Raising Goose For Profits

Imagine when Christmas season is approaching and families start drawing up a menu and list of the succulents they will serve on the table during that time.

It has been a custom to serve chicken or turkey or pork but times have revolved and people want to eat healthy meat low in fat (Doctors are always advising people to be on the lookout of cholesterol control in their diet).

Bearing this in mind, people decided to raise goose for family feeding and profit as a way of life. Geese can be raise for commercial purposes such as meat, eggs, goslings and their feathers, however, the most produce used is the meat and goslings.

It takes a courageous person to venture into goose rearing because they are known to be vey stubborn and intimidating. If unaware, these birds can block the road and no one will pass through unless the owner intercedes or the person (s) can drive them away. At least have knowledge of how to behave or retreat from intimidating geese on the road

Geese are very good grazers and will do well in a free-range operation and they are more difficult to process because the oil in the feathers makes it more difficult to remove them. Raising geese may have similarities to ducks, hence be informed of the calibre of birds you are raising.

Be well informed of the available breeds in your area so you will know what will work for you and have prior information on the pros and cons of that particular breed you will take interest into.

The Different Breeds And Strains

There are a wide range of goose breeds and strains that have been raised for centuries. Some breeds may strive well in some countries and it is imperative to know the breed to rear in your location. There are other breeds which are raised for ornaments, meat, and eggs which originate from overseas countries, and let us briefly look

Let’s Look At The Few Breeds And Atrains That Are Widely Raised And Their Classification;

• African goose – this is a handsome breed with a distinctive knob or protuberance on its head. African geese are good layers, maturing early with rapid growth quickly. (Heavy breed)

• Pilgrim – these are good for meat and they are easily marketed since they grow quick. The male is white and females are grey. The gender of goslings is identified with cream white as males and grey as females. (Medium breed)

• Toulouse – this breed derives from a southern city in France. They have a broad, deep body with loose feathers exuding a massive appearance. Ideal for meat production and exhibition. (Heavy breed)

• Large Gray – also known as the greylag breed, they are good for their meat which is particularly important in Western countries. This breed is bred to be big to provide a lot of meat which is perfect for Christmas dinners.

• Embden – this is pure uprightly white goose which is tight feathered. Emden is particularly raised for meat and eggs, and the produce is of good quality.

There are more breeds which produce quality meat and eggs, great to watch in exhibitions and the end product of their ornaments are to die for. Though some breeds will not do well in other countries, here are some which can rake in money for you ; Chinese, Egyptian, Gorky, Buff, Canada, Sebastopol, Danish Legart, Mammoth dewlap (strain breed) and many more.

Goose Health

These birds are cold resistant due to the tight close feathers which has oil and disease presence in geese is sporadic which does not necessarily require routine immunization. However, they may be areas where diseases may be prevalent on a breeder flock, vaccination is highly recommended.

Birds that have been susceptible to acute infections, chances of re-infection are very high. Closely monitor your birds, should anything unusual be noticed, quickly seek the veterinary’s services before loss of bird and spread of infection to the flock.

Be concerned about lameness and flight prevention in geese, which requires one to be very attentive to the well-being of your birds. How To Raise Geese Some geese are capable of flying away, so it is imperative for farmer to clip off the primaries of one wing which is to be repeated on each moult.

Lameness in geese makes them frail and they are not easy to handle because their legs are fragile. Consumers are interested in buying healthy birds and never take chances wit the health state of your birds. 

Slaughtering And Marketing

Birds killed and processed by hand will be safer and of higher quality than those done by a machine. In on-farm operations, birds are allowed to bleed-out rather than being killed by shock before bleeding.

It is very important to keep healthy birds in a clean environment; this will have a good impact on your consumers who want o purchase live geese. Not all consumers want the tedious work of eviscerating their birds; hence, they prefer the ready cleaned geese.

For hygiene purposes, it is advisable to hand eviscerate because that results in lower bacteria on the meat. Consumers will inspect the quality of carcass when purchasing, be sure that your carcass has firmer muscle tone which equals better textured meat quality.

Customers will have questions and they want to support someone who is capable and knowledgeable about their product and can answer questions.

– you should know the forms of your product marketing style because you have to go out there to sell your produce.

MARKETING STYLES

Your Produce Can Either Be Directly Marketed Through;

1. Farmer’s market
2. Subscription market whereby your consumers can come collect or you deliver your produce.
4. Sell to restaurants – this method can help you establish great rapport with the chef and your market will expand through word of mouth marketing from consumers who have tasted your produce. Prioritize meeting the supplier’s quality and quantity standards. Do not rely too much on supplying restaurants because they may run out of business and cause a great setback and loss in your business.
5. Wholesale marketing

At all times, ensure that precautions are followed and hygiene standards are high which will woo consumers to buy from you. The packaging is important as well.