How do you carry out selection and mating of geese? Scientific methods teach you to choose good breeding geese

Methods for retaining breeding stock Selection of breeding geese should be carried out in the following two periods: the first selection is carried out when the breeding geese are 70-80 days old. Those that grow and develop quickly, have a large body weight, are in good health, and whose plumage color and other appearance characteristics meet the requirements of the breed are retained as breeding geese, and the number retained should be 10%-20% more than the planned number of breeding geese. The second selection is carried out when the breeding geese are 180-200 days old. At this time, the breeding goose flock has developed sufficiently, and the secondary sexual characteristics of the geese are obvious. Breeding ganders are required to have a large head and thick neck, a robust physique, well-proportioned development of all body parts, wings held close to the body, a prominent frontal caruncle, large and spirited eyes, a deep chest and broad back, a long body, thick and long shanks, a wide distance between the legs, steady walking, and a loud call, while ganders with an underdeveloped or poorly developed penis are culled. Breeding geese are required to have a delicate head, a slender and long neck, a large body size, neat, tight, and glossy feathers, a relatively shallow front body, a broad and deep rear body, a round and large abdomen, firm and strong shanks, and a wide distance between the legs.

Mating age Timely mating can bring out the best benefits of breeding geese. If a gander is mated too early, it will not only affect its own growth and development, but also result in poor semen quality; if a goose is mated too early, it will lead to a low qualification rate of hatching eggs and poor quality of goslings. Generally, small and medium-sized goose breeds need about 7 months from hatching to sexual maturity, while large goose breeds need 8-10 months, and ganders reach sexual maturity later than geese. Chinese geese reach sexual maturity earlier, while European geese reach sexual maturity later.

Mating ratio Whether the mating ratio of ganders to geese is appropriate directly affects the fertilization rate of hatching eggs. The mating ratio of geese varies with many factors such as the breed, age, mating method, mating season, length of time the geese are kept together, and feeding management. Generally, the male-to-female ratio for small goose breeds is 1:6 to 1:7, for medium goose breeds 1:4 to 1:5, and for large goose breeds 1:3 to 1:4. When young ganders and old ganders participate in mating, the number of geese should be appropriately reduced, while when robust ganders of the appropriate age participate in mating, the number of geese can be appropriately increased. Before the breeding season arrives, the flock can be brought together appropriately earlier, and in the early stage of flock formation the number of ganders can be appropriately increased. Under good feeding and management conditions, especially when grazing, the number of ganders can be appropriately reduced.

Mating methods The mating methods of breeding geese are divided into two types: natural mating and manual assisted mating. Natural mating refers to placing a certain number of ganders in a flock of geese and letting them mate freely. When the gander is relatively large in body size and the goose is relatively small in body size, making natural mating somewhat difficult, manual assisted mating is needed. This mating method is often required when large goose breeds are used as the male parent for crossbreeding improvement. When carrying out manual assisted mating, the operator should first put the gander and goose together, let them become familiar with each other and undergo mating training, and after they have established a conditioned reflex for mating, press the goose to the ground so that its abdomen touches the ground, with its head facing the operator and its tail facing outward, and the gander will come forward on its own to mount.

Years of use Generally speaking, the egg production of geese increases year by year from the start of laying, and begins to decline in the fourth year, meaning that breeding geese can generally be used for 3-4 years. There are also some small early-maturing goose breeds, such as China's Taihu goose and the former Soviet Union's Kuban goose, whose egg production is highest in the first year. These breeding geese can only be used for 1 year, and at the end of the laying period, when a small number of geese begin to molt, they are all culled.

To ensure high and stable production of the goose flock, an appropriate age structure should be maintained when selecting and retaining breeding geese. Generally, the age structure of a goose flock is 30% 1-year-old geese, 35% 2-year-old geese, 25% 3-year-old geese, and 10% 4-year-old geese.