Large gray geese belong to the meat industry. They are in demand not only among manufacturers, but also holders of private farms because of their ability to quickly gain weight and unpretentiousness, both in care and in nutrition.
Large gray breed of geese
Large gray geese gain weight quickly
In one goose, up to 15 chicks can be hatched from eggs
A large gray breed has an orange beak with a pink spot on the tip
Breeding History
At the beginning of the last century, a new breed of geese, the Large Gray, was bred in Ukraine by crossing the Romny and Toulouse geese. The Toulouse breed is very unpretentious in maintenance and has a high viability. These birds gain weight quite quickly and are appreciated for their high quality meat.
The main task when breeding a new breed was to increase the mass of the Toulouse variety while maintaining the original data. The first experimental group was called Borkovsky.
During World War II, birds were evacuated to Tambov, and there the breeders continued to improve the geese. So they achieved the appearance of the Big Gray Goose.
Description and standards of large gray geese
In order not to make a mistake when buying and acquiring geese of this breed, study the standards under which individuals should be suitable:
- small head;
- wallet and bump are absent;
- orange beak with a pink spot on the tip;
- neck of medium length;
- massive physique, with protruding pectoral muscles;
- on a wide stomach two fat folds;
- steady paws of bright orange color;
- the color is predominantly gray, with bright areas on the chest and a white lower part.
Females are slightly smaller than males and have a more fragile body structure. Males usually reach a weight of up to 7 kg, and when feeding concentrated feeds, the weight can reach 9.5 kg. Geese weigh up to 6.5 kg on average.
Malformations
If you are going to buy geese of this breed for further breeding or choose individuals from your geese for breeding, they need to be carefully examined.
Acceptable disadvantages in the selection:
- the border at the base of the beak is white;
- feathers are not gray;
- the pattern on the back and wings is blurry and does not look like a “scale”;
- on the stomach one fat fold instead of two.
If upon examination you find a purse or a cone on the forehead in a bird under its beak, then it is subject to rejection. It is also considered unacceptable if the chest is small, sharp and located high in relation to the body, and the fold on the abdomen is poorly developed.
Pros and cons of the breed
Large gray goose is considered one of the most successful breeds. When breeding these birds you will receive the following benefits:
- Ease of maintenance. The gray goose is very unpretentious in nutrition, which significantly reduces the cost of its maintenance. For its breeding does not require the presence of a reservoir. He feels quite well when kept indoors.
- Hassle-free offspring. Although the egg production rate of these birds is average (about 40 per season), the offspring are very viable and 75% of the chicks survive. You don’t have to take care of the masonry and young growth, the geese do it themselves perfectly. In this case, the female eggs are laid until the age of 5 years, compared with 3 years of the same Toulouse breed.
- Speed of results. Young growth quickly grows and by 9 weeks already gaining weight in 5 kg. These birds are greatly appreciated for their ability to build up the liver. It can reach up to 400 g.
- Fluff and feathers during life. You can pinch these birds twice a year. The down and feathers of a large gray breed of geese are very dense and are in demand in the production of outerwear and underwear.
Among the shortcomings of this breed can be noted the resentment of the bird, which she remembers for a long time and, if possible, must take revenge on her offender. At the same time, geese are quite sociable. With good content and the absence of conflicts, they are quite peaceful.
Another drawback can be considered a rather loud cry of geese, with which they communicate.
Conditions of detention
These birds are quite unpretentious and frost-resistant, but this does not mean that they do not require care. In order for geese to please you with high egg production for a long time, and young growth quickly gained weight and was not sick, you must adhere to the following tips:
- It is important to provide the geese with a dry and clean habitat in order to exclude goose diseases and reduce the cost of purchasing feed. After all, when the feathers get wet, the goose loses heat faster and eats more to keep warm.
- It is desirable to allocate a birdhouse for wood, it is possible from clay concrete, the main thing is that there are no drafts in it. The floor must be raised at least 20 cm from the ground to prevent the litter from getting wet.
- In summer, sand with sawdust is perfect as a litter, and straw in winter. So that the straw warms better, superphosphate (200 g per 1 sq. M) is added to it. It also reduces ammonia emissions from bird droppings. Such a litter in the spring will serve as an excellent fertilizer.
- The litter is prepared in advance at the rate of 40 kg for one individual. For young animals, 7 kg of bedding material is enough. Indoors, you need to arrange nests made of straw with a cardboard or wooden fence. Feeding troughs and drinking bowls should be long and low.
- Although this breed of geese does not require a pond, but if you regularly please your pets with a bath of clean water in the summer, they will appreciate it. Water needs to be changed more often, it should not be dirty. Geese can get sick from contaminated water. Therefore, reservoirs with stagnant water are also not suitable for them.
- If there are no trees in the backyard under which the geese can hide from the scorching heat, then it is necessary to equip a canopy for these purposes.
Feeding rules
If you want the bird to quickly gain weight, you should pay great attention to its feeding. Although large gray geese are not fastidious in eating, there are several tricks that will allow you to grow young growth as quickly as possible.
Summer food
In the spring and summer, grazing is recommended to reduce costs. If you have a suitable meadow and a pond in the area, it will be enough to feed the geese once a day, in the morning or in the evening. Typically, such lure include a bean and cereal silo, bran, fresh grass, chopped root crops.
If the feeding of geese is carried out in order to build meat or liver, granular compound feed and fatty foods are necessarily included in the feeding.
Winter food
In winter, the bird is fed 3 times a day. Juicy feed is given mainly in the morning, and dry - in the afternoon. Succulent feeds include silage and root crops, which are boiled before use.
