Keeping geese at home in winter requires special attention from the poultry breeder. This is due to the fact that high humidity and low temperatures can adversely affect not only the condition of an adult bird, but also its productivity. What conditions need to be provided for the bird in winter so that it feels comfortable, and what care should be taken of it - these issues need to be dealt with in more detail.

Keeping geese in winter at home requires special attention from the poultry breeder

The content of geese in winter should be such that not only eggs, but also offspring are obtained from the bird. As you know, the bird has a good downy cover and is able to calmly endure frosts down to -10˚С, and if the correct maintenance is provided, it can withstand -40˚С. For many poultry farmers, geese winter on the street down to -26˚С, and at lower temperatures they are transferred to a barn. However, the main problem is humidity. At a high rate, the feather becomes dirty and can no longer provide the necessary cover that can warm the bird. In addition, the litter gets wet and dirty, which leads to freezing of the paws. This state of affairs can lead not only to disease, but also death. To avoid this and ensure the normal wintering of geese, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for their maintenance. First of all, you need to take care of the construction of a covered goose house, even a small one. The design may be the simplest. The main goal pursued is to protect the bird from dampness and wind.

For the floor in the goose house, it is better to use boards, and then pour the litter in a thick layer. Sawdust, straw, shavings, peat are used as coating material. The layer thickness can reach 50 cm. As the top layer gets dirty, fresh material is added. To prevent the appearance of dampness and eliminate the smell of ammonia, experienced poultry farmers proceed as follows: the top layer of the litter is sprinkled once a week with mineral fertilizer - double superphosphate at the rate of 200 g per 1 m² of area. In addition to the fact that the litter will always be dry, there will be no unpleasant smell in the goose. It is important to consider that you should not constantly keep geese indoors. Even on the coldest winter days, the bird is allowed to walk for 1 hour.

To increase egg production, it is necessary to observe temperature and light conditions, as well as ensure proper feeding. However, keeping a bird means more than just getting eggs. In the future, they are used for incubation or laying under the mother goose. If the farm is small, then it is better to breed goslings in a natural way, since the female will provide full-fledged care for the eggs, and after hatching, for the young. 2-3-year-old geese are well suited for incubation. As a rule, hens are left in the same nests to incubate eggs, only they should be fenced off from each other in order to avoid possible fights.

Keeping geese in winter (video)

Wintering in a greenhouse

Geese can also overwinter in a greenhouse, which is practiced by some poultry farmers in their private backyards. The content of the bird in such structures shows good results, since the bird develops well, gains weight and rushes. Before settling the geese, the greenhouse must be prepared:

• in extreme cold, additional heating will be required;
• organize additional reinforcement from snow load and wind;
• conduct lighting.

If you follow these rules, it will be much easier in winter, while the bird will be kept in comfortable conditions, and the poultry farmer will not have to freeze during feeding. The greenhouse structure is pre-cleaned, because the geese begin to get sick in the dust and debris. Be sure to equip the structure with a ventilation system. If the greenhouse is built from polycarbonate, then the temperature in it will be noticeably higher compared to the film one. A thick flooring is made on the floor, the top layer of which must be removed in a timely manner.

Many farmers talk about the added benefit of keeping geese in a greenhouse. Since the bird likes to bury litter in the ground, by spring there will already be fertilizer on the site. For many gardeners, greenhouses are idle in the winter, and, as a rule, heating and light have already been supplied to them. Having decided to start breeding geese, a greenhouse under the goose coop will be a great idea. You only need to make nests and fill the litter.

Room equipment

Each winter poultry house should be equipped with nests that are necessary for laying eggs. If we talk about dimensions, the design has the following dimensions: length 60 cm, width and height 50 cm. In the front part, a small side 10 cm high is made, which will prevent the litter from falling out. equipped with a wooden bottom, since metal is considered unsuitable for winter, besides, eggs can simply break on it. As you know, females bury their eggs in the litter, which can lead to freezing. One goose nest at home is designed for one bird. If it is not possible to equip the goose in this way, then 2-3 females can rush in one nest.

It is recommended to install nests separately from the common room, which will prevent contamination and crushing of eggs by other birds. In addition, another bird can drive the goose out of the nest, which will negatively affect productivity.

Next, you should stop at the feeders. Such a product at home can be made by hand. To do this, you need boards that are connected to each other at a right angle by means of self-tapping screws or nails. To prevent spillage of feed, the upper part of the feeder is equipped with horizontal crossbars. Planks are also used as handles: it is convenient to carry the structure for them. Feeders for geese in the upper part should be at 1 level with the back of an adult bird. Side shields can be padded along the feeding bins to prevent spillage of feed. In this case, boards with a width of at least 20 cm are used. The length of the feeder is made based on the number of geese, so that there is no crush.

As for drinkers, you can use the simplest designs or improvised means: buckets, wooden troughs. Since geese can spill water, care must be taken to install coasters that are equipped with slats or grates. Drinking bowls are also not difficult to make with your own hands. To do this, you need wooden planks and sheets of metal. Since geese drink a lot of water during the day (about 2 liters per head), care must be taken to ensure that they always have enough liquid. You can equip the goose coop with running water. If there is a container of suitable volume, it is not difficult to make a design. Water is supplied to the drinker through a hose. In winter, it is recommended to water the bird with melt water. If the geese experience a lack of water, after two days they will stop rushing.

Conditions for keeping geese in a greenhouse in winter (video)

Feeding in the winter

Experienced poultry farmers recommend from November to January 2 times a day: in the morning and in the evening. In the morning, the diet should consist mostly of mash, and in the evening of whole grains. From the beginning of January, you should switch to a 3-time feeding regimen. Grain is given in the morning and in the evening, and in the afternoon - mash. At the beginning of the egg-laying period, geese need enhanced nutrition. This suggests that even 4 meals a day is possible.

