Farm Farming: Geese

I. Introduction

In the vast farms, goose farming has always been a career full of interest and challenges. Geese, with their cute and naive appearance and important economic value, have attracted the attention of many farmers. Whether it is their delicious meat or soft and warm feathers, they have brought considerable benefits to the farms. However, to successfully raise geese, it is necessary to have an in - depth understanding of their habits and master scientific farming methods. This article will discuss in detail all aspects of goose farming on the farm, hoping to provide useful reference for farmers. 

II. Breed Characteristics of Geese

1. Common Breeds

(1) Shitou Goose

This is a well - known large - sized goose breed in China. It gets its name because its head shape closely resembles that of a lion's head. Shitou Geese are huge in size. The weight of an adult male goose can reach 10 - 12 kilograms, and that of a female goose can also reach 9 - 10 kilograms. They grow fast and have a high meat - yielding rate. Geese at the age of 70 - 90 days can weigh 5 - 7 kilograms. Shitou Geese are resistant to roughage and have a strong adaptability to feed, making them suitable for large - scale breeding.

(2) Taihu Goose

Originating from the Taihu region of the Yangtze River Delta, it is a small - sized goose breed. Taihu Geese have a light and graceful body. Their whole body feathers are white, and their beaks, shanks, and webbed feet are all orange - red. This breed has a relatively good egg - laying performance, with an annual egg - laying capacity of 60 - 80 eggs. The meat of Taihu Geese is tender, and their down quality is excellent, which is highly popular in the market.

(3) Huoyan Goose

Also known as Wulong Goose, it is one of the goose breeds with the highest egg - laying capacity in China. Huoyan Geese are relatively small in size. Their eyes are triangular, and there is a notch on the upper eyelid, which is their unique appearance feature. It has strong adaptability, is cold - resistant and can endure roughage. It is widely bred in Northeast and North China. The annual egg - laying amount is generally around 100 eggs, and high - yielding individuals can reach 180 eggs.

2. Living Habits

(1) Hydrophilia

Geese are waterfowl and naturally love to play, forage, court, and mate in the water. When breeding on the farm, every effort should be made to provide geese with sufficient water areas to meet their hydrophilic habits, which is conducive to their growth, development, and health.

(2) Gregariousness

Geese have a strong sense of gregariousness. They often move in groups and rarely act alone. During the grazing or breeding process, the goose flock can take care of each other, and this characteristic is convenient for farmers to manage.

(3) Cold - resistance 

Geese have thick feathers, a high content of down feathers, and relatively thick subcutaneous fat. These physiological characteristics endow them with strong cold - resistance. In the cold winter, as long as basic cold - prevention and warmth - keeping measures are taken, geese can still grow and lay eggs normally. 

III. Construction of the Breeding Environment

1.Site Selection for the Goose House

(1) Terrain and Ventilation

The goose house should be located in a place with high and dry terrain, either flat or with a slight slope. This is conducive to drainage and prevents water from flowing back. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure good ventilation in the goose house and air circulation to reduce the accumulation of harmful gases such as ammonia, creating a comfortable living environment for the geese.

(2) Water Source and Transportation

Proximity to a clean and abundant water source is one of the important conditions for choosing the site of the goose house, which facilitates the daily drinking and swimming of the goose flock. In addition, the goose house should be close to traffic arteries, but be careful to avoid being too close to the main roads to reduce the risks of noise and disease transmission.

2. Construction of the Goose House

(1) Brooding House

The brooding house is mainly used to raise goslings from 1 - 28 days old. The brooding house should have good heat - preservation performance and can adopt the methods of floor brooding or online brooding. When using floor brooding, the ground should be covered with dry and soft bedding materials such as straw and sawdust. For online brooding, a net bed 50 - 60 centimeters above the ground needs to be built. The size of the mesh should be appropriate, allowing feces to fall through without getting the goslings' feet stuck. Heating equipment such as infrared lamps and coal stoves should be equipped in the brooding house to maintain a suitable temperature.

(2) Growing - up Goose House

The growing - up goose house is used to raise geese from 29 days old until before they start laying eggs. The area of the growing - up goose house should be reasonably determined according to the breeding quantity. 3 - 5 geese can be raised per square meter. Feeding troughs and water troughs should be set up in the house, and the length of the feeding troughs and water troughs should ensure that each goose has enough space for feeding and drinking. The ventilation and lighting in the growing - up goose house should be good. In summer, cooling can be achieved by installing fans, sun - shading nets and other facilities, while in winter, cold - proof and warm - keeping measures should be taken.

