A goose breeding business can be started by anyone who wants to open their own business, but has not yet decided which one. Because this activity is suitable even for beginners, because geese are not capricious birds. They adapt well to a new place, have good immunity and practically do not get sick. In addition, from these birds you can get not only meat, but also liver, fat, eggs, goslings, down and feathers. And if you take into account the unpretentiousness of geese to living conditions and food, as well as their resistance to diseases and rapid growth, then this business is very profitable.
Goslings grow incredibly quickly; in 2 months their weight can increase 40 times! Their meat is highly valued for its taste, and up to 600 grams of down can be collected from the bird. If you compare breeding geese with breeding chickens, then, of course, you can get more chicken meat and eggs. But if you take into account goose down and fat, which is very valuable in medicine, then in this regard it is more profitable to breed geese. And if you wish, you can even start an additional business selling down pillows and healing fat. Let’s look at the main points on breeding geese and where to start.
What breeds are suitable for home breeding?
There are many breeds of geese, but many of them are difficult for beginners. And experienced farmers advise starting with the “lighter” ones, which will not be a hassle. Of most varieties, it is recommended to consider these 7 breeds of geese.
1. Kuban. This is not a very large breed with gray-brown plumage, its weight usually does not exceed 5.5 kg (geese) and 4.5 kg (geese). But they have a significant advantage – excellent egg production; 1 goose per year can “bring” from 70 to 90 eggs.
2. Kholmogorskaya. The breed has a peaceful disposition and is ideal for beginners. The plumage can be gray or white, egg production is low (about 40 eggs per year), but the weight is substantial (up to 10-12 kg) and life expectancy is up to 17 years.
3. Gray. A very hardy breed with gray plumage and large weight (up to 8-10 kg). Egg production is average (up to 40-45 eggs per year), perfect for fattening for the liver. An undoubted plus is that it is not necessary to arrange a pond for this breed.
4. Legart. A snow-white variety of geese with one distinctive feature – blue eyes. This breed requires 20% less feed than others. Egg production – up to 40 eggs, quickly gain weight. A big plus is high-quality down.
5. Toulouse. This species was brought to us from France. This is one of the largest breeds of geese and, perhaps, the fattest. The weight of geese is up to 10 kg, and that of ganders is up to 12 kg. Egg production is average (up to 40 eggs), the plumage is gray, the liver is of particular value (up to 1 kg).
6. Italian. Another breed of geese recommended for farm breeding. The plumage is white, sometimes gray, and egg production is above average (up to 50 eggs per year). Goslings of this variety gain weight very quickly and are not picky about food.
7. Lindovskaya. A beautiful snow-white breed of large build weighing up to 10 kg. It is distinguished by high quality meat and unpretentiousness in breeding. It quickly gains body weight and obediently hatches eggs, although egg production is low.
You can also add Gorky, Chinese and Arzamas geese to the list of popular and convenient breeds of geese for home breeding – these are also hardy and early-maturing birds. But for the most part they prefer to be bred in large enterprises.
What is important to know if you decide to breed geese?
First of all, you should remember that geese are noisy birds, and if you do not have a farm, then you need to settle the issue with your neighbors. After all, not everyone will like it if birds are constantly screaming nearby. Therefore, the private sector in the city is unlikely to be suitable for breeding geese; it is better to look for an option in the countryside – with the best conditions for this business. There it is much easier to build a goose coop and find free space for grazing – these birds need space, they need to walk. If you are not ready for this, then it is better to choose other birds for breeding that are less calm.
What else is important to know if you are new to this business? Don’t overdo it and don’t buy a lot of young animals at once – you simply may not be able to cope with them. To begin with, buy the minimum amount – this will help you understand whether you like this activity and whether you can handle a whole flock of geese. And be prepared for the fact that these birds, unlike chickens, create a lot of dirt, and you constantly need to clean up after them. And also feed him often, 6 times a day, with different foods, plus there should always be fresh grass. You should immediately understand that, although caring for geese is not physically difficult, there is a lot of work to be done.
What should a room for geese be like?
Although geese spend most of their time outdoors, they cannot do without a “home.” It is not necessary to build a separate room – if you already have a barn or greenhouse, then they are perfect. The goose barn should be equipped at the rate of 1 sq.m. per individual. If the birds are cramped, this will negatively affect their weight, egg production and down quality. Ideally, their “house” should be located next to a walking area, where there must be a pond – geese drink a lot. There should be no drafts in the goose coop – these birds tolerate low temperatures well, but dampness is still harmful to them.
The floor in the room should be covered with thick bedding, and the roof and walls should be better insulated. If you plan not only to raise geese for meat, but also to plant the female for eggs, then separate nests are required for them (just wooden boxes with straw bedding will do). Also, as a preventive measure against diseases and parasites, the goose barn needs to be treated with lime and sometimes potassium permanganate must be added to the drinking bowls. As for room lighting, if you want to achieve good egg production, you need to extend the day with artificial light, since geese lay eggs only for 14 hours in daylight.