In winter, roughage is mainly used as food for poultry. This can be chopped hay, chaff or dry nettles. You need to know that geese eat green food perfectly, both dry and steamed. Of the cereals, it is better to give oats, since barley and wheat lead to rapid obesity, which is reflected in a decrease in egg production. If it is not possible to provide the bird with a sufficient amount of grain, then it can be replaced with boiled potatoes with the addition of steamed peas. But keep in mind that such feed will need 3 times more than grain. The mixer may consist of vegetable peels, potatoes, a small amount of porridge, grated carrots, i.e. food waste, fish and bone meal.

One of the recommended feeds is silage, which contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. During the summer period, it is necessary to prepare about 16 kg of hay and 35 kg of silage for 1 head. Caring for geese in the winter involves the mandatory cleaning of the remnants of the mash from the feeders.

Such feed after souring leads to diarrhea. It should be noted that at night geese eat more than during the day, and this is especially true for winter. In this case, oats are left for the bird at night.

Valuable feed for geese includes algae, spruce needles, acorns, and sugar beets. In addition to the main food, geese are given crushed shells, crushed chalk, shells, which should be poured into separate feeders. Pebbles provide the geese with the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, helping to grind food, supplying the body with the necessary minerals and trace elements. Attention should also be paid to the proper feeding of males during the mating season. Ganders are given food separately and in larger quantities than geese. With a complete feeding regimen, the fertility of eggs increases by 20%. Males need to be given a mixture of oatmeal, yeast, carrots and wheat. Geese that incubate eggs are given succulent feed.

Breeding geese in a household or farm is a profitable and easy business. Especially if there is a body of water nearby. The bird quickly gets used to returning home, where it will find abundant feeding and a warm, dry room. During the day, geese are excellent pasture. And the gastronomic qualities of goose meat can only be spoken of in excellent terms.

How to build a goose

Breeding poultry is a long-standing occupation of people permanently residing in rural areas. One of the popular areas of poultry farming is the keeping of domestic geese. This is a strong and beautiful bird, the meat of which is very healthy and tasty. She lays large eggs with a wonderful taste. Goose down is the best filling for duvets and pillows.

Feeding geese to a marketable size does not present any particular difficulties and significant costs - they receive most of their nutrition from pasture. You just need to properly organize the grazing. Ideally, there should be a river near the breeding site. The goose is an intelligent bird and always returns home after a walk, where it is prepared for additional feeding and comfortable living.

The gray goose is the most effective breed for undressing at home

Goose device

Before you start building a shed for keeping geese, you need to decide on the design, taking into account the following circumstances:

• the absence of drafts is one of the main requirements for the room;
• comfortable temperature and dryness. For geese with thick skin and a layer of subcutaneous fat (with proper feeding and maintenance), temperatures down to zero degrees are not terrible, but the best conditions are 22-28 degrees;
• good air circulation in the room, which is usually organized in the form of ridge or box ventilation using a deflector.

If such conditions are not observed, a decrease in egg production, the reproducibility of the herd and a deterioration in the taste of goose meat should be expected.

The rate of use for the area of ​​​​the room should be at least one square meter for each individual, that is, for 10 geese you need a room of 10 squares, and for a hundred - 100. The outdoor areas of the goose house must be equipped with awnings from the sun or bad weather. Compliance with the norm of the area will save the poultry house from excessive pollution, and the birds from diseases and uncomfortable living.

Poultry houses and outdoor areas should be divided into compartments with a capacity of up to 50 individuals. Birds of different breeds are also kept separately. The room should be delimited into sections by removable mesh partitions up to 120 centimeters high.

Photo gallery: goslings and walking areas

Video: portable aviary for young animals

If there is no natural reservoir nearby, you need to place water containers near the place where the geese are kept or dig a pond. For ease of use, it is better to cover the bottom and sides of the dug container with plastic wrap. In the process of use, you need to control the condition of the water and refresh it in time. If necessary, complete or partial replacement, water from the pond can be used to water garden plants.

The goose receives the main food in the form of pasture

The drinking bowl for birds should be arranged in the form of a trough, and running water is desirable in it. To flush the gutter, you can arrange a drain from a plastic pipe cut along the appropriate size. The rate of use of the drinker is calculated from a minimum length of six centimeters per individual.

Preparing to build a goose house

As with any building, the project is executed first. In the conditions of suburban construction, a draft design is sufficient.

Size calculation

As a basis for the calculation, you can take the norm for using a watering hole - 6 centimeters per bird. For keeping 10 individuals, normal access to water is: 10 x 0.06 = 0.6 meters. Given the density of placement, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house should be 10 square meters. Theoretically, the length of such a compartment should be 1/0.06 = 16.7 meters. However, this accessibility standard is minimal and not mandatory for exact execution. If we make a barn measuring 2.5 x 4 meters, not a single goose will suffer from this, and the barn can be organically integrated into the outbuildings on the site.

Appearance and internal structure of the goose coop for 10 heads

To accommodate 50 individuals, you will need the same amount of space. It is problematic to place such a structure on the adjacent territory, because you also need a platform for walking. Such keeping of poultry can already be attributed to an industrial scale. The dimensions of the covered shed can be taken equal to 6x8.5 meters. This is convenient for maintenance and sufficient for normal poultry keeping.

A barn for geese made of foam blocks will ensure a comfortable keeping of the bird

It should be borne in mind that in each room there should be a technological passage with a width of about 1.5 m for servicing drinkers, feeders and cleaning the room.

The internal structure of the goose

Before making a decision about the materials used, you need to consider the basic requirements for the structure. When designing, the following features must be taken into account:

By following these simple rules, you can grow healthy walking birds with delicious meat.

Video: do-it-yourself nests for geese

Foundation materials and pouring method

The device of the support base for the goose has some features, but is performed in the usual manner:

1. The foundation is marked using cords and pegs. After installing the latter, the diagonals of the rectangle are carefully measured at the corners of the future base. They must be the same.
2. Next, a trench is cut off at least half a meter deep. On its bottom, gravel is added with medium fraction, which must be compacted.

   The trench for the foundation must be at least half a meter deep.

