Arzamas goose: breed description and characteristics, breeding and care

Arzamas geese are characterized by a number of features. These birds are highly productive, and therefore are very popular with farmers. In addition, birds are considered unpretentious in care and have strong immunity. However, in order to achieve success in growing them, it is necessary to adhere to certain recommendations and provide the birds with a balanced diet.

Origin story

The birds got their name in honor of the city of Arzamas, which is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region. They were originally bred as fighting birds. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, birds began to be valued for their tender meat of high quality.Detailed information about birds is found in books from the time of Catherine II. This empress was a fan of goose fights and gave Arzamas the name of the goose capital. There are descriptions of the breed in the book of I. I. Abozin, who was an expert on farm birds.

The breed stopped developing during World War II. But soon after the victory, the breeders managed to restore the livestock and began its subsequent development.

Description and characteristics of Arzamas geese

Representatives of this breed are characterized by the following features:

white color;
small rounded head;
massive forehead and nape;
well developed cheek muscles;
massive orange beak;
large sky or black eyes with bright yellow eyelids;
wide chest;
wings close to the body;
short and powerful legs that have an orange color;
big paws with straight toes.

In addition to excellent external data, birds are characterized by excellent productivity parameters. The live weight of a goose reaches 6 kilograms, geese - 5-5.5. At 2 months, young birds weigh 3.5-4 kilograms.

For birds, average egg production is typical. At the same time, the goose lays up to 25 eggs during the year. Oviposition begins at about 300 days. The weight of 1 egg reaches 170-180 grams.

The breed is characterized by high hatchability of offspring. Egg fertility rates are 85%. Geese are distinguished by a pronounced maternal instinct. They are excellent mother hens.

Main advantages and disadvantages

Pros and conshigh levels of endurance;the possibility of grazing;resistance to harsh climatic conditions;high egg production parameters;excellent viability of chicks;excellent hatchability of eggs;quality meat.

Egg laying parameters of females reach 18-25 eggs during the season. Moreover, their weight is 165-180 grams. At the same time, these birds have no noticeable shortcomings.

Subtleties of maintenance and care

Growing Arzamas geese implies the presence of a poultry house and a zone for walking birds. It is desirable that they have access to a reservoir. The dimensions of the room are calculated taking into account the livestock. There must be at least 1 square meter of area per 1 goose.

Despite the resistance of the breed to cold weather, it is recommended to insulate the floor in the house. This will help to avoid increased dampness and the development of pathologies. The temperature parameters of the air should be at least +10 degrees. It is recommended to place bedding at least 30 centimeters thick on the floor of the house. It is made from hay, peat, straw or sawdust.

Gese need nests. They should be made of wood and have a thick bottom. Equally important is the preparation of manholes for birds to go outside. In the poultry house, you should definitely put containers with ash or sand - this will allow the birds to clean their feathers in them.

Geese need outdoor walks in winter and summer. In this case, the walking area can be made open or closed. If there is a fence, it is much easier to control the food intake of geese. It is advisable to plant grasses on the walking area in advance.

To simplify the care of geese, it is recommended to place a reservoir near the poultry house. If this is not possible, it is enough to install water baths.

Feeding ration

When compiling a diet for geese, the following rules should be considered:

In 7-10 days goslings are recommended to give chopped boiled eggs and greens.
From day 10, it is permissible to introduce chopped millet and corn into the diet. The daily volume of such food for geese less than 1 week old is 30 grams, and at 7-14 days it is increased to 90 grams.
From the age of two weeks, it is permissible to introduce compound feed into the diet of birds. It helps to grow faster and increase body weight. This is due to the high content of useful elements.

Compound feed can be given to geese in dry form or in the form of a mash. Wet food helps to normalize the functions of the digestive organs and improve their he alth.Adult birds need 330-340 grams of food. It is permissible to feed Arzamas geese with vegetables, cereals, and dairy products. You can also use chalk, shell rock, hay flour. However, this is less convenient than using compound feed.

Reproduction

Gese start laying eggs at about 8 months. The maximum productivity of birds occurs at 2 years. After that, the numbers go down. It takes 22 days to incubate eggs or incubate them. After this time goslings are born.

Babies are fast growing. This helps organize broiler management by raising birds up to 2 months old. At this point, their weight is 3.5 kilograms. Then it is not very profitable to keep birds, since molting begins, and the condition of the carcass deteriorates significantly.

Diseases

These geese have strong immunity. They easily withstand the cold. However, violation of the conditions of detention can provoke some diseases. Most often they develop in conditions of high humidity.

In most cases, increased dampness provokes the appearance of aspergillosis. This infectious disease is associated with infection by fungi. Its development is explained by the formation of mold on the litter. Another dangerous pathology of geese is colibacillosis. The development of the disease is due to infection with Escherichia coli. Most often, pathology develops in weakened birds.

Arzamas geese are considered a popular breed. This is due to their high productivity and undemanding conditions of detention. At the same time, it is important to organize proper nutrition for the birds and avoid high humidity in the house.