Secrets of growing geese in the backyard
Geese differ from other birds of the farmstead in their unpretentiousness, excellent adaptation to our weather conditions and, practically, omnivorous. Only small goslings require special attention, and even then only those that are grown without the supervision of a mother goose. Adult individuals in the herd can quite stand up for themselves in front of possible predators (cats, dogs, foxes, hawks, etc.), feel great both in the paddock and on the pasture, have an excellent appetite and are content with any food that is offered. .
In addition to the convenience of care, geese bring considerable profit. This is excellent meat, which in taste compares favorably with already bored chicken meat, and a large amount of animal fat. From them we get a delicacy product - goose liver, the basis of the famous French dish foie gras. And goose down and feathers are several times superior to chicken ones in quality and durability.
It is especially beneficial to keep geese if there is a lake, a pond or just grassy fields near your site. This possibility of free grazing greatly facilitates the care of the livestock and saves the cost of purchasing feed.
Nursing goslings
Like all chicks, little goslings require an attentive, delicate attitude and almost round-the-clock care. But by adhering to certain rules of content and showing patience, you can achieve maximum results. Indeed, unlike tiny chickens and fragile health turkeys, baby geese are quite strong and hardy. That is why they are considered optimal pets for beginner home farmers.
- Conditions of detention
To accommodate the goslings, the warmest and brightest place in the house is allocated. At first, it may just be a fenced corner or a cage. The area is allocated at the rate of 8-10 goslings per square meter. Dense population leads to frequent soiling of bedding and difficult access to food, and in a larger area it is more difficult to ensure the optimal temperature and microclimate. 
In a remote part of the corral, it is recommended to arrange a secluded corner, a kind of nest where the goslings will rest (a large cardboard box turned on its side, covered with soft hay, is suitable for this purpose). Feeders and drinkers are placed on the opposite side to reduce contamination and wetting of the litter, as goslings not only drink water, but often splash it. Drinking bowls need to be selected such that the goslings will not get wet, because even though they are waterfowl in the future, wetting the light fluff of babies can lead to a cold and even death. The easiest way is to take a shallow container (a plastic jar from a preserve, a saucer or a small tray) and a half-liter jar. For the device of an autodrinker, a jar of water is dug up with a saucer, turned over and three or four bars are placed under the neck, so that a gap is obtained for water to enter.
As for bedding, it is better to use dry sawdust for goslings under the age of 10 days, as weak and clumsy chicks will get tangled in straw. 
- Temperature and light conditions
At first, caring for geese is to ensure optimal temperature conditions. The goslings hatched in the nest are surrounded by soft warm goose down, which will keep their chicks warm until they get stronger. Growing babies without a hen, you need to try to create conditions as close to natural as possible and maintain the air temperature in the corral at 27-29 degrees, especially for the "rest corner" of goslings. Often there is not enough heat from heated poultry houses or other utility rooms where goslings live. The most convenient and affordable way to warm little chicks is to use a red lamp. Such a heater will simultaneously solve the problem of illumination, which is important for goslings up to 10 days of age. 
Over time, the artificial maintenance of daylight hours is gradually reduced and brought up to 17 hours a day.
- Food and water
Feed for goslings is not much different from feed for chickens, so it is most convenient to use ready-made feed, with optimally balanced ingredients, essential nutrients, vitamins and trace elements. The diet of small goslings includes boiled eggs, low-fat cottage cheese and bone meal. From the age of 10 days, it is useful for goslings to add chopped yarrow, young nettle, dandelion, and green onions to the feed. 
Advice! Mixers for small goslings should be crumbly. Too wet and viscous mass clogs the airways of the bird.
In the future, a constantly filled, separate feeder with solid food is installed in the goslings: millet, crushed grains of corn, wheat and other cereals, so that the kids have the opportunity to "refresh themselves" at any time. 
But the issue of providing goslings with drinking water should not even arise. Water is always needed, and in sufficient quantities. Growing up, goslings will not only quench their thirst, but also try to bathe in a drinking bowl, splashing water and imitating swimming. And if chickens and turkeys do not have a desire to get into the water, then for goslings this is a natural instinct. Because of this, accidents happen to babies - having climbed into the water and getting very wet, they can no longer get out and die. Therefore, in a bowl of water, be sure to make a kind of island by placing a stone in the center. 
