en up when they become broody
or whether they are allowed to sit. The latter practice, of course,
stops the layings. It must be remembered that the Canadian and Egyptian
as a rule lay only a single small setting of eggs during the season.
As a rule geese lay during the night or the forenoon. The frequency of
laying varies, some geese laying every other day while others lay more
or less often.
_Housing._ Geese withstand the weather very well and do not need much in
the way of houses or shelter except during winter and during severe
storms. In the North it is the usual practice and good practice to
provide shelter for the geese, which may take the form of a poultry
house, or of any shed or barn available for the purpose. A shed with
openings on the south side makes an ideal goose shelter or house. Most
breeders in the South who give their flocks good attention also provide
shelter for them during the winter although geese are also successfully
kept in that section without shelter.
The houses provided for the breeders must be kept clean and as dry as
possible. The best way to do this is to bed them liberally with straw,
shavings or some similar material, especially during the winter. As the
bedding becomes soiled, more should be added and the house should be
cleaned out from time to time and fresh litter put in.
No equipment for the houses is necessary. The geese will lay their eggs
in nests which they make on the floor and if plenty of clean bedding is
provided, the eggs will not get badly soiled. Large boxes, barrels, or
similar shelter provided with an abundance of nesting material may be
scattered about the range to provide places in which the geese may make
their nests.
_Yards._ Usually no yards are provided for geese as they are allowed the
range of a pasture or are allowed to roam at liberty about the farm. Any
ordinary woven wire stock fence such as might be used to fence a pasture
will serve to keep the geese confined as well as the other stock. If
for any reason it is desired to confine geese to a yard, the effort
should be made to provide yard enough so that the geese will have a
constant supply of green feed. In a small yard this is impossible. A 2-1/2
or 3 foot fence is high enough to confine any of the common breeds of
geese and will also serve for Canadian and Egyptian geese if they have
been pinioned which should always be done.
_Feeding the Breeding Geese._ While the flock of geese may be allowed to
pick most of their living from a good