so as to shut out marauders, and at the same time allow plenty of
ventilation. The coop must be cleaned often so as to keep the goslings
clean and dry.
_Length of Time Brooding Is Necessary._ The time that goslings need
brooding will, of course, depend upon the weather. During mild weather
10 days is usually sufficient, after which they can do without any
brooding. Early in the season, brooding must be extended over a longer
period. This may mean anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks or even longer.
_Artificial Brooding._ For this purpose any brooder utilized for chicks
or ducks can be used for goslings. To start with they should have a
temperature of about 100 degrees but this can be reduced in a few days
until in a week or ten days it is only 70 to 80 degrees or if the
weather is mild artificial heat may be dispensed with entirely. Where
there are only a few goslings they may be put with a brood of ducks as
long as they need heat. It does not work so well to put them with chicks
both because they do not require a high temperature so long as the
chicks and also because they are so large as to be likely to tread on
and injure some of the chicks. Brooders should be well bedded with
straw, shavings or some similar material and should be cleaned out every
2 or 3 days so as to be kept clean and dry. Do not crowd the goslings;
give them plenty of room.
Some goose raisers do not depend upon heated brooders at all, especially
when only a few goslings are to be brooded. For the first day or two the
goslings are kept in a covered basket or box in the house near a fire
and after this are put out during the warmth of the day but brought into
the house and put in the basket or box at night until they are two or
three weeks old. The same practice should be followed with goslings
reared in brooders, these being used only during the night after the
first 2 or 3 days, the goslings being put out-doors during the day in
good weather.
When goslings which are being artificially brooded are put out during
the day on the grass, they should be confined at first. This can be
easily accomplished by building a triangular enclosure, formed of 3
boards, 1 foot wide or wider, placed up on edge. This enclosure can be
easily shifted to a new position each day thus giving the goslings fresh
ground and fresh grass.

General Care of Growing Goslings
Goslings should be kept dry and for this reason should be kept shut up
until the dew is off the grass in the morning. For the same reason they
shou