larger and coarser than the goose, with
a longer, thicker neck and larger head. The gander also has a shriller
cry than the goose whose cry consists of a harsher sound. Some goose
raisers claim that they can distinguish the sex of mature geese by the
body shape, the underline of the body of the gander from the tail to the
point where the legs join the body being nearly straight, while in the
goose this line tends to round out with the fuller development of the
abdomen. This difference is more marked during the laying season than at
other times. Considerable experience is necessary in order to
distinguish sex by any of the means described and the really sure way is
by an examination of the sexual organs or by observing the actions of
the geese when mating.
Upon examination the sphincter muscle which closes the anus of the
female when stretched will be found to have a folded appearance. If the
gander is placed upon his back and pressure applied around the anus, the
penis will protrude. This test is more easily made on a mature than on
an immature gander and is also easier to make during warm than during
cold weather.
_Purchase of Breeding Stock._ Geese when mated usually stay mated
permanently. Matings are not, therefore, changed from year to year as a
rule so long as they continue to give satisfactory results. If it
becomes necessary to make new matings or to break up old matings, this
should be done in the fall, so that the birds will be thoroughly used to
the new order of things by the time the breeding season arrives, and
the results in eggs laid and young stock grown will not, therefore, be
adversely affected. For this reason, any breeding stock purchased should
be secured in the fall rather than to wait until just before the
breeding season opens. As a rule, also, a better selection of breeding
stock to choose from is available to the purchaser in the fall.
_Time of Laying._ Geese start laying in the early spring and continue to
lay throughout the spring. With special attention given to the feeding,
they should begin in the northeastern part of the United States about
February 1 and should continue to lay until about June 1 when geese of
the heavier breeds such as the Toulouse, African and Embden will
generally be pretty well through. Some individuals will lay later than
this and the Chinese geese also have a rather longer laying season
extending further into the summer. The length of the laying season is
also affected by whether the geese are brok