The Chinese breed of geese has an original appearance. They have a large bump on their beak near their forehead. The “Chinese” have a relatively small body weight. Adult males weigh only 5.45 kg. “Chinese” are bred by exotic bird lovers. The Chinese breed takes root well in any poultry yard. True, the “Chinese” have an aggressive character. It is better to keep them in a separate enclosure.
History of origin
Chinese geese, as the name suggests, are native to China. The ancestors of these birds were wild dry-nosed birds that lived in distant Manchuria and Siberia.Chinese geese came to Europe and Russia back in the 18th century. This breed has been crossed with local species to improve productivity. “Chinese” were used in the breeding of the Kuban, Kholmogory, Pereyaslav, and Gorky varieties.
Description of the Chinese breed
"Chinese" are white and brown. Birds have a “swan” shape - a long and beautifully curved neck, a flattened head. The most important distinguishing feature is that there is a growth in the form of a large bump on the forehead at the base of the beak. White “Chinese” have snow-white plumage, a rich orange beak, and dirty red paws. Brown birds have feathers of brown, white and gray, and a dark stripe is visible on the back of the head and neck. Pied geese have black beaks and dull orange feet.
Vices
The main defects of the Chinese breed of geese, leading to the culling of birds:
- short or thick neck;
- small underdeveloped bump;
- strongly sagging leathery fold under the beak.
Subspecies
Varieties of Chinese geese:
- White. White "Chinese" have snow-white plumage and a bright orange beak with a large bump. Geese have good immunity and a high survival rate of young animals. The disadvantage of the subspecies is aggressive behavior during the mating season and during the raising of chicks.
- Brown. Brown "Chinese" have variegated plumage of brown, white and gray. There is a dark stripe on the back of the head and neck. The beak and cone are black.
Characteristics
Main characteristics of Chinese geese:
- birds are bred for tasty meat;
- adult males weigh 5.35 kg, females - 4.35 kg;
- begin to lay eggs at 9 months;
- lay 80 eggs per year;
- average egg weight - 141 grams;
- at two months of age, goslings weigh 2 kg;
- compared to other goose breeds, the “Chinese” have a low weight;
- the brooding instinct is poorly developed;
- birds have an aggressive character;
- the survival rate of young animals is more than 80 percent.
How to properly keep and care for birds
To keep and breed Chinese geese, you need a poultry house, a walking area and a nearby body of water. The “Chinese” have an aggressive character. It is better to keep geese separately from other inhabitants of the poultry yard.
In summer, throughout the day, birds can graze in the meadow, nibble grass, and swim in the pond. Geese must spend the night in the poultry house. Recommended area - 1 sq. meter per bird. A straw bedding is laid on the floor. Low boxes or baskets are used for nests. They are also lined with straw. The walking area should have green grass, a feeding trough and a drinking bowl nearby. Birds should have year-round access to limestone and sand.
In winter, during cold weather, geese should be kept indoors. Birds are not afraid of frost, but it is advisable not to let them outside in severe cold. Ice can cause frostbite on your paws. In the poultry house, the air temperature should not be lower than +15 degrees Celsius.
Birds must be kept clean. It is recommended to change the litter when it gets dirty. The remaining food must be removed from the feeder so that nothing turns sour or molds. Chinese geese must be given clean water and it is changed daily.
What to feed the breed?
Small goslings are given crushed eggs, cottage cheese, and yogurt. The young animals are fed starter feed and finely chopped vegetables.Young birds are given grass cuttings and plants (clover, plantain, dandelions).
Adult geese are fed crushed grain, meal, cake, bran, boiled potatoes, and wet mash. The diet of birds must include finely chopped carrots, fodder (white) beets, and pumpkin. In winter, geese can be given spruce branches. An adult bird drinks at least 2 liters of water per day. All year round, the “Chinese” are given salt, chalk, bone and fish meal. In winter, pharmaceutical vitamin preparations are added to drinking water.
The “Chinese” are fed 2-3 times a day. In the morning they are given wet mash, in the afternoon - finely chopped vegetables or grass cuttings, in the evening - grain mixtures. Drinkers must be placed near the feeders into which food is poured. Geese should drink water while eating.
Subtleties of reproduction
Chinese geese can be crossed with each other or with large meat goose breeds (Kholmogory, Toulouse). Starting from 9-10 months of life, geese lay eggs. True, females rarely lay eggs. If this happens, the birds are provided with warm nests in a quiet corner of the poultry house. A feeder with grain and a drinking bowl are placed near the hen. If the female leaves the nest for more than 20 minutes, she is forcibly returned back. The goslings hatch within a month. The chicks are left with the goose or placed in a separate enclosure.
Chinese goslings can be hatched using an incubator. Fresh eggs are selected for incubation. For a month, the temperature in the incubator is maintained at 37.8-38 degrees Celsius. Once a week the eggs are turned. When the chicks are born, they are transferred to a room in which the air temperature is maintained at 30 degrees Celsius.
Immediately after birth, goslings are fed crushed boiled eggs, cottage cheese, and yogurt.Over time, the temperature is lowered. Green onions and herbs are introduced into the birds' diet. On the 10th day of life, goslings can be fed with starter feed, finely chopped vegetables, and wet mash.
Diseases and their treatment
Resistance to disease in Chinese geese depends on the diet and living conditions. If the “Chinese” are well fed and kept clean, they will not get sick. At the first signs of infectious diseases (diarrhea, inactivity, discharge from the eyes and nose), an antibiotic for birds is added to the water for geese (you can buy it at a veterinary pharmacy). After treatment with antibacterial agents, the “Chinese” are given probiotics. For prevention purposes, it is recommended to give vaccines to goslings in the first days of life. To treat helminthic diseases, birds are prescribed antiparasitic drugs.