3. The foundation is reinforced with a four- or six-bar frame.

   Reinforcement with a four- or six-bar frame will help strengthen the foundation

4. The formwork is installed to form the concrete supporting base of the structure.
5. Concrete is being poured. The minimum drying time for the foundation is seven days, after which the formwork can be dismantled. To protect against rodents, instead of backfilling with soil, it is necessary to use a sand-concrete mixture, into which glass fragments are additionally introduced. Concrete grade 200 is used for pouring.
6. The total height of the foundation should be 25-30 centimeters above the ground level. As it forms, it is necessary to arrange ventilation openings at a distance of approximately 1.2–1.5 meters from each other. The holes are subsequently closed with a grate or mesh.
7. Before the walls are erected, the foundation surface is covered with roofing felt waterproofing.

   The surface of the foundation should be waterproofed with roofing material

If the soil under the foundation is wet, it must be built a little differently. A water-protective layer of clay is arranged along the gravel bedding. To do this, well-soaked clay is mixed with glass fragments and poured with a layer of 20–25 centimeters. Further work is carried out in the same order.

You can avoid earthwork and concrete work by making a foundation on screw piles.

Material for walls, roofs and the order of their device

When choosing what to build the walls of the goose coop from, it is necessary to audit the remnants of materials from the previous construction in order to use illiquid assets. In principle, almost any material is suitable for this:

The thickness of the walls of the goose coop can be different. For the productive group, a warmed room is needed with the calculation of year-round maintenance.

• walls must be at least 25 centimeters thick with reliable wind protection and waterproofing;
• it is imperative to insulate the floor and ceiling, as well as install a heating unit to maintain a temperature of 22–28 degrees under any climatic conditions. The roof is insulated using rolled or slab materials;
• at least 15-20% of the wall area should be occupied by double-glazed windows;
• entrance doors and exhaust hatches are also carefully insulated.

Sawdust is often used to insulate the walls of frame buildings. This material must be treated with caution: firstly, it is characterized by caking and subsidence, while forming an unprotected space in the upper part of the stuffed walls. Secondly, compacted sawdust is prone to spontaneous combustion with predictable consequences.

For the rest, the fattening herd, you can build light buildings for which insulation is not used. It is enough to put together the outer wall of a cut or unedged board and carefully arrange the wind protection. For this, a polyethylene film with a thickness of about 200 microns is used. From the inside, the walls must be sheathed with sheet material: plywood, OSB, waterproof drywall or other similar materials.

This is due to the fact that geese gain the bulk of their weight by two or three months of age. Then there is an active build-up of down and feather to prepare for wintering. At this time, there is practically no weight gain.

Of particular note is the creation of premises for young animals, when the goslings are not yet protected by a layer of subcutaneous fat and a reliable down and feather cover. For them, you need to arrange separate pens, reliably insulated, protected from wind and precipitation and well ventilated. Such departments for young animals are best arranged in the premises of the uterine group.

Until the age of one month, goslings must be kept in special conditions.

To quickly solve the issue of building a goose house, you can use ready-made modular buildings. They are made of profiled metal sheet with a layer of insulating material. The size standards are the most diverse, but from the common ones, you can easily choose a room for keeping fifty geese. The wall thickness is usually 15 centimeters.

For the normal development of geese, they need a walking area, the larger it is, the better. A fence on such a site is usually made of a chain-link mesh with a distance between the posts of about 1.5 m at the same height. On the walking area, it is imperative to arrange a canopy for shelter from the sun or bad weather. When a bird leaves for a paddock, the entrance hatches to the room must be kept open.

An indispensable condition for pasture is the presence of several containers with water, which must be updated as often as possible. Geese should be able not only to drink, but also to refresh and care for their feather cover.

Tools for building a goose house

To build a goose house you will need:

• shovels - shovel and bayonet for digging a trench under the foundation and mixing mortar;
• carpentry tools: hammer, ax, saw, nail puller - for mounting/dismantling formwork and cutting wooden materials;
• electric hand saw - for cutting chipboard and OSB;
• building level, tape measure, plumb line - for making measurements and precise installation of parts;
• screwdriver - installation of screw fasteners.

Step-by-step instructions for building a goose coop

It is most convenient to calculate the need for material in the course of the technological process of building a goose coop.

1. After choosing a place for the future goose house, we dig trenches under the foundation with a depth of 60 centimeters and a width of 30.
2. We arrange formwork along the trenches. The consumption of materials is not taken into account, since the boards can be reused for sheathing.

   Creating a reliable foundation is impossible without reinforcement

3. We lay roofing material over the foundation for waterproofing.
4. We arrange the lower harness from the timber.

   The beam is laid on the waterproofing and fastened with plates

5. We install frame corner posts.
6. Then we install the intermediate racks of the frame.
7. We make shanks.
8. We mount the top harness.
9. Next, we produce the crate of the walls with a beam of 50x150 millimeters.
10. We carry out external striping of walls from boards of 25x150 millimeters.

    The outer cladding of the walls of the barn is made from boards 25x150 mm

11. We install external moisture protection of the walls.
12. We insulate the walls with slab or roll insulation in two layers.

    Reliable insulation and waterproofing for a goose coop are vital

13. After laying the insulation, we install the internal moisture protection of the walls from the film.
14. We mount the logs - the supporting base for the floor from a bar of 50x150 millimeters.

    Logs are mounted from a bar 50x150 mm

15. We install the filing of the lag for backfilling with expanded clay.
16. We lay the base for this insulation; any sheet material can be used, cement particle board or flat slate is better.
17. We fall asleep expanded clay under the upper level of the log.

    Expanded clay is a reliable insulation made from ... dirt

18. We lay a rough floor from a cut board 25x150 millimeters.
19. We carry out waterproofing of the floor with a polyethylene film 200 microns thick.
20. For the device of the finishing floor in the goose house, we use a cement-bonded particle board with a thickness of 15 millimeters or more. It is moisture resistant and durable enough to wear.
21. We make installation of the truss system from a beam of 50x150 millimeters.

