Breeding geese for slaughter for meat. Summary of average weight of domestic geese Goose weight at 1 month

Geese are one of the largest domestic birds. In size they are second only, perhaps, to turkeys and ostriches. And this does not apply to certain modern breeds, which can weigh twice as much as usual. I wonder how much a domestic goose weighs and how to achieve its maximum weight? Find out the answer to this question right now.

How much should it weigh?

Despite the fact that not every farmer today raises geese, it is still a very popular and profitable poultry. Already at birth, babies weigh about 100-120 grams, and by the month they gain weight up to 2 kilograms. But what is most surprising and sometimes even incredible is that by 70 days the goslings increase their weight by 40 times! Yes, it sounds unrealistic, but it is true.

Then, after the two-month mark, the birds begin to moult and lose a little weight. As a rule, to obtain meat by this period, young animals are slaughtered. It is important to note that geese live a long time, so many breeders keep them for quite a long time. Especially if the bird is bred.

How to achieve good mass growth?

As you probably understand, weight gain and mass gain in geese depends largely on nutrition. In general, the diet of poultry differs little from the wild diet, since it is based on greens. In homestead farms, they also live mainly on pasture green fodder throughout the warm period. One bird can eat up to two kilograms of fresh grass and other greens per day. This amount of food is enough for her to live, but for intensive growth and great weight, as you understand, this is not enough.

To increase growth, geese need to be fed nutritious feed. Basically, good grain, mixed feed, animal products such as cottage cheese and eggs are used for this. For good development and growth, the bird must receive minerals (chalk, calcium) and vitamins (vegetable and foliage supplements). As practice shows, the presence of a clean body of water nearby gives a very big advantage to the weight gain of geese. In it, birds collect duckweed, aquatic vegetation, and small aquatic inhabitants.

Poultry fattening

Geese should begin to be fattened at the end of summer, around August. As a rule, the bird should already weigh about 3-4 kilograms. But if you want to get a real meat giant, the diet needs to be increased up to four times. During this period, it is best to give not dry, but steamed grain in small portions. The entire fattening period can last from 15 to 25 days, depending on the desired weight. By this time, with intensive fattening, the weight of the bird increases to 5-8 kilograms, but some breeds are distinguished by even greater rates of weight gain - up to 7-9 kilograms.

We all know well that in addition to the meat of this poultry, the liver and stomach are very highly valued. In Russia, for example, both before and today, goose with apples is a very respected “guest” of feasts and feasts, and liver is a favorite dish of gourmets. However, in order for these products to be tasty and have the highest gastronomic characteristics, the bird must be well-fed and well-fed. It is from these offal that one can understand how well the farmer cared for the geese.

In order to achieve the best results, experts advise feeding the bird with whole grains, and feeding it with dry legume hay and root vegetables. Geese love potatoes and carrots. In winter, to maintain the health of poultry, it is recommended to add to the menu sauerkraut. Surprised? But this product helps to absorb all micro- and macroelements well.

To improve digestion, which is directly related to weight gain, geese should regularly have chalk in their feeder. Do not forget about feed during the period of growth and development of young animals. It is in the first months that the foundations for a future good weight are laid for babies.

Video “Performance of geese at the Kuban Fair”

Compared to other types of poultry, the goose is the most profitable for breeding. This is due to the fact that with minimal costs you can get a 100% return on the invested capital. In households, geese are kept for the purpose of obtaining meat, offal, down and feathers. They were mainly bred for selection in European countries in order to increase the size of the bird.

Already in those days, the weight of a domestic goose was about 8 kg. A little later in their breeding, the question of increasing reproduction was raised. Thus, by the end of the 20th century, there were about 36 breeds of this bird. There were 12 species of geese on the territory of Russia, 6 in Ukraine, and 21 in the entire post-Soviet space.

According to ancient documents The domestication of this bird began three thousand years ago. Moreover, this happened simultaneously in many countries of the world. Many breeds originated from the wild gray goose and white-fronted goose, and the ancestor of the Chinese breed is considered to be the dry goose. However, throughout the entire period, humans had less influence on the changes in the goose than on other domestic animals.

