Interactive lesson

A year with ducks and geese, step by step

Interactive lesson: from winter water and the first goose egg, through the young, grazing and summer heat, to the stubble, the Christmas goose and instructions for a neighbour.

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The whole lesson as text

1. Winter

Winter is a quiet time, but the daily jobs don't stop.

Water twice a day — Lukewarm water twice a day, or a heated base under the drinker. A bird without water doesn't eat.
Deep litter — A new layer of straw every 2–3 days, wet patches out. Ventilation stays open.
Hay and grain — Geese get lucerne or clover hay in a net and 150–200 g (5–7 oz) of grain. Ducks get feed or grain and greens.
Path and fence — Make a straw path to the water and feed; bathing only on sunny days. Fence and night lock-in without exception.

Why: The birds spend less time on grass and more in the house, so the bedding gets wet faster. A bird without water doesn't eat, and a hungry fox comes in daylight in winter.

In hard frost give water three times a day, or use a heated base.
In winter do the repairs you put off in summer: the door, the bolt, holes in the mesh, a new ramp. Finish them by the end of February.

2. Laying and hatching

Geese start laying in February, while there may still be frost on the ground.

Breeder feed — In January geese move onto layer or breeder feed, 3–4 weeks before laying. Don't fatten them on maize.
Male and nests — The male is in the flock for at least 3–4 weeks before you collect hatching eggs. Nests have clean straw; for geese they are made of straw bales.
Eggs early in the morning — Collect eggs early in the morning and keep the ducks in the house until 9 am. Store hatching eggs no longer than 7 days at 12–15 °C (54–59 °F).
Gander and broody — From February the gander turns aggressive, so children don't go into the run alone. A broody gets peace, water and feed near the nest.

Why: Geese lay from February to May, roughly 15–40 eggs a season. Ducks lay most from March to June. Preparation starts as early as January.

Incubation takes 30 days for geese, 28 for ducks and 35 for Muscovies.
Check and test the incubator and brooder before March.