Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-01-28
AaritnltMral department.
A Profit in Geese.

1t is considered by some that geese
are the most profitable of domesticat-
ed fowls that farmers can keep. |
agree with this, provided the farmer
has place adapted to keep them,
otherwise | would not. Geese, like
turkeys, require considerable range
in order to thrive, especially when
young and growing. They should
be fed two or three times a day on
corn dough, until they get enough of
fresh, young grass to continue their
growth steadily, and all the time have
free access to living water. For a
flock of thirty. say twenty-six Cos
lings and four old geese, they should
have a range of twenty acres, though
they would not require all the feed
that might grow thereon, as other an
imals that will feed after them can be
kept also. Whether they are kept
on less or greater area, there shonld
be and must be fresh or living water
with brook or pond continually for
them to wash in as often as they de-
sire. Unless this be the case they
will soon get lousy, begin to drop
their wings, pine away and die,
though this can be partially averted
by daily feeding on corn dough.
1t is seldom that young goslings
are subject to any disease, and they
are quite sure to live with ordinary
care; yet they are very tender until
they arrive at maturity, and are af-
fected by disease, when it attacts
them quite as soon as any other do
mesticated fowls. A heavy rain up
on brood of young goslings, unpro-
tected, will be as sure death to them
as it would a brood of young chick
ems, while light warm rain or a
pond of water is happiness perfected
to them and but little less to an OBJ
server.
Geese are not ouly kept for the
market, or their flesh, but as we'll for
their feathers. They generally begin
laying the latter part of February, or
the first part of March, and usually
lay every other day and continue,
though not always regularly, until
they have laid their Gtter-from ten
to twelve eggs-when they begin sit
ting, and in about thirty days they
bring out their brood.
AS soon as the weather is sufficient
" warm, OF about the time the feath-
ers begin to start on the goslings, the
old geese should be picked by taking
off all the small or bed feathers, but
never any of the down. Handle the
goose carefully while plucking her
feathers. Never lock her wings in
picking nor cramp OF bruise them in
any way. In abont ten weeks the
old geese can and should be picked
again, and the goslings picked also,
if they have been kept as stated, or
in a thriving condition. Taking this
course in the proper time, or as soon
as the feathers have grown out and
matured, old geese can be picked
three times and goslings twice in a
season before shutting up for fat
tening, and will, with those taken off
when the geese are dressed, average
about one pound of feathers to a
goose. Many are very careless in
picking their geese at the proper time
and in a proper manner, while others
do not pick them at all, considering
that they do better in thus doing, or
not doing. This is not the case, as l
know by actual trial, besides knowing
it to be the experience of others quail
flied to judge. When geese are in
jured in picking it is to be attributed
more, and [ may say wholly, to the
improper time and manner in which
they are picked, rather than because
they are picked. -Fdrn1 and Home.