That is, what this bird was like in ancient times, this is how it remains in our time. At first they were bred to decorate the yard and were revered as a sacred animal. A little later, geese began to be bred for food. Gradually, industrial goose farming began to develop using highly productive species. Next, we will look at breeds of geese that are more suitable for home breeding.

Bird selection criteria

It is clear that the main factor in raising domestic geese on a private farm is tasty and healthy meat. But one should not discount other useful qualities of these birds.

Based on these factors, we will consider a number of popular breeds.

Types of breeds

Let's look at several of the largest breeds of geese in Russia.

Before you start breeding geese for meat products, it is worth understanding the breeds in more detail. Which one is best to take? When choosing, you need to focus on several factors: the weight of the bird and early maturity. Some poultry farmers choose breeds that can gain weight by the age of six months, while some choose later-maturing geese, whose weight gain can reach 10 kg, but by the age of 1.5 years.

Breed overview

Geese of the Toulouse breed

Toulouse geese are one of the largest breeds, characterized by early maturity. By the age of 60 days, such a bird can gain weight of 6 kg, and by the age of one year this figure increases to 10.

Meat products are tender, although high in fat. Another advantage is the large size of the liver, the weight of which can reach 1 kg.

By the age of 60 days, the young animals develop several fat folds in the abdominal area and the formation of a purse begins, otherwise known as a double chin.

Adults have a wide head and a powerful build. The body itself has a rounded shape. Geese have large bellies, a wide sternum and a short, thick neck. The average weight of an adult sire reaches 12 kg, and geese are able to gain weight of about 10 kg. The most common color is gray.

The second name of the Toulouse breed is Christmas. Such a bird is extremely popular in Europe; it is they that consumers choose when wanting to buy a goose for the Christmas meal.

From one goose you can get about 40 eggs in 365 days, on average one weighs up to 200 g. The breed has one significant disadvantage - a low fertilization rate and, as a result, a small number of young animals. But despite this, Toulouse geese are considered improvers, which are used in crossing to produce large offspring with an excellent immune system.

Geese of the Kholmogory breed

They are one of the oldest breeds, the first mention was recorded in 1885. A distinctive feature of the Kholmogors is a remarkable growth located above the beak.

It is typical for an adult goose to gain a weight of about 10 kg, and for geese - about 7 kg. You can find piebald or white representatives of the breed. Kholmogors have a wide convex chest with several folds on the abdomen.

The advantages of such geese include the following qualities:

• the bird is very hardy;
• perfectly adapts to various conditions;
• undemanding to the food supply.

Such indicators allow us to breed the Kholmogory breed almost everywhere, even if the weather conditions in the region are not the most favorable. Another advantage is a well-developed immune system.

Kholmogorok geese can hardly be considered record holders for egg production - in 365 days they produce about 40 eggs. There is one little trick: if the bird is properly cared for, the amount of egg production doubles.

Gorky breed of geese

The weight of adult birds can reach 10 kg for ganders, and 8 kg for geese. From one female you can get a little more than 60 eggs in 365 days, the hatchability rate of young animals is 80%.

There are 3 most common suits:

• white;
• gray;
• gray

One of the advantages of the breed is its rapid maturity and excellent weight gain. By the age of 60 days, young animals can gain about 3 kg.

How much do other breeds weigh?

The first part of the article described the most popular breeds of geese, indicating their weight and productivity. You can get acquainted with the parameters that representatives of other lines have in the following table:

After reading the information in the article, each breeder can choose the breed they like based on the desired qualities.

Geese can be bred for the following purposes:

• obtaining meat products;
• eggs;
• down and feather.

But, as you may have noticed, the egg-laying qualities of geese leave much to be desired, which is why it is worth giving preference to obtaining meat. Proper bird management will provide farmers with excellent results without having to invest huge amount cash.

One of the main delicacies when breeding geese is their liver, and if the product is of good quality, you can make a good profit by supplying a valuable product to restaurants.

Geese themselves are one of the largest domestic birds. They are most often bred for meat, so large breeds are the most profitable. How to choose the right one – we’ll figure it out in this review.

Of course, every farmer focused on producing meat pays attention primarily to heavyweight breeds. But there is an important point: do not forget to take into account precocity. For some, it is more profitable to get a bird weighing 5 kg in 4–5 months than a bird weighing 10 kg in a year and a half. In this article we will look at the largest breeds of geese. You can decide which qualities - overall weight, unpretentiousness or speed of weight gain - are more beneficial for you.

