Shadrinsky goose: breed description and characteristics, breeding and care, diet

In Siberia and the Ural regions, the Shadrinskaya breed is popular, which appeared as a result of the domestication of wild geese, which received its current characteristics due to long-term selection work. The Shadrin goose cannot be called highly productive in terms of meat and eggs, but representatives of the breed have strong immunity, are adapted to northern climatic conditions, and are not capricious in care.

A bit of history

At the end of the 17th century, wild geese were tamed in the settlements near the South Ural city of Shadrinsk, and the best individuals were selected for breeding. For several centuries, breeding work has been carried out, resulting in large birds with strong immunity and adaptation to the harsh climatic conditions of Siberia and the Urals.Breeding continues: it still needs to increase productivity, correct exterior flaws.

There is a curious legend about the Shadrinsk geese. At the end of the 17th century in Shadrinsk, a city official stole funds collected by merchants for firefighters. When the summer heat came, the outskirts building caught fire, and windy weather contributed to the transfer of flames to neighboring wooden houses. It was hard for firefighters to fight the fire, half the city burned out.

Angry citizens threatened to write a complaint to the empress against the thief-official. But he hastened to justify himself to Catherine the Great, wrote her a memorandum letter. It indicated that half of the houses burned down by God’s will, from the surviving buildings “cockroaches run into the fields”, which means that the rest of the houses will also soon be engulfed in fire. And so that this does not come as a surprise to the townspeople, let the empress instruct them to “gather their belongings and deliberately set fire to the rest.”

Ekaterina was informed about the letter of a cunning and dodgy official.She answered: “What a Shadrin goose! It's interesting to see him." The empress said this about the official, but in the Ural province, where the order was sent, they understood everything literally. And instead of a thief-official, they sent local geese to the capital.

Gese was cooked for the embassy dinner. The empress and high-ranking guests liked the treat. Shadrinsk geese began to be regularly delivered to the royal kitchen.

Characteristics and appearance of the breed

Shadrinsk geese are distinguished by a strong, moderately well-fed physique, well-developed muscles. The belly is tucked up, with slight fat deposits. The limbs are short, with a strong skeleton. The head is small, the beak is straight, the neck is not long, the chest is moderately convex.

The main anatomical difference between the Shadrin goose and other breeds is a shortened spinal column. There are 16 vertebrae, which is 2 less than the standard number.

Description and productivity of the Shadrin breed are given in the table.

43-48 cmcolorgrey, white, motley grey-white , beak orange, paws light pink with yellowness chick survival in clutch90 %goose liver weightup to 400g

Weight	Male - 6-7 kg, females - 5-6 kg
body length	male - 75-80 cm, female - 70-75 cm
wingspan	160-165cm
wing length

Meat productivity is low, but the meat is tender, dietary. Pastes are prepared from the liver of the Shadrin goose. Goose fat, rich in nutrients, is used in the manufacture of cosmetics and medicines. The down of Shadrinsk geese is harsh, not suitable for the production of pillows and blankets.

Pros and cons of Shadrin geese

Pros and consadapted to cold climates and harsh winds;hardy, tenacious;active, independent;quickly get used to living conditions;non-capricious in care;give tasty, soft, dietary meat;provide fat with medicinal properties.minor anatomical defects - a short neck and shortened limbs;low meat productivity.

Maintenance and care requirements

Shadrinskaya breed is not capricious in care. The poultry house is made of plank, the roof is slate or roofing material. The main thing is that there should not be a single gap, the geese get sick from the draft. As a flooring, a mixture of sawdust, straw and sunflower husks is used.Soiled bedding is changed regularly.

The area for walking should be spacious. Geese love to swim. If there is no natural reservoir nearby, a bird pool should be built. In the summer, a canopy is pulled over the walking area to protect the geese from the midday sun and rain.

Shadrinsk geese are immune to temperature, but the most comfortable in the house - 12-18 °C. In winter, pets do not experience discomfort in the yard at temperatures up to 20 ° C with a minus sign. When the temperature drops below, they should not be released from the house. The main thing is the absence of moisture. In severe winters, walls are insulated and heaters are installed.

It is better to install wooden and plastic feeders and drinkers. In a frosty winter, the paws of geese can freeze to metal equipment. So that the birds do not crush each other during meals, feeders are installed, taking into account the number of individuals in the house. One individual should account for 15 cm of the length of the feeder.

Diet and intake rates

In the summer, geese are on the grazing, they get food on their own. The basis of summer food is pasture grasses. To increase meat productivity, the diet is supplemented with cereals and juicy plant food. The daily portion per individual is:

30g corn;
90g barley;
30g peas;
40g bran;
100 g boiled potatoes;
300-400g beets;
4 g of chalk, shell rock, sand.

Supplementary feeding to the herbal diet is done 2 times a day: in the morning and in the evening. An adult goose should receive 700 g of grass and 400-500 g of boiled vegetables per day. In the winter months, to strengthen the immunity of geese and ensure weight gain, the daily portion is increased, compound feed is added to the diet. There should always be fresh water in the drinking bowl.In winter, water is heated to room temperature, it is not allowed to freeze.

Subtleties of reproduction

Males become sexually mature at 9 months of age, females reach sexual maturity at 9.5 months. Young Shadrinsk geese incubate about 30 eggs per season. The average weight of an egg from a young individual is 150 g, geese older than one year old carry eggs weighing up to 170 g. The number of eggs laid per season is affected by the length of daylight hours, for maximum results it should be 15 hours.

Shadrinsk geese have a strong maternal instinct. An incubator is not required, and if breeding is not planned, then eggs from under the bird should be removed.

Shadrinsk goslings are strong, developed.After 2-3 days they can be released to pasture. By 5 months, with good feeding, goslings reach 5 kg. Despite the cold resistance of the Shadrin breed, young animals should be kept indoors during the winter months, where the temperature is stable at around 18-20 °C.

Diseases and vaccinations

Shadrinsk geese have strong immunity. Diseases appear only with improper maintenance and feeding, non-compliance with hygiene in the house. Chicks are especially susceptible to infection, in which the body is not yet strong enough.

To prevent infectious diseases, it is important to vaccinate goslings in a timely manner. The vaccine is given against the most common and dangerous infections:

Viral enteritis. It is mandatory to give a live vaccine to young animals at the age of 22-28 days, to adults the first time 45 days before laying eggs, the second time - after 2 weeks.
Pasteurellosis. They put a live or killed vaccine (at least 5 days after using the drugs).
Paratyphos. Conditionally infected goslings are vaccinated orally at 2-4 days of age, if not vaccinated prior to oviposition. If produced, then at 8-10 days of age. Adult geese are vaccinated a month before entering the productive period, 2 times with an interval of 5 days.

To prevent aspergillosis, colibacillosis, neisserriosis, and other infectious and parasitic pathologies, it is necessary to observe sanitary standards and rules for keeping geese, provide a high-quality and balanced diet, and give vitamin supplements to birds. Once a year, when goslings appear, a general cleaning should be carried out in the house, the surfaces should be treated with caustic soda, covered with lime. Feeders and drinkers should be cleaned weekly.