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In regions where the grass in the meadow does not burn out throughout the summer, breeding geese becomes one of the most profitable types of business. Of all the domesticated bird species, the goose is the most profitable for breeding in the temperate climate zone.
One of the best breeds in the goose world is the Danish Legard. Legard geese appeared in the CIS quite recently and the main livestock is concentrated in Ukraine. This is natural. The climatic conditions in Ukraine are such that it is profitable to breed geese there since the Middle Ages.
Description of the legard geese breed with a photo
The breed comes from Denmark, so this bird is usually called the “Danish Legard”. Geese of this breed are among the largest. The weight of an adult gander can reach 8 kg. The geese are only a kilo behind.
Geese of the Legard breed are very similar in appearance to the Italian and Emden breeds. However, with a closer look, differences can be found. And the differences are not only external, but also “internal”. Legards are famous for their calm nature and slight “talkativeness”. While the geese of the Emden breed have an absurd and vicious disposition. Plus, Emden geese love to make some noise.
What do Danish legard geese look like:
- small, light, elongated head;
- Blue eyes;
- powerful orange beak of medium length. The tip of the beak is whitish;
- the neck is relatively short and thick;
- the skeleton is graceful;
- the back is even, straight, wide;
- a fat fold is required on the abdomen;
- metatarsus relatively long, orange;
- the plumage is always white.
Ducklings have yellow down with dark spots. Little goslings do not stand out from the mass of chicks of other breeds, but, growing up, they change their yellow fluff to snow-white feathers, becoming like whooper swans.
Sexual dimorphism is well expressed in the breed. The gander has a large square body and a prominent neck. The body of the goose is lighter and more elongated.
Productive characteristics of legard geese
Legards, like other breeds of geese, are bred for meat. And here the legards can give odds to rivals. Already at 2-2,5 months, legard goslings gain weight of 6 kg. By 3 months they can already weigh 7 kg. At the same time, due to the better metabolism, legard geese require 20% less grain feed than other breeds. Legards thrive on grass. Therefore, by combining daytime grazing with evening feed, you can achieve rapid weight gain and an optimal ratio between meat and fat.
This can be seen by watching a video from the exhibition and sale of poultry. The owner himself does not think that his pet weighs the promised 8 kg.
The egg production of geese is very good for this type of bird. Usually a goose lays about 40 eggs weighing 200 g. High egg production is “compensated” by low fertility (60-65%). As a result, 17-20 goslings are obtained from one goose.
Moreover, the heavier the bird, the worse the fertility. Poor fertility is compensated by the high survival rate of goslings. As a result, Danish legards beat other breeds of geese “on points”. From a goose you can get about 90 kg of goose meat over the summer.
Danish legard geese also have a third productive characteristic: downy. Pinch the young start from 11 months. Pinch down periodically every 6 weeks. In total, 0,5 kg of fluff can be obtained from one bird per year.
Pros and cons of the breed
The benefits in terms of productivity are easy to see:
- fast weight gain;
- good survival of goslings;
- quality fluff;
- economy in feeding.
Other advantages related to the temperament and character of birds are less noticeable:
- sanguine temperament;
- non-aggressive attitude towards the owner and strangers;
- the rapid emergence of attachment to the owner;
- silence;
- unpretentiousness in content.
How easily legard geese become attached to the owner can be seen in the video, where, judging by the squeak, not even an adult bird, but still very small goslings.
Cons of the breed:
- low fertility of eggs;
- lack of incubation instinct.
The pros of the breed far outweigh its cons.
Breeding
Puberty in geese occurs at about 9 months. Ganders “ripen” 3 weeks later. If all the birds are of the same age, then the first month’s egg-laying must be removed to force the goose to lay again. In the presence of an “old” gander, the eggs of a young goose will be fertilized immediately. Geese have no incubation instinct, so the eggs will have to be collected and placed in an incubator. Goose start laying eggs in April, even if it is a bird of late hatching.
The eggs from these geese are among the largest, but the goslings hatch in a small size. However, they quickly grow and gain weight. Another feature of legards is the appearance of goslings from young geese that do not quite meet the breed standard. But for a young bird, this is normal.
Content
The conditions of keeping for these geese practically do not differ from the needs of other breeds. There are only a couple of important conditions:
- calculation of the floor area of 1 m² for each head;
- In winter it is necessary to keep indoors.
A semi-closed aviary can be used as a room, which will protect the birds from wind and precipitation.
Owner feedback
Conclusion
The Danish legard geese breed is still little known not only in Our Country, but also in Ukraine. Due to their productive characteristics and the resistance of goslings to the disease, these geese will soon gain recognition among private traders. For industrial cultivation, they may not be suitable due to the low fertility of eggs, provided that artificial insemination is not used.