Toulouse goose

These geese, according to experts, are the largest breed of geese. Toulouse geese grow very quickly: already in 50–60 days, geese gain weight of 6 kg, and by the year males can weigh 10 kg. These poultry produce tender and very fatty meat. Another advantage is the tasty and large liver, up to 1 kg. Already at 2 months, the chicks form 1–2 fat folds on their abdomen, and a “wallet” (double chin) begins to form under the beak.

An adult goose has a large, wide head and a heavy, powerful, rounded body. The belly is large, the chest is wide, the neck is thick and short. Males weigh up to 11–12 kg, females – 7–10 kg. The plumage is usually gray, the beak is orange.

Such geese are also called “Christmas” - they are very popular in European cities, and they are the ones most often chosen to be served on the Christmas table.

Females lay about 40 eggs per year (approximately 180–200 g each), and they have low fertility. Often, “Toulouses” are crossed to produce large offspring and, at the same time, offspring with good immunity.

Such birds are excellent for commercial breeding - you can make a profit from birds as young as two months old. In addition, these birds are inactive and quickly gain weight, including in poultry farms. True, they digest roughage worse than other breeds. Poorly adapted to grazing; cold and high humidity can harm them.

In the goose barn you need to maintain a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, and carefully monitor that there are no drafts. It is necessary to have fresh and clean bedding: for this purpose you can use hay or sawdust, but sphagnum moss is best, since it has good moisture-absorbing qualities.

It must be borne in mind that they begin to gain weight especially quickly at two months, and at this time they cannot be limited in the amount of food. In addition to greens and regular grain mixtures, it is advisable to add pure oats at this time - this will contribute to the special tenderness of the meat. The diet also needs succulent food, wheat, corn, and worms. Feeding twice a day can increase profitability, and these birds eat more at night than during the day.

Kholmogory goose

One of the oldest breeds - mentions of them can be found since 1885. The Kholmogory goose can be recognized by its characteristic growth on its forehead near its beak. Adult males of this breed are very large, reaching a weight of up to 8–10 kg, females - 7 kg. The color can be piebald or white. The majestic Kholmogory goose has a wide convex chest, and there are characteristic folds on the belly.

An important advantage of the breed: endurance, good adaptation to new conditions and relative unpretentiousness to both food and living conditions. Thanks to this, in Russia they can be bred in almost all regions, including those with a rather harsh climate. This breed is quite resistant to disease. Thanks to their calm nature, Kholmogors live peacefully in large herds.

This breed produces tasty and healthy meat with dietary qualities.

Geese do not produce many eggs - up to 40 per year, but with the right approach this number can be doubled, and females have excellent maternal instinct. Among other heavy species of geese, Kholmogory geese are long-lived - they can live 15–20 years (compared to 4–6 years for others), which is important for breeders of breeding birds. True, they also reach puberty later – only after three years.

On at the moment There are two lines of this breed: some with short beaks, others with long beaks. The first are descendants crossed with wild gray geese, the second - with the Tula breed.

For such birds, you will need a clean and dry goose coop with warm straw bedding. There should be no drafts in the room, but it should be well ventilated. Each bird should have at least 1 sq. m. Also, this breed needs free range, very preferably with access to a pond, and they can walk and swim in winter.

In addition to standard feed, these geese can be given premixes and cabbage. Mineral fertilizing will also not hurt: you can leave containers with dry clay, sand and chalk. This will provide birds with good digestion and eggs with a strong shell.

It is best to give succulent food in the morning and evening, and grain at night. You can leave food in reserve, since the peak of hunger occurs at dawn.

Gorky goose

Adult Gorky ganders reach 7–10 kg, geese – 6–8 kg. This breed of large geese ranks third in size. Eggs are smaller than other breeds (130–150 g), but the average egg production is slightly higher - 60 eggs per year; hatching of goslings is 70–80%.

Most often these are white, gray or gray birds with a wide back, a small growth on the forehead and a pronounced goiter. The tail is raised.

