Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-03-14
TO MAKE GEESE PAY.
Something About Branch of PouI.
try Raising That Is Neglected.

try Raising That Is Neglected.
WHY do not breeders and farmers in
terest themselves more in the growing
improvement of pure bred varieties of
geese? Here is wide field for obser-
walton and labor. This part of the fowl
industry has most certainly been neg
lected to great extent. In the various
poultry journals and farm papers we
read of the large duck farms in nearly
all parts of the country and especially
in the east, where thousands and tens
of thousands of market ducks are pro-
duced annually, but not a line can be
found in our journals regarding geese
farms. Green goslings and fat geese
always command fancy prices in our
eastern markets and never go begging
for buyers. We predict that the time is
not far distant when this branch of the
industry will receive more attention
than in the past.
OF the seven varieties of geese recog-
nized by the American Poultry associa-
ton and called standard varieties the
Toulouse are one of the largest and
most popular of the geese family.
1t is safe to say that more Toulouse
are bred throughout the country than
all other pure varieties combined.
Opinions differ regarding the origin of
the Toulouse, however. Our best au-
thority traces them to the city of Tou-
louise, province of Haute Garonne, in
southern France Marked improve
ment has been made in both size and
color by judicious breeding in the
hands of both English and American
breeders. The standard weights for
Toulouse are SO pounds per pair for
young and So pounds per pair for adult
specimens.
In selecting Toulouse the head should
be large and good shape, neck long,
large and carried erect; back moderate
length, broad and slightly curved from
shoulders to tail; breast and body
broad, deep, compact, nearly touching
the ground and giving the bird a mas
siye appearance; wings large and
strong, tail short and comparatively
small, color deep gray on head, neck,
back and breast, shading to white on
lower part of body.
AS layers the Toulouse outrank all
other varieties. A single goose if not
allowed to sit will produce from 80 to
so eggs in a season, according to age
and conditions. Care should be exer-
cised in the selection of breeding stock.
Two or year-old birds are far superior
to yearlings, as they will lay fully dou-
BILE the number of eggs and will hatch
stronger and better goslings.
One male will usually mate with two
or three females if yarded together in
January or February. If gander has
mated with but one goose, it is some
times very difficult to add one or two
more geese to his family, as he has
very peculiar ideas along this line. For
good results in breeding geese should
have the range of a pasture field or
marsh, as they are strictly vegetarians.
If large fiocks are kept together, do not
allow more than one male and three
| females for the best results. Past ex-
| perience has taught that the breeding
stock should be fed sparingly on grain
that is, only enough to keep them in
| fair condition, but not to fatten during
the fall and winter They should have
access to clover hay all winter and will
also consume large quantities of grass
when the ground is covered with snow.
| Sufficient water must be supplied for
I drink and if possible a pond or stream
of water to swim in. as they will re-
! quire less grain and keep in much bet
ter condition. Nesting boxes should be
provided for them in secluded places in
| different parts of the pasture. Our plan
is to take box or 49, feet long, 2
feet wide and 21a feet high, cut an en-
trance in one end about 10 inches
| square. Fill box one-half full of fine
| straw and place in a secluded spot. A
nest box should be provided for each
goose, as many eggs are broken where
two or more lay in the same nest.
Care should be taken to gather them
regularly when the weather is severe.
We recommend chicken hens for hatch
ing goose eggs.-Charles Mcclure in
American Poultry Journal.