File:Ducks and geese; a valuable collection of articles on breeding, rearing, feeding, housing and marketing these profitable fowls (1900) (21120510861).jpg

Title: Ducks and geese; a valuable collection of articles on breeding, rearing, feeding, housing and marketing these profitable fowls
Identifier: ducksgeesevaluab00reli (find matches)
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Reliable Poultry Journal Publishing Company
Subjects: Ducks; Geese
Publisher: Quincy, Ill. , The Reliable Poultry Journal Publishing Co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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DUCKS AND GEESE. 55 former can be abandoned entirely as the goslings grow older and the weather becomes warmer. It is very essential to keep them warm and dry while young, especially at night, as dampness often proves fatal. Protect them from rain and storm during the day until after they don their new coat of feathers, the down that is on their little bodies being no protection whatever. I consider the care of young geese as little trouble compared with that required by other fowls. I have never had disease or lice among my birds, in fact, I have never lest one except through accident. Place a little sand and straw in the bottom of the brood- er, and clean it out every other day. Put ten to twelve gos- lings in one coop, and reduce the number to six as they be- come larger. Begin the business moderately, and acquire experience. prepared food used only. Soda, very little salt, and good grit added to the food every few days prevent indigestion and bowel trouble. Bran is quite indispensable as a bone forming element, and grit should be provided at all times. Peed often while they are young, four times a day until they are three weeks old, and three times thereafter will be suf- ficient. As soon as they can eat cracked corn and wheat, I feed the prepared food in the morning only, and keep plenty of fresh water at their disposal. When they don their new coat of feathers they can be given water to bathe in. Be- fore that time it may injure their growth. A neighbor of ours lost nearly forty goslings in this way last summer. The overflow from a windmill tank furnished them a splendid bathing place, too tempting to resist, but the results were fatal.
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FLOCK OF TOULOUSE GEESE ON THE FARM OF CHARLES M'CLAVE, NEW LONDON, OHIO. There are some things about raising geese which can be learned only by experience, and a little practice is worth a world of theory. Intelligent and systematic breeding is sure to bring both pleasure and profit to the breeder. The first problem with young goslings is what is best to feed them to produce fine, large, healthy birds. True, there are about as many bills of fare as there are poultrymen and women. However, I believe in the most simple and effective way. When the goslings are twenty-four hours old I give them a light food of rolled oats, dry, and some water to drink, being careful not to let them get damp or to tread in the water. I use the galvanized drinking fountains, which prove very satisfactory. I prepare food by using one-third cornmeal and two-thirds bran, dampened (not wet), mixed and baked. It is not necessary to bake very long, just so it is thoroughly heated. If prepared properly it is very crumbly when done. After it is cool, add one tablespoonful of bone meal to every gallon of the food. I find it best to prepare the food fresh every day. Feed this food alternately with rolled oats for nearly one week, after which the oats can be abandoned, and the Grass is the most important of all foods GRASS AN" for young goslings. I keep a box sown thick- ESSENTIAL ly with oats, and when it is too cold for the POOD. goslings out of doors I let them devour this, which furnishes an abundance of green food that is much enjoyed by them. They eat very daintily, pre- ferring grass to all other foods. With their "musical" chat- ter they are ready to meet you, take a few mouthfuls of food and then with the same old tune they lazily saunter away in search of more grass and more rest. Early in the spring I turn them into a yard set with tender June grass, later I place them in a clover field. If your range is limited and grass is scarce, a yard sown with oats will do splendidly. I did this one year when my clover field was too distant for the young birds. They kept the green blades of oats quite close along the edge, while the interior grew and ripened. This served as food for a long time and was excellent, and my birds never weighed more than they did that season. Be sure to have plenty of shade, as they suffer greatly from heat. Do not give them crowded quarters, the more

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