazing in the evening, and the amount of supplementary feed can be flexibly controlled depending on the grazing and green feed intake.

7. Breeding of goose

During the egg-laying period, it is best for mother geese to be fed in a combination of stall feeding and nearby grazing, with feeding once in the morning, noon and evening each day; during the day, they can be grazed once in the morning and afternoon. The ratio of rice to bran in the feed is 2:1, and it is supplemented with mineral feed . After each feeding, allow them to drink plenty of water. Male and female breeding geese are selected and raised in a ratio of 1:5. Male geese can mate successfully in a 30-cm deep pool or freely on dry land, and a satisfactory fertilization rate can be achieved. Mother geese lay eggs mostly between midnight and 10:00 in the morning. When they are out grazing, they will automatically return to the nest to lay eggs. It is best to graze nearby or feed them in a barn. The entire egg-laying cycle is 20 to 25 days.

The above is an introduction to some methods of raising geese. Now the goose breeding model is no longer single. After selecting the breeding model, everyone should also pay attention to the prevention and treatment of goose diseases.