Goose eggs are a very valuable nutritious product. However, when choosing a breed, you need to pay attention that not all laying hens give a large number of eggs. The details of this process and proper care of the hens will be discussed in this article.

At what age do geese begin to trot at home

On average, geese begin to rush at 7-9 months of life (and at what age, and how often this will happen, depends directly on the breed). Geese begin laying in the spring, and it lasts about 5 months (150-170 days). After how many days the bird stops flying, it also depends on the breed and on the conditions of its maintenance.

Important! Egg production of geese differs from other poultry. How many months is the highest productivity? — here is an indicator of such a difference. Geese belong to late-ripening hens, since their maximum egg production is observed at the age of 2-3 years. But you can use laying hens up to 6 years of age.

The weight of one egg is 130-200 g (depending on the size and type of geese).

Preparation for egg laying

Approximately 30 days before the expected start of egg laying, the bird and premises must be prepared for nesting. This is a very important point, since it is the preparation that will determine its productivity.

Arrangement of premises

As a preparatory measure in the house you must:

• provide geese with nests (at least 1 in 3 females). It is possible to lay dummies of eggs in them as a “bait”;
• level the temperature (23-25 ​​° C). The temperature should be constantly in one interval;
• increase daylight hours to 14-15 hours a day;
• maintain a constant average humidity;
• daily housekeeping with fresh hay and litter replacement.

Care and feeding poultry

Nutrition is the primary important factor on which the laying hen’s desire to lay eggs will depend. To maintain productivity, it is necessary to adjust the diet accordingly, namely:

• increase the amount of feed (the bird will lose weight by laying eggs, so this loss must be compensated in advance). Optimum weight - 500 g;
• add fresh grated and boiled vegetables to the daily diet;
• enrich nutrition with vitamin E (fresh grass, sprouted oats or hay).

Important! In addition to nutrition, it is necessary to provide the bird with peace, lack of stress. Any changes in the environment will not benefit the future hen.

There are no special restrictions in the diet of bearing geese. Like all birds, they should not be given particularly high-calorie foods (such as corn), as this product is prone to cause weight problems.

Signs of oviposition

It is very simple to determine the intention of the goose to leave offspring: both behavioral and external changes are clearly visible in the female. Here are some of them:

• noticeable anxiety appears (constant transition from place to place, restlessness);
• craving for gathering (stones, grass, feathers);
• sometimes plucking of their own plumage on the chest;
• arrangement of the future nest begins;
• the female’s gait becomes uneven, “heavy”;
• the tail is constantly lowered;
• the bird spends a lot of time in one place.

The most productive breeds

Eggs of geese are very useful and nutritious, so if you need to get this particular product, you should choose the most productive breeds in the farm. Not everyone knows which breeds have the highest egg production rates.

Kholmogorsk

Unusual representatives of the goose family, whose feature is a massive body (up to 11 kg) and humps on the neck and beak. Most often, white, gray and mixed colors are found. Before the Second World War, this breed was considered very productive, but now these representatives have become very scarce, and egg production has dropped to 20 eggs per year.

Toulouse

Toulouse geese are large representatives of poultry (11-12 kg) with a voluminous body and neck with a large “second chin”. Usually they have a dark or light brown color.Egg production varies depending on the age of the laying hen:

• in the first year - 20 eggs;
• in the second - 25-30;
• in the third - 40-50.

Large eggs weighing about 200 g.

Rhine

This breed is considered one of the most productive.Rhine fast-growing representatives have a large, most often white body with massive paws. There are a couple of characteristic fat folds on the abdomen. With proper balanced nutrition, these birds can produce up to 100 large eggs per year.

Vladimirskaya

A large Russian goose, bred in the Vladimir region (where it got its name from), where it is the most common. Medium size (7-10 kg), the color can vary from white to brown shades, most often there is a mixed type of plumage.Gives about 70 large eggs per year.

