Ducks and Geese

PART II--GEESE

Chapter 2577 wordsPublic domain

IX. Extent of the Industry--Opportunities 141

Nature of the Industry--Opportunities for Goose Raising--Goose Raising as a Business for Farm Women--Geese as Weed Destroyers--Objections to Geese.

X. Breeds and Varieties--How to Mate to Produce Exhibition Specimens--Preparing Geese for the Show--Catching and Handling 147

Breeds of Geese--Nomenclature--Size--Popularity of the Breeds--Egg Production--Size of Goose Eggs--Color of Goose Eggs--Broodiness--Size of Mating--Age of Breeders--Marking Young Geese--General Considerations in Making the Mating--Making the Mating--The Toulouse--The Embden--The African--The Chinese--The Brown Chinese--The White Chinese--The Wild or Canadian--The Egyptian--Preparing Geese for the Show--Catching and Handling Geese--Packing and Shipping Hatching Eggs--Prices for Breeding Stock.

XI. Management of Breeding Geese 164

Range for Breeders--Number of Geese to the Acre--Water for Breeding Geese--Distinguishing the Sex--Purchase of Breeding Stock--Time of Laying--Housing--Yards--Feeding the Breeding Geese.

XII. Incubation 172

Care of Eggs for Hatching--Methods of Incubation--Period of Incubation--Hatching with Chicken Hens--Hatching with Geese--Breaking Up Broody Geese--Hatching with an Incubator--Moisture for Hatching Eggs--Hatching.

XIII. Brooding and Rearing Goslings 178

Methods of Brooding--Brooding with Hens or Geese--Length of Time Brooding is Necessary--Artificial Brooding--General Care of Growing Goslings--Feeding the Goslings--Percentage of Goslings Raised--Rapidity of Growth--Diseases.

XIV. Fattening and Marketing Geese 187

Classes of Geese Marketed--Markets and Prices--Prejudice Against Roast Goose--Methods of Fattening Geese for Market--Pen Fattening--Noodling Geese--Methods Used on Fattening Farms--Selling Geese Alive--Killing--Picking--Packing for Shipment--Saving the Feathers--Plucking Live Geese for their Feathers.

Index 215

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Frontispiece. Water Yards and Ducklings.

1. Mule Ducks and Blue Swedish Ducks 10

2. Mallard Ducks 11

3. Goose, Duck and Hen Eggs 18

4. Young Pekins for Breeders and Aylesbury Drake 19

5. Rouen Drake and Black East India Ducks 24

6. Rouen Drake in Summer Plumage and Rouen Duck 25

7. Cayuga Ducks 26

8. Gray Call Ducks 27

9. White Call Ducks 28

10. Colored Muscovy Drake and White Muscovy Drake 29

11. Crested White Drake and Young White Muscovy Showing Black on Head 32

12. Wing of Blue Swedish Duck 33

13. Pair of Buff Ducks 36

14. Penciled Runner Drake and White Runner Drake 37

15. Methods of Carrying Ducks 40

16. Power Feed Mixer 41

17. Duck Houses 58

18. House for Breeding Ducks 59

19. Another Type of Breeding House 62

20. Feeding the Breeders 63

21. Interior of Breeding House 74

22. Incubator Cellar 75

23. Interior of No. 1 Brooder House 82

24. Watering Arrangement in Brooder Pens 83

25. Another Type of No. 1 Brooder House 86

26. Brooder House No. 2 87

27. Brooder House No. 3 88

28. Long Brooder House and Yards 89

29. Pekin Ducklings 3 Days and 2 Weeks Old 90

30. Pekin Ducklings 3 Weeks and 6 Weeks Old 91

31. Interior of Cold Brooder House 92

32. Yard Ducks 93

33. Duck Sheds 94

34. Feeding and Watering Arrangements 95

35. Green Feed for Ducks 96

36. Feeding from Track 97

37. Yard Ducks at Rest 98

38. Artificial Water Yards 99

39. Catching Pens for Fattening Ducklings 104

40. Carrying Ducklings to Slaughter 105

41. Hanging Ducklings and Cutting Throat Veins 106

42. Bleeding Ducklings 107

43. Washing Heads 108

44. Ducklings Ready for the Pickers 109

45. Scalding 110

46. Picking Ducks 111

47. Dressed Duckling 112

48. Weighing Out Ducklings for Packing 113

49. Curing Duck Feathers 148

50. Egyptian Gander and Sebastapol Goose 149

51. Toulouse and Embden Ganders 154

52. Canadian and African Ganders 155

53. Brown and White Chinese Ganders 158

54. Methods of Handling Geese 159

55. Geese Fattening in an Orchard 198

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DUCKS