    An example of a shed roof for a goose coop

22. We carry out the inner crate of the rafters with an edged board 25x150 millimeters with a gap between the boards up to 5 centimeters (solid).
23. We produce waterproofing with a film.
24. We insulate the roof using rolled or slab material, laid in two layers. Joints in different layers must overlap.
25. We arrange external moisture protection from the film.
26. We make the outer crate of the roof with a board of 25x150 millimeters.

    Decking is a reliable and durable material for a shed roof of a goose coop

27. We lay the floor of cement chipboard or flat slate with a thickness of 15 millimeters or more. The total floor area will be 48 square meters.
28. The same amount of OSB will go to the ceiling lining.
29. After that, we produce OSB wall sheathing, which will need 84 square meters. The remnants of cutting can be used for filing overhangs, as well as the remnants of cutting boards.

Calculation of the need for materials

Let's consider the method of calculation for each structural element for a goose coop measuring 6x8 meters:

• the length of the foundation along the perimeter will be: 8 x 2 + 5.4 x 2 = 16 + 10.8 = 26.8 meters. The height of the foundation will be: 0.6 + 0.2 = 0.8 - taking into account the excess of the supporting base by 20 centimeters above the ground. The volume of concrete is calculated as follows: 26.8 x 0.8 x 0.3 = 6.4 (cubic meters);
• roofing material for waterproofing the foundation will require 30 meters, taking into account the overlap at the joints;
• for the lower trim, you will need two beams 6 meters long on the short side and 3 on the long side, taking into account their joining along the length. Total: 5 pieces;
• for frame corner posts, the same beam is used: two two-meter pieces will be needed on the low side of a shed roof, on the high side - one beam, sawn in half;
• for intermediate racks installed at a distance of one and a half meters from each other, you will need bars measuring 150x50 millimeters. The length of the rack on the short side is two meters, on the long side - three. On the short side you will need 3 pieces, on the long side - 5, with a slight adjustment in the distance between them. Total: 2.5 pieces, one jib can be made from the remainder;
• the length of each jib will be two meters. They are installed between the upper trim and corner posts at an angle of 45 degrees, in total 8 such parts are needed, the material is a beam of 50x150 millimeters. Total: 2 beams are required;

  The jibs are installed between the top trim and the corner posts at an angle of 45 degrees

• the upper trim is the same in design and material requirements as the lower;
• the lathing of the walls is made with a beam of 50x150 millimeters, which is installed parallel to the floor of the goose coop between the racks. On the low side, two bars are installed per span, on the high side - three, the length of each part is 1.5 meters. In total, for the crate on the short side, where there are four gaps between the uprights, you will need 8 bars, that is, 2 boards, on the long side - 10 bars, or 2.5 boards. Total: all four walls will require 9 bars 6 meters long;
• external wall cladding is made of boards 25x150 millimeters, while we consider that 3 walls are sheathed with boards 3 meters long, one two-meter (low). The length of the short wall is 8 meters, the total size of the sheathed space along the remaining walls is: 6 + 6 + 8 = 20 meters. For 1 meter of sheathing, you will need boards: 1000: 150 = 6.7 parts. On the short side, based on 3 parts from the board, you will need: 8 x 6.7 = 53.6: 3 = 18 long boards, on the rest of the perimeter you need to use 20 x 6.7 = 134 parts or 67 full boards. Total: 134 + 18 = 152 boards will go to the outer wall cladding;
• external moisture protection of film walls will require the use of material in the amount of: 28 x 3 = 84 square meters. Taking into account the seams at the joints, it is possible to reliably accept the need for 90 meters;

  When calculating the amount of moisture-proof film for walls, you need to take into account the seams at the joints

• wall insulation is made with slab or roll insulation in two layers, which will need about 170 square meters;
• the same amount of film will be required for the internal moisture protection of the walls as for the external one, that is, 90 square meters;
• logs from a beam of 50x150 millimeters must be set in size of 6 meters, that is, each beam completely goes into one part. The distance between them is 75 centimeters, therefore, 7 bars will be needed. They need to be installed with a slight slope towards the drain at an angle of 2-3 degrees to the horizon;
• for filing along the lower edge of the lag, you need to hem a bar of 50x50 millimeters, two pieces for each. Total 14 bars;
• for a base made of cement-bonded particleboard or flat slate with a thickness of 12 millimeters or more, about 50 square meters of material will be needed;
• the thickness of the expanded clay layer will be 10 centimeters; with the stipulated dimensions, the need for expanded clay will be as follows: 48 x 0.1 \u003d 4.8 cubic meters minus 5% for the thickness of the log;
• the rough floor is sewn along the logs from the edged board 25x150 millimeters. The width of the subfloor will require 600 boards: 15 = 40 pieces, one board in length plus two meters from the next. As a result, all boards are cut without residue. For each run one board wide, they will need 1.33. Total: 40 x 1.33 = 54 pieces;
• the need for a film for waterproofing will be 50 square meters, taking into account the overlap when joining;
• the need for DSP for finishing flooring will be 50 square meters;
• for the manufacture of the truss system, you will need 9 bars 50x150 millimeters, and each of them needs to be increased to a length of 3 meters, taking into account overhangs along the edges 50–60 centimeters long on each side. Total needed: 9 x 1.5 \u003d 13.5 pieces;
• at least three bars will be needed for the device of struts between the rafters and translations. Total 13.5 + 3 = 16.5;
• on the inner crate of the rafters from a board of 25x150 millimeters, 54 boards 6 meters long must be used;
• waterproofing is carried out with a film, the need will be about 60 square meters;
• external rafter lathing from a board 25x150 millimeters. The need is the same - 54 boards.

Table: the need for materials for the construction of a goose coop

It should be noted that the size of the goose house was chosen for reasons of rational use of the material; there will be practically no waste from such construction.

Construction nails, screws of various sizes and mounting angle and flat plates made of galvanized steel are used for assembly. The installation of the roof is carried out using special fasteners.