Dry food includes legumes and cereals in the form of wheat, oats, barley, corn, peas, both crushed and whole. They also feed hay. Geese eat the softest parts from it, and what is left can be put on the litter. Harvested from the summer, dried leaves are soaked, crushed and added to the feed. And dry branches are steamed and placed in the house in an accessible place.
Throughout the year, it is recommended to give the bird vitamin complexes, and in separate feeders pour chalk and gravel to improve digestion. In drinking bowls, clean water should always be available. The diet can include salt, meat and bone meal and duckweed (fresh or dry).
Breeding
In the wild, most geese are monogamous, therefore, when breeding this bird, it should be borne in mind that no more than 2-3 females should be per male. At the very beginning, when the flock is formed, more males should be left, because females do not accept them all. The outcast bird must be removed and flocks and put on meat. If you leave this goose anyway, then with time it will die.
The advantage of the Large gray breed of geese is that geese are excellent brood hens. Hatching eggs lasts 28-30 days. To goose brought healthy offspring, you must adhere to some rules:
- In February, for each of them, a separate nest with high walls is arranged in a place where no one will interfere with the goose. They are taken out to feed in turns.
- The temperature in the place of keeping geese is maintained in the region of 12-16 degrees, and daylight hours are extended by artificial lighting up to 14 hours.
- Before the masonry, more protein is introduced into the diet of geese, which contributes to increased reproductive function. And during masonry and hatching, the bird is given fermented milk products and soy to meet the need for calcium. If this is not done, then the goose may start to peck eggs.
- Masonry begins in March. Birds of this breed lay their eggs every two days, they can be collected and kept in a cool place, then put everything together for hatching.
For what signs you can distinguish a gander from a goose, read the next article.
Growing chicks
In April, with good care and good nutrition, up to 15 chicks are hatched from an egg in a goose. The main thing that is required from the owner is not to irritate the bird and not actively interfere in the upbringing of young animals.
In the first week of hatched chicks are fed with a crushed mixture of corn or wheat with the addition of a boiled egg or cottage cheese. Then finely chopped boiled root crops and oilcake are introduced into the diet. It is important that the prepared mixture is moist, but friable and does not block the nasal openings in the beak.
In the first two months, goslings are actively growing. For full development, they need to eat about 2-2.5 kg of grain and up to 6-9 kg of green feed per 1 kg of weight.
If you breed a bird for slaughter, it is best to keep it in a pen. The diet of such young animals should consist mainly of concentrated feed and greens.
At 4 months, the geese gain enough weight and begin to fledge. Their further cultivation is advisable only for breeding.
Where to get and cost?
Large gray geese are quite popular. They tolerate cold well and successfully interbreed with other breeds, so they spread throughout Russia.
You can buy these birds in specialized nurseries:
Name | Contact details |
Ecofazenda http://ecofazenda.ru/ | Russia, Moscow region, Leninsky district, Misailovo village, Pervomaiskaya street, 84. +7(964)772-00-79 +7(926)077-16-00 |
SP-ARGO https://sp-agro.tiu.ru/ | Russia, Moscow region, Ploshchevo village, ul. Zapovednaya, Aleksandrovsky district, near Sergiev Posad. +7 (495) 142-73-80 city (multi-channel) +7 (926) 880-18-55 Alex +7 (925) 209-38-57 Maria |
Farm "Goat-Dereza" http://sibkoza.ru/ | 21 km of the Yenisei tract opposite the village of Pridorozhny Krasnoyarsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory. 56 ° 13’29.6 ″ N 92 ° 58’22.8 ″ E 56.224884, 92.972988 +7(908)020-01-71 |
Goose Farm http: // goose farm.rf/ | Village Alferovo, Chekhov district, Moscow region +7(916)751-91-07 +7(965)178-38-71 |
Prices vary from producer to producer and fluctuate quite a lot, especially for adult birds. You can buy an incubation egg at a price of 100 to 150 rubles. A one-day chick costs from 160 to 400 rubles. Adult birds are sold from 800 to 2000 rubles.
Large Gray Geese Breed Reviews
Olga, 46 years old, Tula region. Yes, these geese are very beautiful. I keep Large grays and Hungarians. The chicks have grown, they are already 3.5 months old. And, despite the fact that the Grays are much smaller, they are at the head of the pack! The gander, also from the Grays, became the leader, we call him Evil Goose! He is very loud and demanding, and even more than obstinacy. Shkodat, of course. We have no time to miss them.
Denis Olegovich, 24 years old, student, Kiev. I grow these geese for only a year. A flock of 20 birds, very pleased with them. Mostly they are in my free grazing, only in the evening I feed with oats. Three-month-old goslings have already gained 5 kg. I used to breed Linda breed, but I liked these a lot more. I want to leave them for divorce. I think they are worth it! Very beautiful and graceful geese.
Alexander, 41 years old, owner of a personal subsidiary farm, Voronezh region. One of the main advantages of this bird is that they are practically not afraid of frost. Only this year my hands came to make a canopy, and after every rain, during the molt, the sight was miserable. Note that geese and ducks hide their paws under the wing - they have a “stove” there.
Hide
Add your review
Reviews of this breed of geese are positive. The unpretentiousness of this bird makes it easy to care for and quite economical, and the result will delight you. And if in the early 2000s it was rather problematic to buy the Big Gray Goose, now more and more nurseries are breeding them, and a large number of people are acquiring the Gray Goose for their households.