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In regions where the grass in the meadow does not burn out throughout the summer, breeding geese becomes one of the most profitable types of business. Of all domesticated bird species, the goose is the most profitable for breeding in a temperate climate zone.
One of the best breeds in the goose world is the Danish Legard. Legard geese appeared in the CIS quite recently and the main population is concentrated in Ukraine. This is natural. The climatic conditions in Ukraine are such that it has been profitable to breed geese there since the Middle Ages.
Description breeds of geese legard with photo
The breed comes from Denmark, so this bird is usually called the “Danish Legard”. Geese of this breed are among the largest. The weight of an adult gander can reach 8 kg. The geese are only a kilogram behind.
Geese of the Legard breed are very similar in appearance to the Italian and Emden breeds. Although with careful attention you can find differences. And the differences are not only external, but also “internal”. Legards are famous for their calm nature and slight “talkativeness”. While Emden geese have a quarrelsome and evil disposition. Plus, Emden geese love to make noise.
What do Danish Legard geese look like:
- small, light, elongated head;
- Blue eyes;
- powerful orange beak of medium length.The tip of the beak is whitish;
- the neck is relatively short and thick;
- the skeleton is graceful;
- the back is flat, straight, wide;
- there must be a fold of fat on the abdomen;
- metatarsals are relatively long, orange in color;
- the plumage is always only white.
Ducklings have yellow down with dark spots. Little goslings do not stand out from the mass of chicks of other breeds, but as they grow up, they change their yellow fluff to snow-white feathers, becoming similar to whooper swans.
Sexual dimorphism is well expressed in the breed. The gander has a large, square body and a prominent neck. The goose's body is lighter and more elongated.
Productive characteristics of legard geese
Legards, like other breeds of geese, are bred for their meat. And here legards can give their opponents a head start. Already at 2-2.5 months, legard goslings gain weight of 6 kg. By 3 months they can already weigh 7 kg. Moreover, due to better metabolism, Legard geese require 20% less grain feed than other breeds. Legards get fat well on the grass. Therefore, by combining daytime grazing with evening feeding with compound feed, you can achieve rapid weight gain and an optimal ratio between meat and fat.
You can verify this by watching a video from an exhibition and sale of poultry. The owner himself does not think that his pet weighs the promised 8 kg.
The egg production of geese is very good for this type of bird. Typically, a goose lays about 40 eggs weighing 200 g. High egg production is “compensated” by low fertility (60-65%). As a result, one goose produces 17-20 goslings.
Moreover, the heavier the bird, the worse the fertility rate. Poor fertility is compensated by high survival rate of goslings. As a result, Danish Legards beat other breeds of geese “on points”. From a goose you can get about 90 kg of goose meat over the summer.
Danish Legard geese also have a third productive characteristic: downy. Young animals begin to be pinched at 11 months. Periodically pluck the fluff every 6 weeks. In total, one bird can get 0.5 kg of fluff per year.
Pros and cons of the breed
The benefits in terms of productivity are easy to see:
- rapid weight gain;
- good survival rate of goslings;
- high-quality down;
- economical feeding.
Less noticeable are other advantages related to the temperament and character of birds:
- sanguine temperament;
- non-aggressive attitude towards the owner and strangers;
- rapid development of attachment to the owner;
- silence;
- unpretentiousness in content.
How easily Legard geese become attached to their owner can be seen in the video, where, judging by the squeak, the bird is not even an adult, but still very small goslings.
Disadvantages of the breed:
- low egg fertility;
- lack of brooding instinct.
The advantages of the breed greatly outweigh its disadvantages.
Breeding
Geese reach sexual maturity at approximately 9 months. Ganders “mature” 3 weeks later. If all the birds are the same age, then the egg laying of the first month must be removed to force the goose to lay eggs again. If there is an “old” gander, the eggs of the young goose will be fertilized immediately. Geese have no brooding instinct, so the eggs will have to be collected and placed in an incubator.Geese begin laying eggs in April, even if they are birds of late hatching.
The eggs from these geese are some of the largest, but the goslings hatch small in size. However, they grow quickly and gain weight. Another feature of legards is the appearance of goslings from young geese that do not quite correspond to the breed standard. But for a young bird this is normal.
Content
The living conditions for these geese are practically no different from the needs of other breeds. There are only a couple of important conditions:
- calculation of a floor area of 1 m² for each head;
- In winter it is necessary to keep it indoors.
A semi-closed aviary can be used as a room, which will protect the birds from wind and precipitation.
Owner reviews
Conclusion
The breed of Danish Legard geese is still little known not only in Russia, but also in Ukraine. Due to their productive characteristics and resistance of goslings to disease, these geese will soon gain recognition among private owners. They may not be suitable for industrial cultivation due to the low fertility of eggs, provided that artificial insemination is not used.