What equipment is needed for goslings?
If you plan not only to purchase young animals for the purpose of raising them, but also want to start breeding chicks, then this will require special equipment.
• Ovoscope. This device detects possible damage to eggs. Transillumination detects even minimal cracks that may appear on the shell. It is with its help that eggs suitable for hatching goslings are selected.
• Incubator. This device is necessary to create the most comfortable conditions for goose eggs. In the incubator, the eggs “ripen” and soon small fluffy lumps appear. Then the grown chicks will need a brooder.
• Brooder. This is the name of the lamp that heats the young animals. The hatched goslings are placed under a warm brooder immediately after “birth”, where they remain for some time. Just don’t forget about warm bedding; sawdust is perfect for this.
You don’t have to buy these devices; if you want, you can make them yourself from simple materials. Even someone who has never done anything like this before can cope with this task.
How and what should you feed domestic geese?
It is not difficult to feed young animals, the main thing is to buy strong goslings. You should start with porridges (millet and oatmeal) and be sure to finely chop boiled eggs into them. You can also give fresh cottage cheese, chopped grass and ready-made feed. When the goslings grow up, they need to add boiled potatoes, crushed corn, grain bran and chopped vegetables (beets and carrots) to their diet. As vitamins and in order to increase egg production, geese need to be fed pine needles (crushed form). These birds also happily eat worms and some insects (for example, chafers).
To digest food, geese need coarse sand, gravel, shells and small pebbles. They should always be kept in a separate container next to the feeder. But what it is not recommended to give to birds is meat waste. Geese, of course, eat them, but this will negatively affect egg production. And never forget about water (since geese drink a lot, a liter a day), which must be changed every day – they will not drink stale water. Moreover, the water should not be cold, it is better to heat it.
Geese breeding: business plan
Breeding geese is not only profitable, but also interesting. These are non-aggressive birds, they know their owner and treat him with respect. By raising geese you can make great money and provide your family with meat, eggs and down. And if they help you, then business will go much easier. The profitability of this activity cannot but rejoice, since few people are engaged in breeding these birds, and the demand for goose meat and liver is always high. Even with all the maximum expenses that you may need, they will all pay off quickly enough, and the profit of such a business will be about 75%.
Documents required to open a business
To start your own goose farming business, you will need to register as an individual entrepreneur, indicating the Russian Classifier of Economic Activities codes for meat, liver, eggs, fat and feathers. This will also require a passport, a copy of the identification code, an application and a receipt for payment of the state fee. You will be given a certificate 4 OGRN (main state registration number) – this is the main document of the entrepreneur. And to sell your products you will need a quality certificate and a certificate from the veterinary service.
How much start-up capital will you need?
Let’s roughly calculate what amounts will be required for expenses for a goose farm.
- Room. Setting up a gooseneck barn with all the equipment and possible repairs will cost about 150,000 rubles (especially if you have to build from scratch). In this amount we included full equipment: insulation, partitions, etc.
- Young animals. It is better to purchase poultry in bulk, just keep in mind that if you want to purchase not one, but several breeds, it will cost more. The price of 1 chick is about 70 rubles, and the purchase of, for example, 100 individuals will cost, respectively, 7,000 rubles (if it is one breed). But if your goal is meat, eggs, and fluff, then it is better to buy several breeds at once – for different areas of productivity.
- Goose food. Not everyone has the opportunity to grow vegetables, hay, grass and grain on their own, and geese cannot live without this food. Therefore, ready-made feed will need to be purchased; in total, their cost will cost approximately 40,000 rubles.
- Vaccinations. A very desirable procedure, since 1 sick bird can infect the rest, which will lead to the death of the flock. The average price of the 1st vaccination is 30 rubles. That is, to vaccinate 100 geese you will need 3,000 rubles.
- Necessary devices. For fruitful growth, goslings will need an ovoscope, a brooder and an incubator; they can be estimated at 50,000 rubles. But if you have the necessary skills, then these devices can be built independently from available materials.
- Documents. All the necessary certificates, permits, registrations and certificates that we talked about above will cost you about another 30,000 rubles.
Having calculated these figures, we see that the starting capital will be about 280,000 rubles.
What is the profitability of a goose breeding business?
The benefit of raising these birds is that you will be dealing with an almost waste-free production. After all, as we have already mentioned, income comes from not only goose meat, but also liver, fat, eggs, down and feathers. For example, if 1 goose weighs about 8 kg, then its price is approximately 12,000 – 13,000 rubles. The cost of down is also encouraging: from 1 bird you can get approximately 1,200 – 1,300 rubles. Goose liver is a delicacy, and goose fat is valued in medicine – you can also make good money from this. Thus, with an initial capital of about 280,000 rubles, this business will quickly begin to generate income.