(3) Breeding Goose House

The requirements for the breeding goose house are relatively high, as it is necessary to ensure a good rest and egg - laying environment for the breeding geese. Egg - laying boxes should be set up in the breeding goose house. The egg - laying boxes can be made of wood or plastic, with soft bedding materials laid inside. The lighting time and intensity in the breeding goose house should be reasonably adjusted according to the growth stage of the breeding geese to promote their reproductive development and egg - laying performance.  

IV. Feeding and Management

1.Feeding and Management of Goslings

(1) Temperature Control

Goslings have a weak thermoregulatory ability and are very sensitive to temperature changes. For goslings aged 1 - 5 days, the temperature in the brooding house should be maintained at 28 - 30°C. For those aged 6 - 10 days, the temperature can be reduced to 26 - 28°C. When they are 11 - 15 days old, the temperature should be 24 - 26°C. And for goslings aged 16 - 28 days, the temperature can be gradually decreased to 20 - 22°C. Farmers should pay close attention to temperature changes and maintain an appropriate temperature by adjusting heating equipment.

 (2) Drinking and First Feeding

Goslings should drink water within 24 - 36 hours after hatching. An appropriate amount of glucose and multivitamins can be added to the drinking water to supplement energy and enhance the goslings' resistance. They can start eating 1 - 2 hours after drinking water. Chopped green vegetable leaves or special gosling feed can be selected as the first - feeding feed. When starting to feed, feed small amounts but frequently, about 5 - 6 times a day. As the goslings grow older, gradually increase the number of feedings and the amount of feed.

 (3) Stocking Density

A reasonable stocking density is crucial for the growth and development of goslings. For goslings aged 1 - 7 days, 20 - 25 goslings can be raised per square meter. For those aged 8 - 14 days, 15 - 20 goslings can be raised per square meter. And for goslings aged 15 - 28 days, 10 - 15 goslings can be raised per square meter. If the stocking density is too high, it will lead to slow growth of goslings and make them prone to diseases. If the stocking density is too low, it will waste breeding space and resources.

2. Feeding and Management of Growing Geese

 (1) Feed Selection

The feed for growing geese should mainly consist of green forage, supplemented with an appropriate amount of concentrated feed. Green forage such as grass and vegetables is rich in vitamins and fiber, which can promote the digestion and growth of geese. Concentrated feed can be prepared by mixing corn, soybean meal, wheat bran, etc. in a certain proportion to meet the geese's needs for nutrients such as protein and energy.

 (2) Grazing Management

When the weather is suitable, growing geese should be allowed to graze as much as possible. Grazing not only enables geese to eat fresh green forage but also increases their exercise volume and improves their physical condition. The grazing time should be adjusted according to the season and weather. In summer, grazing can be carried out in the cool morning and evening, while in winter, it should be done at noon when the temperature is relatively high. The grazing area should be selected in places with abundant water and grass and no pesticide pollution.

(3) Grouping Management

As growing geese grow, size differences will occur among individuals. To ensure uniform growth of the goose flock, geese should be grouped for feeding according to their weight and growth conditions. Geese with similar weights and growth rates should be placed in the same group for easy management and feeding.

3. Feeding and Management of Breeding Geese

(1) Breeding Management

The breeding ratio of breeding geese should be reasonable. Generally, the male - to - female ratio is 1:4 - 1:6. The breeding methods can be natural mating or artificial insemination. During natural mating, ensure that male geese have enough space to move, which is convenient for them to mate with female geese. Artificial insemination requires professional technicians to operate to improve the fertilization rate of breeding eggs.

(2) Egg - laying Period Management

Breeding geese need sufficient nutrition during the egg - laying period. The content of nutrients such as protein, calcium, and phosphorus in the feed should be appropriately increased. At the same time, ensure that breeding geese have sufficient lighting time, which should be maintained at 14 - 16 hours per day. During the egg - laying period, keep the goose house environment quiet to avoid scaring the breeding geese and affecting their egg - laying performance.

(3) Molting Period Management

During the molting period, breeding geese should be properly restricted in feeding. Reduce the amount of concentrated feed and increase the proportion of green forage to control the weight of breeding geese. At the same time, carry out health - care work such as deworming and vaccination for breeding geese to prepare for the next egg - laying period. 

Geese Eating Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae: A Win - Win for Nutrition and Ecology

In the process of raising geese on the farm, the choice of feed is of crucial importance. Today, I'd like to share with you a new and highly advantageous feed - dried black soldier fly larvae.

