Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1904-06-23
POULTRY
Summer Care of Geese.


Geese are very hardy birds, and 1t
is easy to keep them over summer.
They should have access to plenty OF
green forage, plenty of water to drink
The adult birds need no shelter, and
can live on grass alone but they rel,
ish little grain and should be fed
small quantity at least once day.
At night is a good time, after the
chickens and turkeys have sought
their perches. In late summer or
early fall if the drouth dries up the
grass geese need little more grain.
One must gauge the feed by the quaint
ity and succulency of the forage.
Whole corn will do very we'll for the
grain; that is all we use.
An adult goose seldom dies of any
sickness. True, the very old birds
drop off, but the per cent of loss is re-
markably small with any reasonable
care. The flock must be fed grain
and vegetables, clover or fodder dur
ing the winter and early spring, be-
lore there is green forage. The breed
Ing birds should be mated, one male
to from one to three females. We
put the different matings in separate
lots, but they will do very we'll in
hocks of ten to fifteen birds. 1t is
natural for geese to choose but one
mate, hence we must not attempt to
make one male take too many females
or we will not get the best results.
Geese (our experience has been alto
gether with the pure bred Toulouse)
commence to lay early in March in
our climate, time depending on
weather conditions. A little straw
thrown around in odd corners will
furnish nesting for the geese. The
female makes no attempt to hide her
| nest or stink away to it; she sits on
it in full view, but she covers up the
eggs. Robbing her nest has no effect
on her, she will not change; she lays
about every sc hours. The eggs
should be gathered soon after laying,
early in the season, or they will get
| chilled. Set them on end in a box of
sawdust or excelsior in the cellar, or
some cool place (not too cold), and
| keep till ready to set. Some turn the
eggs daily, but we do not if they are
TO be kept only reasonable time. We
set them under chicken hens and rear
the goslings with same hens. They
hatch in % to 80 days; if eggs are
kept warm enough % days is sufi.
Client. The little goslings should not
be fed till they are 4S to e hours old;
1t is no harm to let them nip little
| grass 70
as this will not hurt them. For the
first week or two feed three or four
times a day on a little corn bread
soaked and crumbled, or little chick
1000 made into a mash same as for
young chicks. At first they are very
dainty and eat very little, but in
two or three weeks they are quite
ravenous. Always give plenty of
| drinking water, but not to swim in.
Keep them dry; see that they have a
good warm coop with a dry board
| floor and that they are shut up warm
and snug at night. After they are ten
| days old they can be let range about
on grass with their mother whether
she be goose or hem or they can be
|
them when forage becomes short.
After about three weeks a mash of
corn meal, small quantity of mid
dlings or bran or both is good addi-
! ton to the meal and will make a
good grain food; feeding two or three
times a day, according to size and
the ability OF the gosling to get for
| Rpnonm hpr q onc1in0 ic hnl NIL
and tender till it gets it's feathers,
but with good care and feed every lit
tie downy bird can be raised, and,
after they are three or four weeks
old, one can feed them and rush
growth to his hearts content, provid-
ing water, forage and grit are at all
times accessible.
A good Toulouse gosling will weigh
or 8 pounds, while a chick of the
same age will weigh from l to 2
pounds. No wonder the gosling eats.
We have had them gain two pounds
each in their ninth week. 1t is best
to get the goslings Matched as early
as there is grass for them, as they
are safe from the hot dry weather of
summer and tough grass; but early
birds require attention and must not
be exposed to the cold spring rains.
We often have the kitchen full of the
little fellows in low fat boxes when
| it rains all day or for two or three
| days, and then good tame chicken
hen is the most desirable mother.
They require lots of care, but when
we get gosling on its feet (they
can't walk for about "a hours after
hatching) we count on a fine lusty
goose the coming fall, and we seldom
miss our count. We feed them all
through the summer at least once a
day. BY Christmas they weigh: fe-
males Is to 20 pounds; males, Is to
| 25 pounds. Mrs. B. F. Hislop,
Iroquois County, Illinois.