How much does a domestic goose weigh on average? Summary of average weight of domestic geese. Basic rules for preparing poultry for slaughter

How long should geese be kept before slaughter? And how to determine the time when geese are slaughtered? Ivan

Unlike other varieties of poultry, this one is famous for its unpretentiousness to living conditions, quickly acclimatizes to the proposed weather conditions, and is omnivorous. Increased attention requires only young animals that are raised without a mother. How to create optimal conditions for normal height and the development of this poultry, how exactly and at what age should geese be slaughtered?

Adult geese, being in a herd, feel good in a pen and easily resist predators - dogs, cats, foxes. They enjoy grazing, have an excellent appetite, and are not picky about types of food. By breeding geese, you can make a good profit. They provide high quality meat that can be an excellent alternative to boring chicken.

When the weather is good, the poultry is taken out into the air. Fresh seasonal greens, insects, exposure sun rays strengthen the bodies of growing babies and promote their proper development. Geese in the presence of grass may stop eating food from feeders. Therefore, they are given prepared mash no more than 3–5 times a day. In the summer, the birds are fed in the morning, before pasture and in the evening; the rest of the time the diet is based on green food. An adult goose loves any variety of herbs and is able to eat about 2 kg of grass per day. Vegetables are indispensable in the diet of birds of this species. Overgrown zucchini, cucumbers, torn carrot roots, green corn leaves and many other crops will become vitamin-rich food for your pets.

It is not recommended to give beets to geese - they can cause intestinal upset. It is good to raise these birds if your site is located near a body of water of any size. In the absence of it, be sure to place a container of water in the poultry yard - birds love to take water procedures.

When to slaughter geese

In addition to raising geese, it is important to carry out their timely, proper slaughter and plucking. When breeding this type of bird, how long should it take before it can be slaughtered? To determine this point, you need to check whether natural loss of feathers has occurred, and whether new stumps are appearing. Do a simple test - run your hand along the body against the growth of the feathers. If new stumps are not visible to the touch, the bird is ready for slaughter. Slaughter begins after three months.

How much does an adult goose weigh during this period? About 4 kilograms. It is acceptable to cut the adults a little later, when you feed them mixed. It is not recommended to overexpose the bird, since with age there is more sebaceous deposits. As a result, the quality and market value of meat decreases.

How many months does a goose grow before it is slaughtered? From 2-3 months, if fed only with mixed feed, up to 5-6 months with mixed feeding.

Cutting a bird at home is not so easy. It is necessary to first clean the crop and intestines from food debris. The bird stops feeding 10 hours before the start of the process. Give a lot of liquid to drink, adding some salt to it first. This will help in the future to increase the shelf life of carcasses and preserve the taste of meat products.

The birds are prepared at night in a separate room in order to begin performing manipulations in the morning.

The wings need to be folded to one side and the paws tied. The following methods of poultry slaughter are used: internal and external. Internal is carried out using scissors. The bird is hung upside down and the artery is cut through the beak by advancing the scissors to the base of the skull. Using an ax, the head of a bird suspended upside down is cut off and the blood is allowed to drain into a prepared vessel. The external method involves hitting the bird on the head, piercing the ear with a sharp object, or cutting the carotid artery.

Pay attention to the difference in the diet of pets different stages growing. If in the summer they ate food plant origin, then by autumn it’s time to gain weight and accumulate fat. Since September, birds are less often allowed out for walks, and their diet should be based on wet mash, which is prepared from steamed feed with small boiled potatoes, grated beets and other ingredients. When the herd is mature and pets are in sight all day, you need to select individuals with leadership qualities to produce offspring in the future. The gander must be an authoritative leader, have characteristic features breeds

As for the slaughter of poultry, after finishing the procedure it is important to leave the carcass so that all the blood can drain out. Otherwise, you risk spoiling the meat - reducing its shelf life or making it unfit for consumption. Blood flows out in a period of 5 to 20 minutes. When slaughtering, it is important to know the anatomy of the bird, use sharpened tools, and perform all manipulations quickly and accurately.

Video “How to pluck and gut a goose?”

Compared to other types of poultry, the goose is the most profitable for breeding. This is due to the fact that when minimum costs You can get a 100% return on your invested capital. In households, geese are kept for the purpose of obtaining meat, offal, down and feathers. They were mainly bred for selection in European countries in order to increase the size of the bird.

Already in those days, the weight of a domestic goose was about 8 kg. A little later in their breeding, the question of increasing reproduction was raised. Thus, by the end of the 20th century, there were about 36 breeds of this bird. There were 12 species of geese on the territory of Russia, 6 in Ukraine, and 21 in the entire post-Soviet space.