Pereyaslovskaya

Medium-sized breed of geese. A small body with a long neck is most often light smoky. On the back of the neck there is a dark brown strip, the beak is black.On average, Pereyaslovsky breeds produce up to 70 large eggs per year.

Tula

This breed belongs to the fighting geese. They have short legs, a massive body and neck. The beak is yellow in color, short, with a blunt end. Shades can be varied: from white to dark brown. On average, it produces about 30 medium-sized eggs per year.

Pskov

Medium-sized breed (7-9 kg). Geese have a massive body, a long neck and strong legs. A characteristic feature is the presence of a white spot on the forehead, for which they are often called "bald".The productivity of these representatives reaches 30-40 eggs per year.

Landsky

This breed has characteristic features that will not allow it to be confused with any other goose. The color of the massive body can be varied, while the stomach always remains white. A feature of birds is a large fat fold, which sags to the ground.Laying gives 40 eggs per year, the approximate weight of which is about 150 g.

Did you know? Domestic geese, unlike their wild relatives, cannot fly. More precisely, they lost this skill due to the great weight laid down at the genetic level.

Features egg production in winter

Since the process of laying eggs in winter is not entirely natural for geese, for the winter "harvest" it is necessary to create certain conditions. So, to get eggs in the winter you need:

1. Artificially heat the house to the optimum temperature (23-25 ​​° C).
2. The room should be well ventilated (but without drafts).
3. Clean, dry litter. Hay should be cleaned and planted daily.
4. Increase in daylight hours with the help of special lamps. Daylight hours should last at least 13 hours.
5. Nutrition should include a large number of vitamins and minerals. It is advisable to add salt to hens (1-2 g per day).
6. Regular walking. Birds really do not like to sit still even on cold winter days. To prevent frostbite, it is enough to cover the yard for walking with hay or other bedding, which should be completely dry.

How to increase poultry productivity

Poultry productivity directly depends on the quality of food and life in general. With proper feeding, regular walking and comfortable conditions, the animal will rush a lot, because the instinct for procreation is pronounced. However, if the goose is egg-laying is not very developed, you should resort to the following recommendations:

1. Balanced Feeding The bird should receive a lot of fiber, jib and amino acids. It is worth using prepared mixtures formulated specifically for layers. Boiled vegetables in daily nutrition will also be of great benefit.
2. Extra nutrition. Small shell rock, chalk and limestone will help improve digestion, as well as complement the body with all the necessary trace elements.
3. Silage and hay should be constantly available: they are necessary for the bird both for feeding and for arranging the future nest.
4. Comfort. Provide the bird with enough active rest. The house should be clean, comfortable, with good ventilation and adequate lighting.

Did you know? On goose eggs the best and magnificent dough turns out.

Causes of Egg Drop

If, by the end of spring, the goose has not started to race, or a sharp decrease in productivity has been noticed, it is necessary to pay attention to the content and nutrition of the bird. The reasons for low egg production may be:

• vitamin deficiency - it is necessary to supplement the diet with vegetables, herbs or prepared fortified additives;
• monotonous food - introduce new “dishes” into the diet or combine the diet in a different way;
• hunger - increase the number of meals, add more hay for feeding;
• temperature difference - the regime in the house should be constant;
• lack of light - you need to increase daylight hours to at least 13 hours;
• health problems (vitamin deficiency, prolapse of the oviduct, peritonitis, retraction of the tongue). You need to contact a veterinarian who will diagnose and prescribe the necessary treatment.

There is also such a problem as hormonal imbalance. In this case, the geese stop trotting. If you do not restore this imbalance, you can completely lose bird productivity.

So, with proper care, balanced nutrition and good health of the bird population (laying hens), a good egg crop is guaranteed. In the case of a noticeable decrease in egg production, it is necessary to take a closer look at birds, because when determining the cause of a decrease in productivity, it will be easy to correct your mistakes and restore the egg laying process.