If you allocate a meter passage along a short wall, the useful area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room will be: 8 x 5 = 40 square meters, which will allow you to keep no more than forty individuals in it.

Video: building a goose house with your own hands

Goose coop ventilation

There should always be clean air in the poultry house. For this are used:

• windows, which are designed mainly to provide lighting, but can also be used to ventilate the room while the bird is walking;
• exhaust ventilation. A box with windows for air intake is installed above the service passage, the ventilation pipe is brought out through the wall and equipped with a rotary deflector. It is designed to force the removal of air from the room.

If the roof of the building is gable, they arrange ridge ventilation, which effectively removes warmer air from the room.

Extractor provides fresh air in the goose coop

Ventilation devices are equipped with dampers or dampers to adjust the intensity of air exchange.

Scheme of the supply and exhaust ventilation device in the goose house

Video: poultry house ventilation

Additional devices in the goose house

The mandatory equipment in the poultry room includes:

• drinkers. Often basins with water are installed in the keeping compartment, which must be changed several times a day, since geese willingly bathe in them. Therefore, automatic drinkers are more popular, to which the bird does not have access to bathing. The tanks are replenished with fresh water as it is used up. Such a drinker should be washed once a day or every other day;

  Autodrinkers do not require special care, except for periodic washing

• feeders - are stationary or portable. Permanent feeders are installed from the side of the technological passage, access to them is possible through the bars of the grate, the distance between which should be 6 centimeters so that the bird can feed freely, but does not have the opportunity to climb into the feeder. Portable devices in the form of trays are equipped with a removable or opening grate so that the feed does not get trampled;

  Special design prevents birds from trampling on food

• hatches for access to the corral must be arranged on the south side of the goose house; the width of the opening should allow the passage of two birds at the same time;
• partitions are arranged removable from a metal mesh, height 1.2 meters;
• for the mother group, solid fuel stoves are installed in the room in order to maintain a constant temperature in any conditions. Infrared heaters or oil coolers are also used. For the fattening herd, heating is installed only if the entire herd was not sold before the onset of cold weather; in this case, portable thermal units are most often used.

  An infrared lamp protected by a metal mesh is a simple and reliable device for heating a goose coop

Video: do-it-yourself drinker for geese

The device of the goose is not a difficult task. You just need to do everything carefully and with understanding. Poorly constructed building will not allow creating favorable conditions for keeping poultry. The result will be deplorable both for the breeder and for the noble birds - geese.

Growing geese is currently a fairly profitable occupation. Subject to the basic rules for their content, you can achieve 75-100% profit from total costs. This variety of poultry is resistant to low temperatures, does not cause difficulties in caring, and is prone to rapid weight gain. Another advantage in keeping geese is their ability to switch to partial feeding on natural pasture. A very important criterion in the matter of bird care is the ability to properly make a nest for geese with your own hands.

It is very important to make a nest with your own hands

In order for the geese to be healthy and quickly become heavier, certain conditions for care must be observed:

Already from about the middle of winter, places should be prepared for incubation of eggs. This is necessary so that caring mothers have enough time to choose the nest they like.

There are several suggestions for building nests. The easiest way is to use for this purpose any wicker basket lined with straw, or an old car tire of the appropriate diameter filled with sawdust. In such cases, a bridge is definitely needed: on it the goose will easily climb into its nest.

Home-made buildings are widely used, the roof and walls of which, made of slate, are attached to a wooden frame. The presence of sides that hold eggs, as well as bedding material, are important.

You can use a rather unusual design of a straw nest, similar to a pipe. The basis for its manufacture is the construction grid. A pipe of sufficient diameter is formed from it, which should be fixed with special clamps and lined with straw. The ends of the reinforced base must be twisted with wire. It is recommended not to cut the side edges, while laying the flooring inside to get a tighter cut. Cut off only the ends of the wire. The resulting nest is attached to the base of the structure with a wire.

Spacious goose house for a large number of birds

If there are a large number of poultry, then the best nests for geese will be in the form of a block of several sections on a single plane. They are made from:

• plywood;
• tesa;
• croaker.

Basic principles

The equipment of nests in the poultry house must be approached with complete conscientiousness and seriousness, because the geese should be comfortable there for a sufficiently long period of time. Geese are large domestic birds, so their places for laying and incubating eggs should be more spacious than for other feathered pets. So, the size of the goose nest depends on the dimensions corresponding to the breed variety, and should be:

• width - 50-55 cm;
• length - 65-75 cm;
• height - 60-80 cm.

In this case, the back side adjacent to the wall will turn out to be deaf. On the front side, a board about 10 cm high is usually attached to hold the bedding.

“At the entrance, it is desirable to place a path of transverse wooden planks stuffed onto one long board for unimpeded access of hens to the nest location. Side boards separating adjacent places should be high enough. This is necessary so that the geese, sitting in nests, are not distracted and do not disturb each other.

You need to know how many seats you need. Usually one nesting place is intended for two or three geese. But this does not mean at all that in reality the laying of eggs will be evenly distributed. After all, one place may appeal to several hens at once, and they will win back what they have chosen from each other, even if there are free sections nearby. Despite this, females should always have the choice of a suitable nest option for them.

When using various old items in the form of boxes, car tires, baskets equipped with nests, they should first be treated with one of the following means:

• 2% solution of caustic soda;
• 1% formalin solution;
• 2% bleach solution.

For the convenience of manufacturing the structure, you can use the drawing, presented in the form of a diagram:

Location

Nests for geese are placed on the floor, preferably in dark places, avoiding drafts. It is necessary to ensure that there is no excessive dampness inside the sectional blocks, and that the room itself is well ventilated.

Some hens with a temper, who did not look after a suitable place (or they simply did not get a free one at the right time), arrange a nest for themselves in a quiet, secluded place, located right on the floor. To improve the conditions in such cases, it is recommended to build a canopy from a slate sheet attached to the wall at an angle. In this case, the floor should be covered with a litter, it is possible with foam plastic.