According to ancient documents The domestication of this bird began three thousand years ago. Moreover, this happened simultaneously in many countries of the world. Many breeds originated from the wild gray goose and white-fronted goose, and the ancestor of the Chinese breed is considered to be the dry goose. However, throughout the entire period, humans had less influence on the changes in the goose than on other domestic animals.

That is, what this bird was like in ancient times, this is how it remains in our time. At first they were bred to decorate the yard and were revered as a sacred animal. A little later, geese began to be bred for food. Gradually, industrial goose farming began to develop using highly productive species. Next, we will look at breeds of geese that are more suitable for home breeding.

Bird selection criteria

It is clear that the main factor in raising domestic geese on a private farm is tasty and healthy meat. But one should not discount other useful qualities of these birds.

Based on these factors, we will consider a number of popular breeds.

Types of breeds

Let's look at several of the largest breeds of geese in Russia.

Geese themselves are one of the largest domestic birds. Most often they are bred for meat, so large breeds are the most cost-effective. How to choose the right one – we’ll figure it out in this review.

Of course, every farmer focused on producing meat pays attention primarily to heavyweight breeds. But there is important point: do not forget to take into account precocity. For some, it is more profitable to get a bird weighing 5 kg in 4–5 months than a bird weighing 10 kg in a year and a half. In this article we will look at the largest breeds of geese. You can decide which qualities - overall weight, unpretentiousness or speed of weight gain - are more beneficial for you.

Toulouse goose

These geese, according to experts, are the most large breed geese Toulouse geese grow very quickly: already in 50–60 days, geese gain weight of 6 kg, and by the year males can weigh 10 kg. These poultry produce tender and very fatty meat. Another advantage is the tasty and large liver, up to 1 kg. Already at 2 months, the chicks form 1–2 fat folds on their abdomen, and a “wallet” (double chin) begins to form under the beak.

An adult goose has a large, wide head and a heavy, powerful, rounded body. The belly is large, the chest is wide, the neck is thick and short. Males weigh up to 11–12 kg, females – 7–10 kg. The plumage is usually gray, the beak is orange.

Such geese are also called “Christmas” - they are very popular in European cities, and they are the ones most often chosen to be served on the Christmas table.

Females lay about 40 eggs per year (approximately 180–200 g each), they have low fertility. Often, “Toulouses” are crossed to produce large offspring and, at the same time, offspring with good immunity.

Such birds are excellent for commercial breeding - you can make a profit from birds as young as two months old. In addition, these birds are inactive and quickly gain weight, including in poultry farms. True, they digest roughage worse than other breeds. Poorly adapted to grazing; cold and high humidity can harm them.

In the goose barn you need to maintain a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, and carefully monitor that there are no drafts. It is necessary to have fresh and clean bedding: for this purpose you can use hay or sawdust, but sphagnum moss is best, since it has good moisture-absorbing qualities.

It must be borne in mind that they begin to gain weight especially quickly at two months, and at this time they cannot be limited in the amount of food. In addition to greens and regular grain mixtures, it is advisable to add pure oats at this time - this will contribute to the special tenderness of the meat. The diet also needs succulent food, wheat, corn, and worms. Feeding twice a day can increase profitability, and these birds eat more at night than during the day.

Kholmogory goose

One of the oldest breeds - mentions of them can be found since 1885. The Kholmogory goose can be recognized by its characteristic growth on its forehead near its beak. Adult males of this breed are very large, reaching a weight of up to 8–10 kg, females - 7 kg. The color can be piebald or white. The majestic Kholmogory goose has a wide convex chest, and there are characteristic folds on the belly.

An important advantage of the breed: endurance, good adaptation to new conditions and relative unpretentiousness to both food and living conditions. Thanks to this, in Russia they can be bred in almost all regions, including those with a rather harsh climate. This breed is quite resistant to disease. Thanks to their calm nature, Kholmogors live peacefully in large herds.

This breed produces tasty and healthy meat with dietary qualities.

Geese do not produce many eggs - up to 40 per year, but with the right approach this number can be doubled, and females have excellent maternal instinct. Among other heavy species of geese, Kholmogory geese are long-lived - they can live 15–20 years (compared to 4–6 years for others), which is important for breeders of breeding birds. True, they also reach puberty later – only after three years.

At the moment there are two lines of this breed: some with short beaks, others with long beaks. The first are descendants crossed with wild gray geese, the second - with the Tula breed.

For such birds, you will need a clean and dry goose coop with warm straw bedding. There should be no drafts in the room, but it should be well ventilated. Each bird should have at least 1 sq. m. Also, this breed needs free range, very preferably with access to a pond, and they can walk and swim in winter.

