Rearing Goslings for Market.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 134, 25 February 1909, Page 3

Rearing Goslings for Market.

A prominent American breeder writes as follows:

The birds are allowed free range where there is all the green grass they can eat, one gander to every three geese. My best success has come by setting goose eggs under hens about March 1. I market the geese during the holidays, and also sell a good many for breeding. I never sell them for market under 18 cents a pound dressed.

i When first hatched I cut a turf of I gr.en grass into the cojp, and give |, the goslings dry bread crumbs three times a day, with fresh water to drink, arranging the pan so they cannot get [ into the water. After the first week 1 feed a mash of equal parts ground f oats, bran and cornmeal mixed with F hot water, feeding it cold five times ' daily till the goslings are a month old. They haw green grass all the time. After they arc one month old I feed thr same mash morning and noon, with cracked wheat at night, cutting down their meals to three a day. After the goslings arc two months old I only Teed them twice a day, soft food in the morning and cracked corn at night, and after two months old I , let them roam wherever they will. | About three weeks before killing Ipen I them up in a small space and feed them ! two parts cornmeal. one part bran and ' one part beef scraps in the morning, ; with com a night, and oats and wheat at noon, placing grit where they can get all they want. The most important point next to feeding goslings, when rearing them for market, is to keep them tame and gentle, seeing that they do not get wet until after they arc two months old, and keeping them shut up at night. In preparing them for market, feed all thry will cat up till 12 hours before killing them. After they are killed, be very careful to pluck and singe properly, this making all the difference between an attractive purchase and an undesirable one. ( sell the feathers at 60 cents a pound as soon as they are aired out. Selecting good breeding stock is the most important point ono has to attend to in rearing geese for market.