Breeding Techniques and Cost Budget for Beginner Goose Farmers

AbstractBreeding techniques: Beginner goose farmers can determine the scale of farming based on their own funds, forage, labor and other conditions as well as market sales conditions, so as to choose a suitable farming method. Small-scale farming is suitable for the confined (pen) rearing method, while large-scale goose farming promotes a combination of barn feeding and grazing. Cost input budget: If about 500 birds are raised per batch, with 2-3 batches per year, the farming cost is about 38,000 yuan.

I. Breeding Techniques and Cost Input Budget for Beginner Goose Farmers

1. Choosing a rearing method

At present, domestic goose farming methods in China mainly include the confined (pen) rearing method and the combination of barn feeding and grazing. In China, small-scale goose farming generally adopts the traditional method of combining barn feeding with grazing, while large-scale and intensive goose farming promotes the method of growing grass to raise geese.

Among these, the confined rearing method mainly involves raising geese by growing grass. Raising geese on planted grass can save labor, save feed and reduce costs, and the grass is of good quality, tender, clean, safe and economical, with advantages such as low investment and high efficiency.

2. Choosing a meat goose breed

Choose goose breeds with heavy body weight in the early stage, fast growth speed, low concentrate consumption, high feed conversion efficiency, strong stress resistance and wide adaptability. The main breeds include Longchang goose, Taihu goose and Yangzhou white goose.

1. Yangzhou white goose: an excellent poultry breed with fast growth speed, high egg production, heavy body weight, strong reproductive capacity and high down yield. At 70 days of age, young geese can reach a body weight of more than 7 jin. The average annual egg production is 72-80 eggs. Young geese of this breed are suitable for processing into salted goose and phoenix goose, and have a large market space in Shandong, Jiangsu and other provinces and cities.

2. Longchang goose: native to Leshan, Yibin, Wenjiang, Yongchuan, Daxian and other areas of Sichuan Province. It is called Longchang goose in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region. It grows relatively fast before 70 days of age, with a body weight of about 5 jin at 60 days of age and an average body weight of 7.2 jin at 80 days of age. The young geese are plump and tender, and can be marketed for sale starting from 60 days of age.

3. Taihu goose: native to Suzhou and Wuxi areas in southern Jiangsu Province and Jiaxing, Huzhou and other areas in northern Zhejiang Province. It is a small white goose breed, mainly used for producing young meat geese. It can be marketed for sale at about 70 days of age, with an average body weight of 5-5.6 jin. The eviscerated carcass rate of young geese is 64%, and the half-eviscerated carcass rate is 78.6%.

3. Choosing the farming scale

(1) The size of the farming scale should be determined according to the farmer's funds, forage, labor and other conditions as well as market sales conditions. If conditions are limited and the farming techniques are not mature enough, there is no need to pursue large-scale farming, otherwise improper feeding and management may lead to an increase in the disease and mortality rate of the goose flock.

(2) Most farmers in China raise geese at a scale of 500-3,000 birds per batch. Novice farmers generally raise about 500 birds per batch, with 2-3 batches per year. Experienced farmers raise 1,500-2,000 birds per batch, with 3-4 batches per year. The suitable scale for ordinary meat goose farmers is 1,500 birds, which can be raised by 2 people. Such a farming scale is relatively economical and moderate, and also convenient for later management, so it is suitable for growing grass to raise geese.

4. Budgeting cost input

Farming costs are mainly divided into fixed costs and variable costs, including site construction costs, goose house building costs, equipment purchase costs, gosling costs, feed costs, disease prevention and control costs, water and electricity costs, management costs, transportation costs, etc.

Costs mainly depend on the farming scale and rearing method. Using the method of growing grass to raise geese, raising 1,500 meat geese requires a fixed cost of 5,000 yuan. Calculated at 5 yuan per bird, the gosling cost is 7,500 yuan, and the variable feeding cost is 25,500 yuan, giving a total farming cost of 38,000 yuan.