Intensive technologies for meat poultry production and stocking of a goose parent flock

Domestic geese are characterized by high precocity and rapid growth. Their feathers and down are valuable raw materials for the industry. The live weight of a 65—75-day-old gosling reaches an average of 4 kg with a feed conversion rate of 2.3—2.8 kg of compound feed and 11.5 kg of grass meal or 6—7 kg of fresh grass per 1 kg of weight gain. In terms of goose population, our country has long held the leading position in the world, and Russian national cuisine is famous for its goose meat dishes. Canned goose liver is a gastronomic product of worldwide fame. Previously, geese hatched in the spring were raised until late autumn or early winter using pastures extensively, which resulted in large carcasses containing up to 30—35% fat.

Currently, the intensive system of raising goslings for meat excludes the use of the pasture method as it is inefficient. The intensive system of raising goslings for meat allows for shortening the rearing period by more than 3 times and reducing feed costs per 1 kg of weight gain by 45—50% while simultaneously increasing the live weight and meat qualities of the young stock.

Under intensive goose farming, the parent flock is structured to ensure year-round egg production for incubation, which allows for consistent, year-round meat gosling production. Egg production of geese increases with age; in the second year of laying, they produce 15—25% more eggs than in the first, and in the third — 35—40% more compared to the first. As a rule, parent flock geese are used up to 5 years of age, i.e., until egg production begins to decline. Considering the age-related changes in productivity, the parent flock is composed as follows: 35% first-year geese, 30% second-year, 25% third-year, and 10% fourth-year. The size of the parent flock depends on the productivity of the geese, the intensity of their use, and the total volume of goose meat production.

When raising goslings for meat, the following housing methods are applied:

1) from day-old to 20 days of age, they are placed in specially equipped battery cages, followed by floor-rearing until the end of the fattening period in poultry houses using litter or wire floors;

2) in the summer period, after 21 days of age, the goslings are transferred to specially equipped camps;

3) from day-old to 60—65 days of age, they are raised without transfer in one facility on the floor using litter.

It is necessary to adhere to the following rules: house compartments should only be filled with birds of the same age, and stocking density standards must be strictly observed, ensuring the goslings have sufficient feeding and watering space while maintaining optimal microclimate parameters.

When raised in cages up to 10 days of age, 24 goslings are placed per 1 m². When goslings are transferred to acclimatizers at 11 days of age, eight birds are placed per 1 m² of floor space. Goslings are kept in small sections of 150—200 birds each. From each section, the goslings have access to solariums, which are 150% the size of the poultry house section area for goslings up to 65 days old and 260% for those of an older age.

The feeding space when using dry feed is 3 cm per bird, 10—12 cm for the combined type, and the watering space is 1 cm. In fattening houses, after 30 days of age, 4.5—5 goslings are placed per 1 m² of floor area.

If goslings are kept from day-old until the end of the rearing period on deep litter in indoor conditions, five birds are placed per 1 m² of floor area. For floor-rearing, the facility includes a central aisle where feeders and drinkers are installed. Automatic hopper-type feeders are placed in sections near the transverse partitions, each being used by goslings from two adjacent sections. Air temperature and humidity in the poultry house are maintained at the following levels.

Table 59. Air temperature and humidity in the facility during gosling rearing

Gosling age | Temperature | Gosling age | Temperature | Relative (days) | (air, °C) | (days) | (air, °C) | humidity (%) 1—5 30 65—70 21—30 20 65—75 6—10 27 65—70 31—65 16 65—75 11—20 24 65—75

With insufficient heating, the goslings huddle, crush each other, eat poorly, and mortality increases; at excessively high air temperatures, the young birds lose their appetite, drink a lot of water, and growth speed slows down. Ventilation must be calculated so that at least 1.5—2 m³ of fresh air per hour is supplied per 1 kg of live weight in winter, 4—5 m³ in autumn and spring, and 5—7 m³ in summer. In winter, air preheated to 20° C is supplied.

To obtain hybrid goslings, crossing of different breeds is carried out; the efficiency of various crosses is shown in the data provided in table 60.

Fig. 65. Meat ducklings.

Fig. 66. Meat goslings in a solarium. Table 60. Efficiency of various goose crossbreeds (according to M. V. Lobin, P. F. Saleev)

Breed and crossbreeding variant Egg production Live weight at market age (kg) Gosling hatchability (%) Young stock survival (%)

Chinese 44 3.6 62.6 94.0

Gorky 30 3.5 59.8 98.0

Gorky gander X Chinese goose 44 4.0 74.2 99.0

Vishtines 40.5 4.3 67.2 53.5

Chinese 72.0 3.5 64.0 92.0

Vishtines gander X Chinese goose 72.0 4.2 65.0 96.0

When raising goslings for meat, it is important to monitor the nutritional adequacy of protein feeding from the very first days. Diets low in animal-based feed often lead to a deficiency in lysine and methionine. This problem is solved by adding commercial amino acid supplements to the feed.

From 10 days of age, poultry can be fully transitioned to plant proteins. Protein-rich crops such as peas, soybean meal, sunflower meal, and linseed meal are used as alternatives to animal feed.

Fattening technology for the production of large fatty liver

Raising geese for fatty liver is a profitable branch of poultry farming, which is actively developing in France, Hungary (where annual production is about 300 t), and Bulgaria (about 200 t). The weight of the obtained liver depends directly on the genetics of the bird. Rhine and Italian breeds produce a fairly large liver, and in Landes and Hungarian geese, its weight reaches 400–700 g.

Hybrid young stock is used for fattening for liver. The entire technological cycle lasts from 11 to 16 weeks, including the preparatory and main periods. When keeping poultry on deep litter, stocking density standards and feeding regimes are strictly observed.

• Preparatory fattening — 8–10 weeks
• Main fattening — 4–6 weeks
• Stocking density up to 20 days — 8 heads per 1 m²
• Stocking density from 20 to 75 days — 3 heads per 1 m²

Up to 3 weeks of age, young stock is fed ad libitum with compound feed containing 20% crude protein and a metabolizable energy of 1176 kJ. Starting from the third week, goslings are given green mass at a rate of 200–220 g per head per day.

In the last week before the transition to the main fattening, the nutritional value of the diet is increased: compound feed with 22–24% crude protein is used, and the volume of greens is reduced to 300 g. During the 10th and 11th weeks, a smooth preparation is carried out — the proportion of compound feed and grass is gradually reduced, replacing them with corn grain.

From 11 weeks of age, forced fattening begins. The procedure is carried out manually or using special machines, using prepared corn grain.

1. Pour hot water over the corn grain.
2. Add sodium bicarbonate at a rate of 10 g per 10 l of water.
3. Add table salt to the prepared mixture in an amount of 1%.
4. Add 0.5–2% technical fat or vegetable oil.
5. Add a vitamin mixture: 1,000 IU of vitamin A and 100 IU of vitamin D.

The daily consumption of prepared grain during the forced fattening period is 700 g per head.