What are the common fattening techniques for geese?
After medium geese are raised until the primary wing feathers grow out, they enter the fattening period. Medium geese raised mainly by grazing have large frames, but their breast muscles are not plump, their fat condition is insufficient, their meat yield is low, and they carry a slight grassy flavor. Therefore, short-term fattening is needed to improve meat quality, increase fatness, and raise meat production. The methods of fattening geese are as follows:
Grazing fattening method
The grazing fattening method is the most economical fattening method and is relatively widely used in rural areas. It mainly uses the wheat grains and fallen rice grains left in the stubble fields after harvest for fattening. Grazing fattening requires fully grasping the local crop harvest seasons, raising the goslings in advance, and formulating a good grazing fattening plan. For example, from early-maturing barley to wheat stubble fields, grazing along the way as each area is harvested earlier or later, by the time grazing in the wheat stubble fields ends, the goose flock has also been fattened and can be sold as soon as possible. This is because once grazing in the stubble fields ends, a large amount of concentrate feed must be used to maintain fatness; otherwise, the goose flock will lose fat. Grazing in rice fields is carried out in the same way.
Housing fattening method
The housing fattening method is more suitable for short-term fattening by food purchasing departments, specialized households, and traders. It is carried out in a dimly lit fattening house, restricting the geese's movement, feeding grain or root feeds rich in carbohydrates, feeding 3 to 4 times a day, so that body fat is rapidly deposited, while supplying sufficient drinking water to increase appetite and help digestion. After about half a month, they can be slaughtered.
Force-feeding fattening method
The method of force-feeding geese is similar to that of force-feeding ducks. This method can shorten the fattening period and has a good fattening effect, but it is rather troublesome. The force-feeding fattening method is further divided into manual force-feeding and machine force-feeding. In the manual force-feeding method, which is used more for fattening Lion-head geese, powdered feed (preferably cornmeal) is mixed with water to form strip-shaped feed balls, then steamed briefly to give them a certain hardness, and the feed balls are forcibly inserted into the goose's esophagus, 3 to 4 times a day. After feeding, the geese are placed in a quiet house to rest. After about 10 days of force-feeding, body fat increases, and the meat is tender and delicious. The machine force-feeding method does not use cornmeal, but instead uses corn kernels that have been soaked until swollen. First, soak the corn in water (with 1% to 1.5% salt dissolved in the water relative to the amount of corn), cook it before feeding, take it out while hot, mix in oil and additives, and then force-feed.