sirable.
_Shipping._ The geese are loaded into stock cars into which three
separate decks are built to accommodate them. From 1200 to 1400 geese
can be loaded into a car thus arranged. The journey usually takes about
5 or 6 days and some fatteners send a man along with the car to feed and
water the geese 2 or 3 times during the trip. If a man does not
accompany the car, buckets of corn should be placed in the car for feed
and some potatoes should also be supplied as these will serve in place
of drinking water. If the car is not subjected to unusual delay, the
geese should come through in good shape, but if much delayed there may
be 25 to 100 geese dead when the car arrives at its destination.
When the car arrives at the end of its journey, the geese are unloaded
and driven to the farm where they are turned into the fields together in
a large flock. The fields in which they are thus kept should have a
supply of growing green feed or grass and a good supply of fresh
drinking water. They are kept here until they are wanted for the
fattening pens which may be from a week to 20 days after their arrival
at the farm. While in this large supply flock they are fed on corn and
grass which they can get for themselves.
_Summer Geese_ to be fattened are placed only about 50 in a pen or
enclosure; and are provided with a few boards set on posts to protect
them from the hot sun. The later geese are fattened in lots of 3 or 4
hundred or even more, depending upon how many pickers are available to
be kept busy. It is for this reason also that the geese are not all put
on the fattening ration at the same time, but are started at intervals
so as to have a continuous supply coming along to keep the pickers busy.
The geese not put in the fattening lots at the start are left in the
fields to grow and develop until they are needed.
The enclosures in which the geese are penned for fattening are small
lots or fields enclosed by stone walls or board fences 2-1/2 to 3 feet
high. These lots should be dry and well-drained, a location on a side
hill being good for this purpose. The fattening lots must be kept clean
and stagnant water must not be allowed to stand in the lots as this is
likely to cause sickness, especially diarrhoea. These yards should be
plowed up each spring and planted to oats, corn or some other growing
crop to sweeten them. No houses or shelters are provided for these geese
but some yards are somewhat wooded which affords a measure of protection
from the wind.
_