Contents
Contrary to the first impression, the Governor’s geese do not originate from pre-revolutionary times. This breed was bred quite recently by a complex reproductive crossing of the Shadrinsk and Italian geese. Work on the breeding of the breed has been carried out since the beginning of the XXI century. For 11 years, scientists from the Institute of Poultry Farming, Agricultural Academy named after. T. S. Maltseva and livestock breeding farm “Makhalov” worked on the breed.
In the process of selection, experts selected for productivity, frost resistance, viability and unpretentiousness. The idea succeeded. Geese of the Governor breed do not need insulated poultry houses, live in Spartan conditions and are able to quickly gain weight.
Description
The photo shows that the Governor’s geese have a compact body and a dense physique. Medium-sized elongated head with a straight profile. The beak is orange, wide, short. The eyes are oval, dark. The neck is short and thick. The back is wide, slightly arched. The wings are small, tightly pressed to the body. The tail is relatively long, slightly raised. The chest is wide, convex. Legs are short and well muscled. The abdomen is well developed. Metatarsus orange, medium length.
The color is white. The plumage fits snugly to the body. In the description of the Governor’s breed of geese, it is noted that they inherited their fluff from the Shadrinskys. The branched structure of the down allows the Governor’s breed geese to live outdoors year-round.
The breed was bred as meat and egg, but the meat characteristics of the Governor’s geese are higher than those of eggs. The weight of the Governor’s gander of the weighted type at 9 weeks reaches 4,35 kg, the goose at the same age weighs 4 kg. While egg production is only 46 pcs. for 4,5 months of laying. Some farmers, according to reviews, also receive fluff from the Governor’s geese. But the latter is a very laborious task, given that it must be plucked from a live bird very carefully and only during molting.
Advantages
The breed turned out to be extremely successful and meets the needs of farmers. Advantages of the Governor breed:
- good feedback on feed (1 kg of feed is consumed per 2,7 kg of weight gain);
- high output of goslings in the incubator (up to 95%);
- good safety of young animals: an average of 94% of goslings survive to adulthood;
- high viability of adult stock;
- rapid weight gain in young animals;
- polygamous goose.
Often, even having a harem of 3-4 geese, the gander often prefers only one female. Governor’s ganders are deprived of this shortcoming. Thanks to polygamy, the Governor’s gander pays attention to all his females. This increases the yield of fertilized hatching eggs.
After fouling with feathers, the spots disappear. They have nothing to do with autosexuality.
Disadvantages
In the descriptions of the Governor’s geese, a lot of adult birds are silent. But it can be assumed that with a weight of almost 2 kg at 4 months, an adult gander of the Governor’s breed will weigh at least 7 kg. This suggests that with high hatchability in the incubator, the fertility of the eggs is still low.
Also, there is no mention anywhere of the desire of the Governor’s geese to become hens. In this breed, this property can be safely attributed to the disadvantages, since with low egg productivity, it would be possible to allow the birds to hatch goslings on their own.
But the Governor’s breed of geese was created for breeding in industrial poultry farms and the presence of the incubation instinct was not part of the breeders’ tasks when breeding the breed. Thus, an incubator is required to breed the Governor’s breed.
Content
A photo and a detailed description of the conditions for keeping geese of the Governor’s breed can cause horror in an unusual person.
In the “homeland” of the Governor’s breed in the “Makhalov” breeding farm, geese are kept outdoors all year round in pens between poultry houses. In case of severe weather or severe frosts, geese can take refuge in unheated buildings. The rest of the time, down to -25 ° C, the Governor’s geese live on the street. In the same place, in the corrals, feeders with hay are equipped for them.
In the poultry house, the floor is covered with deep bedding. The room is naturally ventilated. The drinkers are designed so that the geese can only stick their heads into the water. In this way, the litter is protected from moisture, and it remains dry.
During the unproductive period, that is, in winter, the Governor’s geese are fed once a day with oats. Water is also provided only once a day. The rest of the time, the geese quench their thirst with snow on the street. For better assimilation of feed, geese put pebbles. In this case, hard hay and oats are ground in the stomach by gastroliths and are well absorbed.
At the beginning of the reproductive season, the Governor’s geese in the herd are given complete freedom to mate. But this does not apply to those birds that are used for further selection. Free mating is possible only for an industrial herd producing offspring for slaughter.
But such a method of keeping, as well as a photo of the process, confirms that there is not a word of untruth in the description of the Governor’s breed geese regarding their frost resistance and unpretentiousness. These are really very convenient birds for keeping in a private house. They are especially good for beginners.
Diet during the reproductive period
If in winter the Governor’s geese can be fed once a day and only with hay and oats, then during egg laying such a meager diet cannot be dispensed with.
About a month before the planned breeding season, the Governor’s geese begin to be given not only oats, but also other grains and legumes. The best option is compound feed for geese of egg-bearing breeds. Such feed is already saturated with all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
If there is no specialized feed, geese are given ground grains of wheat, corn, barley, soybeans, and peas. Hay at this time is better than alfalfa. When the grass begins to grow, the geese are transferred to fresh green fodder.
This is especially true of raw dry wheat and legumes. Swelling in the crop, this food can clog the esophagus. If possible. Wheat is better boiled.
In addition to grain and grass, the Governor’s geese need vitamin and mineral premixes. Pebbles are constantly kept in a pen.
nesting
Even if the Governor’s goose is not exhausted from the desire to hatch offspring, she will prefer to lay her eggs in a secluded, quiet place where no one will disturb her. In the absence of such places, eggs are laid anywhere. In this case, the risk of losing products is high.
To build a nest for geese of the Governor breed, it is enough to make boxes with high walls and lay straw on the floor. The best option: the number of nests exceeds the number of geese in the herd. If there are fewer nests, several geese may start laying eggs in the same box. In the case of the collection of hatchery eggs, this situation does not matter. Knowing which eggs come from which goose is important if breeding is being done.
Reviews
By spring, the geese have matured and pleased with eggs. Their eggs are very large, but they are really not enough. Although I had enough.
Conclusion
This breed is still little known in Our Country. Among private traders, it is not particularly advertised, although in the photo the geese of the Governor’s breed look very attractive. At the stud farm “Makhalov” Governor’s – the main source for the production of goose meat. Since the slaughter of geese takes place there in massive quantities, it becomes profitable to collect fluff from slaughtered carcasses. The down of geese of the Governor’s breed is highly valued abroad. But the supply volumes must be appropriate. But amateur private traders can collect fluff on blankets, pillows and even feather beds.