by Good day. In order for the goose flock to be strong, and its offspring to be healthy and actively developing, it is necessary to correctly form goose families. How to choose a goose for breeding work? Before selecting geese and geese for breeding, you need to make sure that there are no close relatives between them.
Usually, private poultry farmers purchase breeding geese from specialized nurseries or from neighboring poultry farms in order to prevent the degeneration of the flock or the appearance of young animals with developmental defects.
How to determine the sex of geese
Usually all male geese are not kept until they reach sexual maturity, but are sorted at an early age. The main population of ganders is fattened “for meat”, and only the strongest and healthiest chicks are selected for breeding.
In autosexing goose breeds, the sex of the chicks can be determined as early as one day of age – the plumage color of females and males differs.
These breeds include:
- Emden, Rhine, and Italian geese – females are dark gray, while males are yellow or light gray;
- Ural White breed – geese are dark and ganders are light;
- Governor’s – the geese have a noticeable dark spot on their backs.
You can also determine the sex of the chicks by the cloaca. But you need to examine it carefully so that no infection gets into the cloaca. The walls of the cloaca are carefully moved apart, in goslings you can see the penis, which is attached to the front wall, and in geese that have not reached sexual maturity, the fallopian tube is covered with a membrane.
How to choose a goose for breeding work
Gander are selected for breeding in the second half of the autumn period. It is at this time that the males show their character, as they are in an excited state. The best qualities of ganders selected for breeding are activity, sufficient aggressiveness, and the ability to stand up for their flock. However, the aggressiveness of males should not be directed at the owners.
The main characteristics of a breeding gander
Promising breeding males hold their necks straight. If they pull them in, this is a sign of weakness and insecurity; such ganders are unlikely to be of interest to geese.
The coccygeal gland should be wide and double, this is the best sign of a promising gander.
The wings should have ten primary feathers and the same number of secondary feathers, as well as a pair of small feathers on the edges – they are also called “scissors”. Their thin feather is longer than the thick one.
When geese walk, their wings spread slightly in different directions.
The tail of geese is horizontal. Future breeding geese have tail feathers in their tails – 10 lower and upper.
The more tubercles there are on the inside of the beak, the better.
The feathers on the body should be smooth and free of creases.
The body weight of the ganders should correspond to the characteristics of the breed. A good male should be 1-2 kg larger than the female. If the difference in weight is greater, the pair may have problems mating.
You should feel the muscles of the geese – they should be well developed.
A gander may be a model, but he will not become the head of the flock if he does not arouse the interest of the geese or if they chase him away.
In what case are geese culled:
- if the male does not correspond to the characteristics of the breed;
- the gander and the geese are closely related;
- fingers are deformed;
- the shape and length of the beak is abnormal;
- sternum protrusion and other defects.
Birds that are too aggressive should not be used for breeding purposes, as they will create a lot of problems for the owners.
Herd composition
The flock should be formed 45-60 days before the productive period – during this time the birds should get used to each other.
Females for breeding must be:
- healthy;
- be free from defects;
- correspond to the characteristics of the breed;
- with standard weight, strong constitution, high-quality plumage.
Those geese that are chased by other geese and not allowed near the feeders are not included in the flock. It is better to send such geese to slaughter or leave them to get eggs.
Experienced males are selected for young females so that they can immediately receive fertilized products.
A young male can fertilize two females, and another one is added when he turns 2 years old. If the gander proves to be a good producer, then the third female can be added earlier – everything is strictly individual.
When the gander grows up, up to 4 females are added to him – this is optimal for a goose family. It is worth adjusting the composition of the flock if the behavior of the geese changes, it is also necessary to assess their real potential.
Sometimes a gander is only capable of creating a monogamous family. Keeping such families is unprofitable.
Planned replacement of geese
A gander can productively fertilize his family for several years. The specific period of using a male as a breeding one depends on his potential. A high fertility rate in males of heavy and egg breeds can be maintained for 4 years. Those geese that have retained the instinct of brood hens, but do not have a high egg-laying rate, can be fertile for a longer time – ganders are left with geese for up to 6 years.
In small farms, the gander is changed every two or three years, and with a planned replacement of geese, instead of unproductive ones, you can get females closely related to the producer. In this case, the offspring will become smaller, defects are possible, and viability decreases.
The gander that is being replaced does not need to be sent to slaughter if it remains active and is capable of fertilizing females; it is enough to exchange it for a producer from another farm.
If poultry farmers know how to properly create a goose family, then there will be no problems with the future productivity of this poultry.
The first assessment of future producers can be made when the bird is 2 months old. Usually, more ganders are left to create a breeding flock than is necessary to create full-fledged families, since geese often reject the first candidates, even if they are excellent producers.