In addition to standard feed, these geese can be given premixes and cabbage. Mineral fertilizing won't hurt either: you can leave containers with dry clay, sand and chalk. This will provide birds with good digestion and eggs with a strong shell.

It is best to give succulent food in the morning and evening, and grain at night. You can leave food in reserve, since the peak of hunger occurs at dawn.

Gorky goose

Adult Gorky ganders reach 7–10 kg, geese – 6–8 kg. This breed of large geese ranks third in size. Eggs are smaller than other breeds (130–150 g), but the average egg production is slightly higher - 60 eggs per year; hatching of goslings is 70–80%.

Most often these are white, gray or gray birds with a wide back, a small growth on the forehead and a pronounced goiter. The tail is raised.

The advantages of the breed include very rapid development and recruitment. muscle mass: within 2 months, goslings usually gain 3 kg or more. Puberty occurs at 6.5 months. This breed is recommended for those who are focused on quick results: although the weight is less than that of the leaders, the breed is very profitable due to the speed of weight gain, as well as good indicators of the brood of goslings if you plan to breed them for sale. In addition to meat, the down of Gorky geese is also highly valued.

True, it is better for novice farmers to purchase birds from trusted nurseries - on the market, unscrupulous sellers can sell a Chinese goose together with a Gorky goose (you can distinguish it by its protruding body).

The breed is disease resistant and has good immunity. It has a peaceful disposition and gets along well with other domestic animals.

The largest goose in the world

So, the largest geese among domestic geese are Toulouse; although the average weight of males ranges from 11–12 kg, with proper care, individual specimens gain 14–16 kg! Moreover, in addition to the weight of the overall body, they are also famous for their special large delicacy liver. Therefore, if the most important indicator for you is the maximum weight and size of the bird, we recommend choosing this breed.

Of the wild geese, the largest geese in the world are the bean goose: their weight reaches 4.5–5 kg, length 90 cm, and wingspan 190 cm.

Video “Raising goslings”

From this video you will learn how to raise goslings at home.

When raising geese for meat, it is worth considering that this process is quite specific. That is why there is no mass agricultural production of them. The development of this branch of poultry farming is usually carried out by farms and private amateur poultry farmers. You rarely see goose meat in people’s regular diet, which is a pity, since it is not only delicious, but also, according to Chinese healers, has medicinal qualities.

When breeding geese for themselves, poultry farmers usually do not think about where to put the meat. This question is relevant to farmers because they are planning their business. In conditions of not very high competition, selling products turns out to be quite profitable. Its acquisition is interesting for restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, and meat processing factories. On forums, farmers share their experiences of how easily they sold goose meat within a month before the New Year holidays. Demand also depends on the growing region. Goose foie gras is very popular and highly valued by restaurant businesses. In addition, it is possible to receive additional profit from the sale of fat, feathers, down, and goose droppings.

Weight depending on breed

By comparing how much a male of different breeds of geese weighs, a breed is selected that optimally meets the tasks set by poultry farmers:

At the same time, the slaughter yield is also taken into account - the percentage ratio where the weight of the gutted bird to the weight of the goose before slaughter averages 60%.

Differences between goose meat

At the time of buying semi-finished meat product birds, doubt may arise: how to distinguish a goose. It's not hard to do. For example, a goose is distinguished from a duck:

1. Size and weight: the goose carcass is larger and heavier.
2. Skin texture: duck - softer, goose skin covering rougher.
3. Meat color: a shade darker than the color of duck meat.

If we consider the purpose of purchasing poultry for festive table, then traditionally in Russia people often pay attention to the purchase of a goose, and in Europe and America - a turkey.

Advice: if you want to decide whether to choose goose or turkey, then it is worth considering that turkey is a dietary meat, but rather dry, tasting like chicken breast. Speaking about goose, it should be noted that its meat is softer and juicier due to fat, but it is higher in calories.

Poultry cutting

Before cutting, a purchased or domestic goose is inspected for the presence of remnants of feather cover, and what remains is removed with tweezers. Next they are divided like this:

• In the area of ​​approximately the second cervical vertebra, the head is cut off, if this has not been done previously.
• The wings are removed at the elbow bend, and the paws at the joint.
• The esophagus with the trachea and the cackling tube of the larynx are separated from the spine, pulling them in different directions.
• To skin, use a sharp knife to cut the peritoneum from the anus to the carinal protrusion so as not to damage the intestines. All giblets removed, with the exception of the liver and stomach, are usually discarded.
• The gutted goose is thoroughly washed under running cold water.
• Place the carcass to cool completely at room temperature temperature conditions so that you can then cook something from it or put it on the freezer shelf for long-term preservation.