For laying eggs, as well as for incubating them, birds use one nesting place. Therefore, it is desirable that each goose has its own cozy nest for these purposes.

When breeding geese by families, when there are 3-4 “young ladies” per male, each family needs a separate corner and a nest with an equipped entrance (if possible from the south side). Geese reared in a common herd need a sufficient number of placements.

The location of all nests in the poultry house should be in the visibility zone, allow you to freely collect eggs, and be convenient for timely changing of the flooring.

In order to avoid severe contamination of the eggs, which greatly reduces the chances of a successful incubation process, the litter should be changed daily. It is advisable to remove dirt from eggs within 2 hours after laying them by hens, using a solution of manganese or hydrogen peroxide.

In advance, you should also do the improvement of places intended for laying eggs. For this, the bottom of the prepared nest is covered with crushed raw materials, similar to bedding:

• straw;
• crushed corn cobs;
• peat;
• sand;
• sunflower or millet husks.

Various materials are used as bedding, but straw is the most popular.

Birds rush, as a rule, every other day, in the first half of the day. To keep the nests clean and dry without mold, it is recommended to change the litter in the evening, which will positively affect the health of the females. With increased dampness in the nest, the condition of the feathers worsens, they cease to retain heat, resulting in a decrease in the immunity of the hen. If, nevertheless, dampness has formed in the nest, it should be immediately disposed of using slaked lime.

Considering that during the year one seat requires about 40 kg of bedding material, it has to be prepared in advance.

Production rules

Building nests for geese with your own hands is not particularly difficult. Moreover, there is always the opportunity to use the economic means available at hand. Nests should not be made using metal materials, because hens often hide eggs under the floor, and in contact with the cold bottom of the structure, especially during the cold season, they can freeze or break.

In order to properly make a cozy nest in which it will be convenient for females to rush, as well as to incubate offspring, you will need natural raw materials. In this case, two types of materials are used:

• wooden lining;
• willow twigs.

Design parameters: 60x75x60 cm (width, length, height).

Nest in the form of a wooden box

Neat rectangular sectional places, including several drawers, fill the minimum area of ​​the utility room. Such types of nests are convenient at large farm enterprises, where the number of geese reaches several hundred. It does not take much effort to create this type of nest, and besides, it does not take much time. Used for the manufacture of materials and means:

• wooden lining, planks, OSB (non-new raw materials are also considered suitable for use, provided there is no mold, dust);
• plywood or solid board to create the bottom;
• bars for the manufacture of supports in the amount of 4 pieces, 5-6 cm in diameter;
• fasteners in the form of nails, screws and other products;
• tools such as hammer, saw, measuring tape.

Detailed guide

Step by step tips on how to make your own nest.

Step 1. Start preparing the ribs. To do this, the lining or planks should be sawn into identical parts. In the manufacture of side blanks of the structure in the amount of two pieces, the length of the boards should be 60-70 cm. It is also necessary to prepare two end walls, the length of which is 50 cm. Then, in one of the blanks, you need to cut a hole for the manhole.

Reiki for nest construction

Step 3 The next step is the design of the front blank. It turned out three identical walls, and the fourth one needs to be equipped with a spacious entrance in front, framed only by two boards on top, and below - with a threshold up to 10 cm high (to avoid falling out of bedding and eggs).

We attach a threshold to prevent eggs from falling out of the nest

Step 4 Then the nesting bottom is attached. The prepared box is placed directly on the floor insulated with foam, and in its absence, it is advisable to make the bottom from boards or plywood.

After fixing the nesting bottom, the structure is almost ready

Step 5 Then, in order to increase the life of the wood, it is treated with special protective agents that are not toxic to geese.

Wood processing will allow the structure to last longer

Step 6 Now we need to start building the bridge. For the convenience of getting into the nesting place for a clumsy goose, a bridge should be made of wood in the form of a lattice, in accordance with the width of the nest. The resulting ladder must be carefully attached to the threshold at the entrance.

Ladder for convenient entry of geese into the nest

After the work done according to the rules, a design was obtained, ready for use. Such products should be prepared in the right amount and then used for their intended purpose, installing in darkened areas of the utility room. At the same time, it is desirable that they do not touch the walls closely.

wicker nest type

Having a small farm outside the city, when the number of geese in the herd is not too large, you can make wicker nests. This kind of baskets are to the liking of hens for several reasons:

• warm natural raw materials;
• convenient rounded shape, similar to nests in the wild;
• simple design that is easy to ventilate.

Required materials and tools:

• fresh willow wood rods of different sizes (thick - for making the base, narrow - for the sides);
• spacer ring measuring 75 cm in diameter made of metal;
• auxiliary means: a knife and an awl.

Production instruction

Step 1. The base is being made. First, weaving the crosses begins, smoothly forming a round shape. An odd number of branches is taken, one of which must be shorter than all the other rods.

Step 2 Moving on to framing. Three twigs are taken, cut in the middle, the next three are threaded through the hole formed, and one more is attached to the side of the cross. Then all available rays are aligned. Further, from the opposite side, a braiding rod is inserted into the resulting incision.

Step 3 Start building the bottom. It is necessary to take the cross and weave the base using the “cross-wise” method, while the turns should lie close, and the tips should be hidden near the rib. The bottom should correspond to the parameters of the nest, its radius is 35 cm to perfection.

Detailed instructions for weaving a nest

Step 4 Now you need to make the side frame of the structure. For it, large rounded rods should be selected, the ends of which must be sharpened with a knife. The selected base requires 29 guide beams spaced at regular intervals from each other.

Step 5. Next, you need to do the processing of the edges. The top of the nest should be braided with a pigtail. For the beauty of the drawing, raw materials of various colors and tones are taken. After all the ends of the weave are taken out for subsequent cutting.

Step 6 The spacer ring is inserted. All ends of the side rods are assembled into a single whole, the bundle is firmly fixed with a wire. A ring is placed in the middle of the product, fixing it on the sides.

