Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1916-11-01
POULTRY
CONSULTING DEPARTMENT


The production Of geese for mar
ket purposes has become a most i'm
portant industry in Rhode Island.
and has proved most profitable
farm occupation, due to the heavy de-
mands for geese in recent, years. The
geese farm industry stands today
midway between the chicken and tur-
key business as to Importance.
Geese are probably the hardest OF
all domestic fowls, requiring less at
tention than cows or hens, and little
or no outlay for buildings. The old
geese do well in all weathers with
nothing in the way of shelter but
shed to run under, and usually they
disdain this. They do best on wet or
marshy land, where hens and turkeys
would die. They are, however, very
different from other fowls, and unless
their nature is understood and their
requiremnts met they are the least
profitable of all feathered stock. The
desirability of extending knowledge
of the best methods Of geese raising
as well as making experiments that
will throw more light ON the subject,
is evident.
The Embden-White China breed are
the easiest to pick, are white when
dressed, and, though small, are plump
and present an attractive market ap-
pearance. The Embden-African are
also easy to pick and are large and
plump. The White China, though the
weakest and smallest of all varieties,
when mated with Embden ganders,
produce vigorous, quick-maturing
goslings, which are plump and solid
when dressed. The Embden-T Toulouse
is regarded as the most satisfactory
cross for large geese for the Christ
mas and New Years trade. Pure
African and Embden crosses grow
best early in the season and should
be marketed early. Pure-bred China,
African-Toulouse, and A fir a n
Brown China should be dressed be-
fore fall, in order that they may be
easy to pick. White plumaged Emb-
den and White crosses may be picked
easily and later than other breeds.
Old geese lay greater number of
larger eggs and are more reliable
than young geese. Nevertheless, if
gesee be purchased it often saves
time to buy young geese rather than
TO attempt to secure any number of
old ones. Young ganders are better
for breeding than young geese.
Young geese do not lay as many fer
tile eggs or produce as many goslings
the first breeding season as they do
the second. If geese are often chang
ed from one place to another they are
apt to not breed well, and the other
conditions being equal they breed bet
ter the third season they are in To-
cality than the second season.
In order to insure the best results,
geese for breeding should be obtain
ed as early in the fall as possible, not
later than October. They thus have
an opportunity to become acquainted
with their new surroundings before
should have considerable exercise and
through the winter by light feeding
and a free range or facilities for |
swimming. The best ganders for
breeding purposes are African and
Brown China. The Toulouse geese
lay well, but often fail to sit. The !
Embden geese lay fewer eggs, but |
make better mothers. Brown and |
White China breeds are prolific lay
ers. Geese are great grazers, and too
much grain is not good for them. To |
insure fertile eggs should have an |
abundance of green food and have ex-
cess to a pond or other body of wa
ter. If this is not possible tub Of
water set level with the surface of /
the ground may be substituted
Very early laying is not desirable,
since the goslings do not thrive unless
they have an abundance of grass. For
the first two or three days they
should be given nothing except grass
and water. Later a light feed of
scalded cracked corn should be given
in addition three times day. The
goslings are liable to be overcome by
the heat, and should always have
some place to retreat where they may
ascana tho SUMS raus