If you managed to get goslings out before the age of 10-15 days, then in the future the probability of losing livestock is significantly reduced. Growing young and maturing individuals do not need such painstaking care, they adapt more easily to temperature changes, change of feed and living conditions.
Care and rearing of geese
With the establishment of good weather, the goslings are transferred to fresh air. The sun strengthens their growing organisms, and fresh greens, bugs and worms diversify their diet. Geese, unlike other poultry, having the opportunity to nibble fresh grass on their own, may not even come to the feeders. Therefore, prepared bags are given to geese in doses, from 3 to 5 times a day, depending on the availability of other food.
Speaking about the omnivorousness of geese, it is worth noting some seasonal and age differences in their diet.
In the summer, when there is a possibility of grazing, the geese will spend whole days in the pasture, moving from one juicy grass to another. In this case, they are additionally fed only in the morning, before pasture and in the evening, when the herd returns to the yard. 
If your geese spend all the time in the courtyard, then the grass is “delivered” to them directly to the feeders. They are happy to eat almost all juicy herbs.
An adult goose, being on a free pasture, can eat up to 2 kg of green grass. Therefore, not being able to regularly graze geese, you have to compensate for the missing part of fresh greens with other food.
Vegetables are considered a good help in feeding geese. Growing cabbage, lettuce, spinach and other crops on your plot, you will always have a supply of food. Overgrown cucumbers and zucchini, young roots of broken carrots, overripe radishes, green corn leaves, grated fodder or sugar beets, as well as pumpkins and any melons will become juicy and vitamin food for your geese. During the apple season, cut carrion fruits, especially the softer varieties, will also be fed. 
Advice! If the geese do not eat crushed apples too appetizing, try adding them to wet bags or “flavoring” with dry compound feed.
But what should not be fed to geese, and other domestic animals, is any kind of table beet. This root crop provokes intestinal disorders and, as a result, a “relaxing” effect.
Do not forget about trace elements - there should always be a container with pieces of chalk and river shells in the paddock. They not only enrich the body of the goose with essential substances, but also help digest food, which consists of a large amount of fiber.
Everyone knows that geese love to splash in the water and swim. That is why many novice farmers are thinking about how to grow geese without having a pond near them. The fact is that such a need is somewhat far-fetched. Geese can be successfully kept in their own backyard, without pastures and lakes. It is enough to install a container in the poultry yard, into which, as necessary, add water. For this purpose, old troughs, bathtubs, or even large basins are often used. Birds will be happy to splash in such a compact artificial "pond", and the most assertive individuals climb inside and take water procedures to the envy of their relatives.
The difference in the diet of geese at different stages of cultivation
During the entire summer season, your geese ate mostly fresh plant foods. But closer to autumn, when it's time to gain weight and accumulate fat, it is worth reviewing the diet of birds. Home rearing of geese for meat involves intensive fattening of livestock, starting in September. Now geese are less often let out for walking and grazing, especially since there is almost no greenery left in the fields. They try to reduce the activity of birds, leaving them in a paddock and providing them with constant food. Now nutritious grains of cereals and high-calorie wet bags become the main element of feed. For the preparation of mash, steamed compound feed is used, to which small boiled potatoes, grated fodder beets and more are added.
When the herd is already an adult and the geese are in your sight all day long, you can notice the leadership positions of the ganders and the most accommodating nature of some geese. It's time to choose parents for future offspring. Don't know how to choose a gander for a tribe? Pay attention to the largest, with a large weight gain and characteristic thoroughbred signs. The gander must be an "authoritative" leader capable of protecting his herd. To obtain healthy, strong offspring, a pair should be selected from another brood to avoid incest. If you decide to leave your own geese for the future herd, then in the spring, for the services of a breeding gander, you can contact a neighboring farm. 
As you can see, fattening geese does not involve any particular difficulties. And if there is a desire to start growing birds in your own backyard, then we recommend starting with geese.
