The Kuban breed of geese is very popular among farmers. These birds are distinguished by their undemanding conditions and high productivity parameters. For bird rearing to be successful, it is important to feed them properly and follow some recommendations. Compliance with hygiene rules and the prevention of pathologies is of no small importance.
History of the breed
The Kuban Agricultural Institute was involved in the selection of this breed of geese. Scientists have set themselves the task of breeding a new breed with high egg production parameters.At first, Chinese and Gorky individuals were used as the basis for Kuban geese. Genes from wild birds were also used in the population. This affected the color of the birds. By appearance the geese looked like wild ones birds, but had a calm disposition.
However, the selection work was not completed. Scientists decided to breed more beautiful birds with a domesticated appearance. To do this, they crossed the Gorky breed with the Endemic and Vishtines. The result was beautiful white birds.
Description and characteristics of gray Kuban geese
A distinctive feature of these geese is the location of the chest. It is slightly elevated. When viewed from the side, the body is shaped like a rook. Birds are characterized by a long and curved neck. They also have a large head with a bump on the forehead. The legs are medium in size, and the paws are dark in color. Kuban geese are characterized by gray-brown feathers. There is a dark brown stripe on the birds' head and neck.
Birds tend to lead a gregarious lifestyle. In this case, for every 10 females there should be 2 males. In this case, you will be able to get good offspring. Moreover, the geese will be sociable and friendly. Birds are distinguished by a developed brooding instinct - they raise up to 90% of their chicks from laid eggs.
The main characteristic of birds is considered to be high egg production. At the same time, farmers value birds for their tasty meat. Kuban geese belong to a medium-heavy breed. They are characterized by rapid development. At 2 months, birds weigh 3 kilograms, and at six months their weight is 5-6 kilograms.
Birds begin to lay eggs at 8-9 months. At the same time, geese bring 100 large eggs per year. They have a light milky color and are covered with a thick shell. Productivity parameters are decreasing every year. Therefore, farmers usually do not keep geese for more than 4 years.
Main pros and cons
This breed is considered unpretentious. It is perfectly adapted to Russian conditions.
At the same time, the disadvantages of Kuban geese are considered very conditional. The main one is considered to be relatively small body weight.
Maintenance and care
To achieve high productivity parameters for birds, it is important to provide them with proper care.
Poultry house and range
During the warm season, birds are free to range all day. At the same time, it is recommended for them to build a pen for the night, covering it with netting. It is recommended to protect birds from precipitation using roofing material. Birds are not afraid of nighttime drops in temperature.
In order for birds to develop normally, they require a pond and free range. Some farmers create an artificial puddle for birds. When organizing a space for walking geese, it is worth considering the following features:
- goslings 1-2 months old require 1 square meter of free space;
- birds aged 3-5 months need to be allocated 5 meters of area;
- Geese older than six months require up to 15 meters of area with fresh greens.
When creating a winter poultry house, it is important to consider certain rules. It is important that it is warm and does not contain cracks. In this case, the presence of high-quality ventilation is of great importance.It is recommended to calculate the area of the room taking into account the number of birds. 1 goose requires 1 square meter of space.
The presence of dry and clean litter is of no small importance. It is made from sand, straw, sawdust, shavings. There should be no dampness or drafts in the room.
Nutrition
A properly formulated diet has a positive effect on the health and life expectancy of birds. Geese should not be deprived of vitamins and microelements. Their deficiency will negatively affect the quality of meat and eggs. It is recommended to feed adult birds grains, vegetables, silage, and mixed feed. In summer, birds need a lot of greenery. They require at least 2 kilograms of food per day.
A distinctive feature of birds is that they are quite finicky. Geese of this breed will not eat low-quality food. To make it easier for birds to digest food, it is recommended to add coarse sand or small shell rock to their food.
It is worth considering that geese require round-the-clock access to food. They also eat food at night. Goslings need special nutrition. It is recommended to give boiled yolks to newborn chicks. They are easily digestible and help the chicks adapt to eating solid food.
On the 5th day of life, it is permissible to introduce greens into the diet. After 7-10 days, it is recommended to increase the volume of the grass, since it contains many vitamins. On the 15th day it is worth introducing boiled vegetables into the diet. However, their volume should not exceed 15% of the daily amount of food.
Hygiene
In order for birds to grow and develop normally, it is important to systematically clean the house. It is recommended to treat the room with disinfectants. There should be bedding on the floor of the poultry house.It is important that it is dry and clean. Partially it should be cleaned every 2 days. It is recommended to completely change the litter once a week.
Breeding
The period of puberty in Kuban geese begins on the 240-300th day of life. Geese easily part with eggs. Therefore, incubators are usually used to hatch chicks. Determining the sex of one-day-old birds can be quite difficult. Usually this can be done by size. Drakes are slightly larger than geese. The goslings require shelter for 2 weeks. After this, they are released to free range. There is no need to provide water containers for the chicks at this time, as they may drown.
Bird diseases
Pathologies in geese usually develop when the rules for caring for them are not followed. The main factors include the following:
- failure to comply with hygiene rules;
- dampness and drafts in the poultry house;
- malnutrition;
- stale water.
If the conditions of detention are violated, there is a risk of developing aspergillosis, colibacillosis, pasteurellosis, and salmonellosis. Birds may also experience helminthic infestation or vitamin deficiency. Kuban geese are distinguished by high egg productivity and tasty meat. To achieve success in raising birds, it is important to provide them with complete and high-quality care.