Step 7 Top shaping. It is necessary to release the previously tied rods in order to braid the edges of the future basket with them. It should be wrapped with one edge of the other, and bent near the one next to it at a distance of 5 cm. Next, you need to cut the end that fits inside. Weaving the very last rod, you should align and cut off all the protruding parts.

The required types of this type of nest are selected according to the desired shape of the structure. It can be a tall cylindrical basket with an opening to enter inside, or a spacious, hemispherical, open top.

Places for hatching chicks

Usually females sit on nests for about 1.5 hours. The readiness of a goose to hatch future offspring can be seen by certain signs:

• anxiety;
• periodically sits on a prepared place, not getting up even in the presence of people, on the contrary, driving them away with flapping wings.

At first, before filling the nests with eggs in order to obtain cubs, they should be carefully treated with any disinfectant. After that, it is necessary to fill the bottom of the temporary dwelling with clean, dry straw bedding, but do not use hay for this purpose.

When the female begins to sit on eggs, which should be no more than 10 pieces, it is necessary to cover the hole for the manhole with a fabric cut. Be sure to always have fresh water nearby, as well as food for the goose.

Sometimes the goose goes for a walk to remind himself

The mother hen occasionally leaves the nest, trying to remind her of her existence with a loud cry. Then, after a short walk, the female immediately returns to the abandoned place.

Geese are cold-resistant poultry, but in order to avoid hypothermia of eggs, it is recommended to arrange nests for hatching future babies in areas of heated premises, for example, on a veranda or summer kitchen. The owner needs to take care of this already at the end of March or the beginning of April.

Mother hens prefer to incubate eggs in one place. In no case should they be transferred to another, as the goose may stop hatching. If there are several females, it is better for them not to see each other. This can greatly disturb the birds, which as a result will negatively affect the incubation process.

Summary

Good survival and high productivity of geese are due not only to the selection of a promising breed. Correct conditions play a huge role. Therefore, when arranging nests, you will have to try to comply with all the conditions for caring for birds, taking into account the climatic situation, the placement of places depending on the number of herds, as well as the availability of suitable raw materials. Geese are completely undemanding poultry. With proper care and properly equipped nests, they will please with their high egg production.

profitable occupation. Young individuals quickly gain weight, so they are mainly bred for meat. Geese of some breeds are distinguished by good egg production.

Such a delicacy product as goose liver, which can be obtained in an enlarged size using a special feeding technology, is in special demand. Geese have a solid down cover, which allows them to endure even Siberian frosts with good care. What you need to know about how to keep geese in winter?

Winter quarters

Before the onset of cold weather, you should take care of a room for keeping geese in the winter, which is designed to protect them from dampness and wind. A common requirement for any room is wooden plank floors.

An earthen or concrete floor is not suitable for delicate crow's feet. Lays on the floor thick bedding made of available material: peat, straw, sawdust. This will create comfortable conditions for keeping geese.

The use of artificial lighting of the premises until January-February accelerates the process of laying eggs and hatching chicks. The light should be turned on during daylight hours or 2-3 hours less. And in the future, the lighting can be left on at 12 o'clock to ensure the correct process of incubation of offspring.

Set up a goose house for the winter possible in different rooms.

wooden barn

For use, any available on the site is suitable barn. It is also easy to specially build a poultry house with your own hands from old boards. It is necessary to check the walls of the barn for cracks and seal them with straw or sealant.

Greenhouse

Vegetable greenhouses are idle in winter, so appropriate use them for keeping poultry.

Polycarbonate greenhouses transmit light well and protect geese from drafts. The material is able to quickly heat up from sunlight or existing heating.

Before placing birds for wintering, it is necessary to clean the greenhouse from debris and dust and provide for the possibility of ventilation of the room.

For the convenience of keeping and caring for geese, the goose house is necessarily equipped with drinkers, feeders and nests for geese.

1. drinkers

In the birdhouse, you should always keep fresh water in sufficient quantity for all birds. In the absence of water, the birds get sick, and the geese stop laying eggs. Water containers are placed on grates or metal sheets to avoid wetting the litter. Can be used wide low buckets, troughs or tubs. Water should be changed 3 times a day. To ensure a constant flow of clean water, a narrow hose from the barrel is ideal.

You can also periodically fill the drinkers with snow, as melt water is rich in minerals.

1. feeders

Good goose feeders will provide the right diet and ease of care for birds. There should be several of them so that individuals receive food at the same time and evenly. The easiest option is boards fastened with your own hands and installed in the corner of the house.

From above follows fill the straps so that the geese cannot climb inside and trample on the food. The upper level of the feeder should not be lower than the back of the goose. For hen geese, you can put separate small troughs. As necessary, the feeders are subject to periodic cleaning and drying.

1. nests

Usually they make a standard goose nest with side sizes of 50 cm and 60 cm and a height of 50 cm. It is easy to make it yourself from improvised materials: old boxes, plywood sheets or boards. The bottom is also covered with wood.

For the convenience of the goose, a step is formed in front height 10 cm. Partitions should be installed between the nests so that the birds do not conflict with each other. Nests must be installed in the first half of January. Ideally, egg-laying sites should be made in a room that is fenced off from the main one so that other individuals do not interfere with the geese. To obtain the optimal number of eggs in the goose house, frequent cleaning should be done, since gas pollution adversely affects egg production.

The maintenance of goose livestock in winter requires compliance with the feeding regimen in accordance with a special schedule. Until January, two meals a day should be provided. The first time the birds are given a mash. To obtain it, food waste is mixed with porridge.

The most suitable porridge is made from oat grains. Then grated carrots and fishmeal are added to the finished mixture. The second time the birds are fed coarse grain. Since January, birds have been given food 3 times a day. In the morning and in the evening - grain, and the mash is offered to them at lunchtime. In February, beets and carrots are added to the feed to increase appetite.