The advantages of the breed include very rapid development and gain of muscle mass: in just 2 months, goslings usually gain 3 kg or more. Puberty occurs at 6.5 months. This breed is recommended for those who are focused on quick results: although the weight is less than that of the leaders, the breed is very profitable due to the speed of weight gain, as well as good indicators of the brood of goslings if you plan to breed them for sale. In addition to meat, the down of Gorky geese is also highly valued.

True, it is better for novice farmers to purchase birds from trusted nurseries - on the market, unscrupulous sellers can sell a Chinese goose together with a Gorky goose (you can distinguish it by its protruding body).

The breed is disease resistant and has good immunity. It has a peaceful disposition and gets along well with other domestic animals.

The biggest goose in the world

So, the largest geese among domestic geese are Toulouse; although the average weight of males ranges from 11–12 kg, with proper care, individual specimens gain 14–16 kg! Moreover, in addition to the weight of the overall body, they are also famous for their special large delicacy liver. Therefore, if the most important indicator for you is the maximum weight and size of the bird, we recommend choosing this breed.

Of the wild geese, the largest geese in the world are the bean goose: their weight reaches 4.5–5 kg, length 90 cm, and wingspan 190 cm.

Video “Raising goslings”

From this video you will learn how to raise goslings at home.

When raising geese for meat, it is worth considering that this process is quite specific. That is why there is no mass agricultural production of them. The development of this branch of poultry farming is usually carried out by farms and private amateur poultry farmers. You rarely see goose meat in people’s regular diet, which is a pity, since it is not only delicious, but also, according to Chinese healers, has medicinal qualities.

When breeding geese for themselves, poultry farmers usually do not think about where to put the meat. This question is relevant to farmers because they are planning their business. In conditions of not very high competition, selling products turns out to be quite profitable. Its acquisition is interesting for restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, and meat processing factories. On forums, farmers share their experiences of how easily they sold goose meat within a month before the New Year holidays. Demand also depends on the growing region. Goose foie gras is very popular and highly valued by restaurant businesses. In addition, it is possible to receive additional profit from the sale of fat, feathers, down, and goose droppings.

Weight depending on breed

By comparing how much a male of different breeds of geese weighs, a breed is selected that optimally meets the tasks set by poultry farmers:

In this case, the slaughter yield is also taken into account - the percentage ratio where the weight of the gutted bird to the weight of the goose before slaughter averages 60%.

Differences between goose meat

When purchasing semi-finished poultry meat, doubt may arise: how to distinguish a goose. It's not hard to do. For example, a goose is distinguished from a duck:

1. Size and weight: the goose carcass is larger and heavier.
2. Skin texture: duck skin is softer, goose skin is rougher.
3. Meat color: a shade darker than the color of duck meat.

If we consider the purpose of purchasing poultry for festive table, then, according to tradition, in Russia they often pay attention to the purchase of a goose, and in Europe and America - a turkey.

Advice: if you want to decide whether to choose goose or turkey, then it is worth considering that turkey is a dietary meat, but rather dry, tasting like chicken breast. Speaking about goose, it should be noted that its meat is softer and juicier due to fat, but it is higher in calories.

Poultry cutting

Before cutting, a purchased or domestic goose is inspected for the presence of remnants of feather cover, and what remains is removed with tweezers. Next they are divided like this:

• In the area of ​​approximately the second cervical vertebra, the head is cut off, if this has not been done previously.
• The wings are removed at the elbow bend, and the paws at the joint.
• The esophagus with the trachea and the cackling tube of the larynx are separated from the spine, pulling them in different directions.
• To skin, use a sharp knife to cut the peritoneum from the anus to the carinal protrusion so as not to damage the intestines. All giblets removed, with the exception of the liver and stomach, are usually discarded.
• The gutted goose is thoroughly washed under running cold water.
• Place the carcass to cool completely at room temperature, so that you can then cook something from it or put it on the freezer shelf for long-term preservation.

How to store

Dressed goose meat placed in the freezer can be kept there for at least 60 days. Just don't defrost and freeze again. The product can be kept on the refrigerator shelf at a temperature of 0–+2° for no longer than five days. If you cover the body with goose fat, storage can be extended to two weeks. Dried goose meat lasts the longest - about 24 months.

