Detailed Explanation of Key Techniques for Winter Fattening of White Geese
Breed Selection and Brooding
When raising winter geese, choose goslings that are strong in build, relatively heavy in body weight, well tucked in the abdomen, clean at the mouth, nostrils, and vent, and lively in spirit. Because winter goslings have poor cold resistance, they can be placed in a basket lined with soft grass, covered with clothing on top, leaving one hole for ventilation. When the room temperature is above 15°C, goslings aged 1 to 5 days can be kept during the day in a pen lined with soft grass, and returned to the basket at night. After 5 days of age, they can be kept in the pen day and night. If the temperature is too high or too low, promptly add or remove bedding straw and covering materials.
Feeding and Management
For goslings 1 day after hatching, use chopped fresh tender vegetable leaves or ryegrass placed in the hand to entice them to eat. If most of the white geese compete for the food, then start feeding. First fill a small basin with water, press each gosling's head down one by one to train them to drink, then scatter the feed evenly in several portions onto a clean straw mat or plastic sheet and let them eat. Feed once every 2 hours for 1 to 2 days, then scatter-feed an appropriate amount of rice soaked in water or broken rice. From the 3rd day, switch to feeding from troughs, 4 to 5 times a day; from 6 to 10 days of age, feed 6 to 8 times a day, including 2 feedings at night; from 11 to 12 days of age, switch to broken rice, rice bran, and sweet potato granules, feeding 6 times a day, including 2 feedings at night; from 21 to 30 days of age, add 2 to 3% bone meal and 0.5 to 0.8% salt to all feed throughout.
After winter geese reach 30 days of age, they enter the stage of growing bones, muscles, and feathers. At this time, grazing should be the main practice, with appropriate supplementation of concentrated feed. Drive the flock slowly to prevent crowding and trampling, and do not let the geese get rained on. Before entering the shed, it is best to let the geese move about in water for a while, wash the mud off their bodies, rest and supplement feed outside the shed, and then drive them inside.
Rapid Fattening
After the primary wing feathers of winter geese grow out, rapid fattening can begin, and they can be marketed after 20 to 25 days. The fattening method can be pen fattening. Use bamboo strips, hemp stalks, etc. to make a pen about 60 cm high. Stock 3 to 4 geese per square meter, with feed troughs and waterers hung outside the pen. During pen keeping, the pen should be quiet and warm, with no grazing and little activity to reduce consumption. Feed should be varied, with a combination of concentrated and green feed, mainly cooked sweet potato, rice bran, corn, paddy rice, and vegetable leaves, plus about 6% oil cake type feed and 0.3 to 0.5% salt. Grind the concentrated feed fine and mix it into a wet mash for feeding, 3 to 5 times a day, with sufficient feed and water provided so they can eat and drink freely.