How to store

Dressed goose meat placed in the freezer can be kept there for at least 60 days. Just don't defrost and freeze again. The product can be kept on the refrigerator shelf at a temperature of 0–+2° for no longer than five days. If you cover the torso goose fat, then storage can be extended up to two weeks. Dried goose meat lasts the longest - about 24 months.

Tip: if the goose is stored in the refrigerator, it is better to wrap it in baking paper, foil or a canvas rag. It is recommended to grate with coarse salt before cooking, which can be easily removed from the surface of the skin before cooking.

Cooking options

Goose usually requires cooking, although, of course, there are exceptions. Here is an incomplete list of what can be applied to it with and without thermal cooking:

• Stuff and bake.
• Boil.
• Put it out.
• Fry.
• Cook on the grill.
• Apply steam treatment.
• Turn over the minced meat.
• Smoke
• Wither, etc.

Dried fruits, mushrooms, nuts, vegetables, citrus fruits and other fruits, berries, and cereals are suitable for stuffing a goose. It is believed that when you make it with a golden brown crust, you can use honey and mustard. The cooked goose is decorated with fresh herbs and served with red wine.

Stewing and cooking

A wide variety of dishes can be prepared from goose meat. The simplest option, available even to novice cooks, would be to simmer it. Meat stewed with prunes, other fruits or vegetables soaked in goose fat is very tasty dish, which is definitely worth a try. If you want to prepare stewed goose for future use, then you should prepare the stew yourself and roll up the jars for the winter.

To understand how long to cook meat, you need to take into account that the cooking time is influenced by factors such as:

1. Age: Old meat will need to be cooked longer (up to 5 hours). Young - can be cooked in an average of three hours over low heat. When buying a goose carcass, you should pay attention to the color shade and down covering of the legs. Orange color and the presence of fluff indicates a young age, a red tint, without fluff - the meat is old.
2. Technical equipment: using a multicooker, the process lasts about two hours - an hour in the stewing/baking mode + an hour in the game cooking mode. In a pressure cooker, pieces of young goose meat will be ready in 50 minutes.
3. Purpose: preparing stew in jars using the oven may take more than 5 hours.

Culinary techniques

Not all chefs are happy to cook anything with goose, because sometimes it remains tough. There are various tricks to keep the meat tender:

1. Refrigerate for up to 72 hours before cooking.
2. Soak in cold water.
3. Soak in acidified liquid for a day.
4. Rub with salt or soy sauce and leave in a cool environment for eight hours.
5. Soak in warm milk and leave to cool in it for five hours.
6. Pre-marinate using various recipes for preparing marinades.
7. How to cook: using a multicooker-pressure cooker or oven, placing the carcass in a baking sleeve.
8. Pierce the meat in several places when roasting the whole goose.

Tip: Adding banana peels when cooking can help tenderize any tough meat. At the end of cooking, the peel is thrown away.

Features of the content of smoked and dried products

It happens that smoked goose meat can become moldy. Then we need to decide: is it possible to eat it, are we going to risk it, or is it not worth it. If the meat is smoked well, has not been stored for long, and the product is covered with a thin coating only on the outside and there is no unpleasant odor, then it can be revived. To do this, wipe with a damp cloth or wash off with water to which a little vinegar or potassium permanganate is added. Then wipe dry and lubricate the surface with vegetable oil. You can cut off problem areas and consume quickly to prevent spoilage of the product. In this case, some housewives cut it into pieces and fry them.

When drying, to prevent the meat from becoming moldy, wheat grains are placed inside the goose. If there is still slight mold, then the damaged areas are cut off and thrown away.

Effect on the body

In goose meat, the benefits and harms are in such a ratio that the value is much greater, and goose by-products are generally a healing delicacy. Comparing the percentage of absorption of popular varieties of meat in the human body, you can see that:

• Pork is less digestible because it is fattier.
• Beef - 60%.
• Goose is worse than chicken, again due to its fat content.
• 90% chicken meat.

Goose meat contains B vitamins, growth and ascorbic acid, as well as important amino acids. It is useful because:

1. Frees the body from toxins.
2. Helps with work digestive system and spleen.
3. Calms the nervous system.
4. Improves appetite, immunity, helps in restoring strength when tired.
5. Eliminates anemia.
6. Improves brain, cardiovascular activity and bone tissue.

Of course, there are contraindications for those people who should not eat fatty foods. Use with caution when diabetes mellitus, pancreatic diseases, atherosclerosis, tendency to obesity. However, if measures are taken, harm can be completely avoided.

Properly cooked, tasty and healthy goose meat will always delight you both at a family dinner and at a festive feast.