As omnivorous poultry, geese have a wide adaptability to food. Dried black soldier fly larvae perfectly meet the dietary needs of geese. Black soldier fly larvae are rich in protein, fat, vitamins, and various minerals, with a very comprehensive nutritional composition. When geese consume dried black soldier fly larvae, their growth rate significantly accelerates. Geese that originally took a long time to reach the market - ready standard can gain weight more quickly after ingesting this high - protein feed, shortening the breeding cycle and bringing higher economic benefits to farmers.

From an ecological perspective, the application of dried black soldier fly larvae is of great significance. The black soldier fly itself is an insect that can efficiently process organic waste. It feeds on kitchen waste, livestock and poultry manure, etc., converting these wastes into its own nutrients. When we make black soldier fly larvae into dried products for feeding geese, not only is the recycling of organic waste achieved, reducing environmental pollution, but also the dependence on traditional feed resources is decreased.

In actual breeding, I found that geese have a high acceptance of dried black soldier fly larvae. When we started feeding them, the geese showed great interest and quickly adapted to this new food. Moreover, the meat of geese that eat dried black soldier fly larvae is more compact and delicious, and their feathers are brighter and smoother.

In conclusion, geese eating dried black soldier fly larvae has a non - negligible positive impact on both the improvement of breeding efficiency and the protection of the ecological environment. This is a new breeding model worthy of promotion, and it is believed that it will bring surprises and gains to more farmers. 

V. Disease Prevention and Treatment

1.Disease Prevention

(1) Vaccination: Vaccination is an important measure for preventing goose diseases. Common goose vaccines include gosling plague vaccine, goose paramyxovirus vaccine, avian influenza vaccine, etc. Farmers should develop a scientific and reasonable vaccination schedule according to the local epidemic situation and the advice of veterinarians. For example, goslings can be vaccinated with gosling plague vaccine at 7 - 10 days old, goose paramyxovirus vaccine at 15 - 20 days old, and avian influenza vaccine at 30 - 40 days old.

 (2) Environmental Hygiene: Maintaining the cleanliness of the goose house is the key to preventing diseases. Daily, promptly clean the feces and debris in the goose house, and regularly disinfect the goose house, feeding troughs, water troughs, etc. Disinfectants such as peracetic acid and sodium hydroxide can be selected for disinfection, and the operation should be carried out according to the specified concentration and method. At the same time, strengthen the ventilation of the goose house to keep the air fresh.

(3) Balanced Nutrition: Providing geese with a nutritionally balanced diet can enhance their physical condition and improve their immunity. The feed should contain sufficient nutrients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals to avoid a decline in the geese's resistance due to malnutrition, which could lead to diseases.

2. Treatment of Common Diseases

(1) Gosling Plague: Gosling plague is an acute and septicemic infectious disease caused by the gosling plague virus, mainly occurring in goslings aged 1 - 20 days. Infected goslings show symptoms such as listlessness, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. For treatment, anti - gosling plague serum can be used for intramuscular injection, with 0.5 - 1 ml injected per gosling. At the same time, strengthen the care of the sick goslings, ensuring they have a suitable temperature and sufficient drinking water.

(2) Goose Paramyxovirus Disease: Goose paramyxovirus disease is an infectious disease caused by the goose paramyxovirus, which can infect geese of all ages. Sick geese show symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, diarrhea, and neurological symptoms. For treatment, antiviral drugs such as ribavirin can be used, and antibiotics are combined to prevent secondary infections. Geese with severe conditions should be isolated and culled in a timely manner to prevent the spread of the disease.

 (3) Colibacillosis: Colibacillosis is a common disease caused by pathogenic Escherichia coli, which can lead to septicemia, enteritis, salpingitis, etc. in geese. Sick geese show symptoms such as depression, ruffled feathers, and diarrhea. For treatment, sensitive antibiotics such as enrofloxacin and amoxicillin can be selected, and at the same time, improve the environmental hygiene of the goose house and strengthen feeding management.

VI. Conclusion

Goose farming on the farm is an undertaking with broad prospects. However, to achieve good economic returns, farmers need to master scientific farming techniques and carefully handle every aspect, from the selection of goose breeds, the construction of the breeding environment, feeding management, to disease prevention and control. Only in this way can the healthy growth of the goose flock be ensured and the breeding efficiency be improved. I hope this article can provide some help to farmers and enable them to succeed in goose farming. At the same time, farmers should also keep learning and exploring, pay attention to industry trends, introduce advanced breeding concepts and technologies, and promote the sustainable development of the goose - farming industry on the farm.