grass range during the summer and
fall, it is necessary to feed them during the winter. In fact during the
summer it may be necessary to feed them lightly on grain or wet mash if
the pasture gets short. The quantity of feed necessary for this purpose
depends upon the condition of the pasture and must be judged by the
condition of the birds.
During the winter, they must be fed regularly. The feed given them
should consist of both grain and some form of roughage. It is necessary
to be careful not to overfeed so that the geese will become too fat, for
while they should be in good condition of flesh at the beginning of the
breeding season, if they are too fat, poor fertility and poor hatches
will result.
_Feed._ Oats makes the best feed for breeding geese as it is not too
fattening. Corn, wheat or barley fed alone is likely to prove too
fattening but a limited quantity should be fed for variety. The grain
should be fed twice a day throughout the winter and should be given
rather sparingly, depending on roughage to make up the bulk of the feed.
Vegetables, clover or alfalfa hay, chopped corn stover or silage make
good roughage for this purpose. Corn silage is a fine feed if it is not
moldy and does not contain so much corn as to be too fattening.
About three weeks or a month before it is desired to have the geese
commence laying, which should be at such a time that the first goslings
hatched will have good grass pasture, a mash should be added to the feed
to stimulate egg production. This mash is generally fed in the morning
with the vegetables or roughage and may consist of three parts bran or
shorts, one part corn meal and one-fourth part meat scrap. If available
buttermilk or skim milk can be used to mix the mash and replace the meat
scrap. Another mash for this purpose consists of corn meal one-fourth
part, bran two parts, and ground oats one part, mixed up with skim milk
or buttermilk.
Grit and oyster shell should be kept where the geese can help themselves
particularly during the laying season. Drinking water must be available
at all times and if a natural supply is not available, must be given in
drinking fountains or dishes which should be so arranged that the geese
cannot get their feet into the water. When they can get into the
drinking water, they will quickly get it into a filthy condition.
When the geese are running in a field with horses or cattle a small
enclosure should be fenced in to which the geese can gain access by
means of suitable o