Middletown transcript., 1915-03-13
(By ANNA GALIGHER.)

In spite OF the fact that geese bring
less by the pound than any other poul-
try, they are profitable because it
takes less grain and less work to
bring goose to marketable size than
Is required by any other fowl.
If there is. no danger from hawks
or wild animals one can usually count
on raising all the goslings hatched.
They are never troubled with lice,
gapes or other diseases that kill thou
sands Of chicks every year.
In fact, they will live and thrive If
they only get half a chance. This
means that they should not be housed
or fed with other poultry.
Geese eat very slowly as compared
with other fowls, and beside there are
several kinds Of feed which are not
suited to their needs.
For instance, the commercial Chick
feed" whole wheat, cracked corn, etc.
Goslings will not thrive on any of
these. What they need is plenty Of
tender grass from the start and a
little ground feed once or twice day.
During the first few days after
Matching they should be fed stale
bread, moistened in sweet skim milk
or water, four times day.
After they begin to eat grass with
apparent relish they need very little
other feed until old enough to fatten
for the market.
A good grain ration for growing
goslings is composed Of equal parts
cornmeal, oatmeal and bran, moisten-
ed in skim milk.
This should not be fed oftener than
pasture little Of the above mixture
given in the morning will be sufficient.
They will fill themselves so full Of
grass during the day that when they
come in at night they are nearly ready
to burst, or at least they appear to be,
for often they are full to the throat.
A very important part Of the gos-
ling's diet is sand. They must have it
several times a day; but it should
not be mixed with the food.
Better have it placed where they
have access to 1t all the time.
Gravel will not do. It must be
coarse, sharp sand. Broken sandstone
will do very well.
A gosling never will have bowel
trouble If plenty of sand is provided,
unless there is something wrong with
the feed. Never allow the feed to fer
ment. In the hot weather it is apt
to sour If allowed to stand from one
meal to another.
Sour feed will cause commissions in
goslings and young ducks.
Goose eggs require from 2S to 80
days to hatch, according to the variety
and method of Matching.
They require less time when
/ hatched under geese than in any 9TH
er way, but goose makes a very poor
mother.
They are nearly always cross and
will sometimes pick the goslings out
of the shell before they are ready to
hatch. Therefore it is best to use
large chicken hens for Matching gos-
nngs.
Small hens cannot keep the eggs
warm enough. Goose eggs require a
little more warmth tha1 some other
kinds of eggs.
For this very reason 1t Is not ad.
visable to give a hen more than she
can cover without spreading her wings.
Seven goose eggs are enough for a
large hen.
When the goslings begin to hatch
they should be closely watched. Very
| al 1aa
shell and lining of q goose egg arc
very strong and sometimes the gos-
lings cannot break through.
About the time they begin to pip
the eggs should be dipped in water
heated to 100 degrees F.
Take the eggs from under the hen,
one by one, and replace as soon as
moistened.
Sometimes the eggs will be pipped
for a long time before the goslings
will come out.
Don't be in too great a hurry in get
ting the goslings out Of the shells;
they are not ready to come out as tho
shell is pipped, but see that there Is
. small opening to admit air.
1t sometimes happens that while the
shell is pipped the lining still remains
unbroken.
When this occurs, take a pin and
very carefully puncture the membrane.
Make a tiny opening, being cautious
not to injure the gosling.
After doing this, leave them undis-
turbed for awhile. II they are not
hatched in "a hours, pick on a little
more Of the shell and make the open
ing little larger.
II the gosling is not out at the end