Tip: if the goose is stored in the refrigerator, it is better to wrap it in baking paper, foil or a canvas rag. It is recommended to grate with coarse salt before cooking, which can be easily removed from the surface of the skin before cooking.

Cooking options

Goose usually requires cooking, although, of course, there are exceptions. Here is an incomplete list of what can be applied to it with and without thermal cooking:

• Stuff and bake.
• Boil.
• Put it out.
• Fry.
• Cook on the grill.
• Apply steam treatment.
• Turn over the minced meat.
• Smoke
• Wither, etc.

Dried fruits, mushrooms, nuts, vegetables, citrus fruits and other fruits, berries, and cereals are suitable for stuffing a goose. It is believed that when you make it with a golden brown crust, you can use honey and mustard. The cooked goose is decorated with fresh herbs and served with red wine.

Stewing and cooking

A wide variety of dishes can be prepared from goose meat. The simplest option, available even to novice cooks, would be to simmer it. Meat stewed with prunes, other fruits or vegetables soaked in goose fat is very delicious dish, which is definitely worth a try. If you want to prepare stewed goose for future use, then you should prepare the stew yourself and roll up the jars for the winter.

To understand how long to cook meat, you need to take into account that the cooking time is influenced by factors such as:

1. Age: Old meat will need to be cooked longer (up to 5 hours). Young - can be cooked in an average of three hours over low heat. When buying a goose carcass, you should pay attention to the color shade and the down covering of the legs. Orange color and the presence of fluff indicate a young age, a red tint without fluff indicates old meat.
2. Technical equipment: using a multicooker, the process lasts about two hours - an hour in the stewing/baking mode + an hour in the game cooking mode. In a pressure cooker, pieces of young goose meat will be ready in 50 minutes.
3. Purpose: preparing stew in jars using the oven may take more than 5 hours.

Culinary techniques

Not all cooks are happy to cook anything with goose, because sometimes it remains tough. There are various tricks to keep the meat tender:

1. Refrigerate for up to 72 hours before cooking.
2. Soak in cold water.
3. Soak in acidified liquid for a day.
4. Rub with salt or soy sauce and leave in a cool environment for eight hours.
5. Soak in warm milk and leave to cool in it for five hours.
6. Pre-marinate using various recipes for preparing marinades.
7. How to cook: using a multicooker-pressure cooker or oven, placing the carcass in a baking sleeve.
8. Pierce the meat in several places when roasting the whole goose.

Tip: Adding banana peels when cooking can help tenderize any tough meat. At the end of cooking, the peel is thrown away.

Features of the content of smoked and dried products

It happens that smoked goose meat can become moldy. Then we need to decide: is it possible to eat it, are we going to risk it, or is it not worth it. If the meat is well smoked, has not been stored for long, and the product is covered with a thin coating only on the outside and there is no unpleasant odor, then it can be revived. To do this, wipe with a damp cloth or rinse with water to which a little vinegar or potassium permanganate is added. Then wipe dry and lubricate the surface with vegetable oil. You can cut off problem areas and consume quickly to prevent spoilage of the product. In this case, some housewives cut it into pieces and fry them.

When drying, to prevent the meat from becoming moldy, wheat grains are placed inside the goose. If there is still a little mold, then the damaged areas are cut off and thrown away.

Effect on the body

In goose meat, the benefits and harms are in such a ratio that the value is much greater, and goose by-products are generally a healing delicacy. Comparing the percentage of absorption of popular varieties of meat in the human body, you can see that:

• Pork is less digestible because it is fattier.
• Beef - 60%.
• Goose is worse than chicken, again due to its fat content.
• 90% chicken meat.

Goose meat contains B vitamins, growth vitamins and ascorbic acid, as well as important amino acids. It is useful because:

1. Frees the body from toxins.
2. Helps with the functioning of the digestive system and spleen.
3. Calms the nervous system.
4. Improves appetite, immunity, helps in restoring strength when tired.
5. Eliminates anemia.
6. Improves brain, cardiovascular activity and bone tissue.

Of course, there are contraindications for those people who should not eat fatty foods. It should be used with caution if you have diabetes, pancreatic diseases, atherosclerosis, or a tendency to obesity. However, if measures are taken, harm can be completely avoided.

Properly cooked, tasty and healthy goose meat will always delight you both at a family dinner and at a festive feast.