With a shortage of grain, it is allowed to replace it with potatoes, which will be needed more due to low calorie content. In the food of geese, roughage in the form of hay must be included. Hay is given dry or steamed along with oatmeal and vegetables. On the walls of the room, you should hang top dressing that provides immunity: eggshell, shell rock, chalk.

Ganders need additional feeding, as they lose strength during the mating process. Especially for them, the feeders are raised to a height of up to 90 cm so that the geese cannot reach.

Geese can winter not only in a special room, but also on the street. They are able to withstand quite severe frosts, if the corral has a flooring of straw of such a volume that the birds can dig into it. Such content will require increased nutrition in terms of quantity and calorie content. At the same time, geese will gain the fat necessary for wintering.

In the corral, as well as indoors, feeders and nests should be installed. Quite high pen walls are designed to protect the birds from the wind. In necessary cases, to prevent freezing, the paws are greased. Thus, in order to keep geese on the street, additional costs for food and care will be required. Individuals of large breeds are better adapted for wintering in the open air.

Attention, only TODAY!

To create comfortable conditions, geese need spacious nests.

It is quite possible to make them with your own hands, if you follow our step-by-step instructions.

For the simplest options, you can use improvised materials, such as old baskets, boxes, or even car tires. Some farmers weave wicker products.

Optimal nest sizes for goose

Nest features include:

1. Big size. Recommended parameters: height 0.6 m, length 0.65 m, width 0.5 m. These figures are approximate and should be adjusted taking into account the breed of geese and their dimensions. As a rule, one of the walls of the nest rests against the wall of the shed, that is, it is made deaf, and the second provides for a hole to enter the nest.
2. The design, unlike chicken nests, is placed on the floor in a dark place, as geese do not like bright lighting. If several laying hens are in the same room at the same time, their nests must be fenced off from each other. If the goose has already rushed to one place or another before, it is not recommended to move the nest so as not to injure the psyche of the feathered mother.
3. It is important to take care of preparing a place for incubation of eggs in advance - about a month before the start of the mating season (January-February). It will take time for the geese to adjust to the nest, to equip it.
4. The goose and the nest should have the same bedding. It is better to change it in the evening, as the geese usually rush in the morning.

Some farmers divide the herd into families consisting of one male and several females. In this case, a separate nest is allocated for each flock.

If the geese live in one herd, then you need to provide enough space for each individual.

Used nests or reused baskets must be thoroughly disinfected before being put back into service.

Types of homemade nests:

• in the form of a box (you can put together from any wooden materials or use a ready-made box),
• wicker basket of twigs (ready-made options are sold, or you can weave it yourself),
• fruit baskets lined with lining.

Consider how to make the first two options.

How to make nests for domestic geese - instructions

Option 1 - a box-shaped nest.

For manufacturing you will need:

• slats, wooden bars or lining (if the material is not new, it must be cleaned of dust, mold, disinfected),
• fixing materials,
• saw, tape measure, hammer,
• bottom plywood,
• bedding.

Operating procedure:

1. Saw the lining into slats of the same size. Two side walls should be 0.6 m each, two 0.5 m each.
2. Take four bars as a support, nail the slats to them at a distance of about 4 cm so that the bird cannot stick its head through. In the fourth wall, it is necessary to leave free space, making only the threshold and nailing a couple of rails on top.
3. If the floor in the goose house is cold, you need to install a piece of plywood on the bottom. In no case should the bottom be made of metal, as birds can bury their eggs in the litter, and they can break on the metal bottom.
4. Treat the wooden structure with a protective compound.

If you take a ready-made wooden box, do not forget to thoroughly rinse and disinfect it.

For work you will need:

• willow rods of different thicknesses (thick ones are suitable for creating a base, thin ones for walls),
• awl,
• spacer ring with a diameter of 75 cm.

Operating procedure:

1. Cross weaving. It should take a round shape. Weaving will require an odd number of rods, one rod should be slightly shorter than the rest. Three rods in the middle are cut with a knife, three other rods are threaded through them. Another rod is attached to one side of the cross. All sides must be the same length. From the other edge, you need to insert a rod into the crevice for further braiding. Then you can start braiding the cross with a crosswise rod. All turns must be pressed tightly together, and the end of the last turn must be filled parallel to the rib. You need to weave until the crosspiece acquires the desired diameter. In our case, this is 70 cm.
2. Sidewall preparation. To do this, insert side rods, they must be round and large with a pointed end. In our example, we use 29 rays. During weaving, it is important to maintain the same distance between the side rods. You can combine rods of different colors to get an unusual pattern.
3. Edge braid. The edges of the structure are braided with a pigtail.
4. will remain bend the rays and collect the ends of the side rods over the structure and tie in the center with wire.
5. A spacer ring is placed inside the product, fixing it on the side.
6. Bring the ends of the braided rods to the outside in order to cut them later.
7. The connected beams need to be dissolved at a height of 20 cm and braid the edges of the basket from any edge.
8. Go around the second rib first, at the level of the third bend over 5 cm and cut. Next, insert this segment parallel to the third edge inside the edge.
9. It remains to braid the last rod.
10. Cut off the protruding ends with a knife.

Where to install the nest and how to equip it correctly

It should be a quiet nook, but at the same time it should be convenient for you to inspect the nest, collect eggs, and change the litter.

Before putting a goose into the nest, it is necessary to pour shavings, sand or finely chopped straw into it.

When there are several hens in the room at the same time, each one has its own area and is fenced off with a wall so that the birds do not see each other and cannot fight or confuse nests. It is also important not to allow ganders to hens.

If you use the goose again for further incubation, in no case should you transplant it to another nest, this will become a real stress for it.

In order for the mother hen to adapt to a new home, it is important to make sure that she lays the first egg in it, and not past.

If the goose is satisfied with the new design, she begins to pluck out feathers and lay them on the bottom of the nest.

To consolidate the result, it is important to take care of the overall comfortable conditions for the hens.

It is important to ensure the temperature regime in the house, the desired length of daylight hours. Farmers can help the goose get used to the nest by laying dummies that awaken the brooding reflex.