Dongping Lake Geese

Dongping Lake Geese

　　Geese belong to the order Anseriformes, family Anatidae, and genus Anser, having been domesticated from wild geese. Legend has it that they were the first type of poultry to be domesticated by humans. Chinese geese are world-renowned, with the largest population in the world. Based on body size, they can be divided into large, medium, and small varieties. In terms of feather color, they come in white and grayish-brown. Geese generally live longer than other types of poultry, with weights ranging from 4 to 15 kilograms. Dongping Lake Geese are a type of small-sized goose, characterized by rapid growth, cold resistance, strong disease resistance, sociability, and ease of raising.

　　Dongping Lake Geese have large heads, broad and flat beaks with notched edges that help them dig up grass roots. They have a fleshy protuberance on their foreheads, long necks, broad bodies, full chests, short tails, large feet with webbed toes, and are good swimmers. Their feathers are either white or gray. The beak, feet, and webbing are orange-red, while the fleshy protuberances are light yellow, round, smooth, and wrinkle-free, protruding forward and upward. Their eyelids are light yellow, and their necks are arched. They carry themselves with an upright posture. Male geese are tall and majestic, often strutting with their heads held high, making loud calls and exhibiting high alertness. They enjoy chasing and pecking at people, which is why they are often used by people as guard animals instead of dogs. Female geese are gentle in temperament.

　　Geese have underdeveloped crops but strong gastric muscle compression and well-developed ceca. They are highly capable of digesting green grass and various grains, making them suitable for free-range feeding. Dongping Lake Geese are not afraid of heat in summer or cold in winter and can largely feed themselves without additional feeding from May–June until just before snowfall. During free-range grazing, allow them to feed freely without rushing them. When they have eaten to about 70–80% full, you can drive the flock to ponds or streams to drink water and graze. After feeding, geese often enjoy playing in the water and mating. When female geese call out and head toward the coop during grazing, it is a sign that they are about to lay eggs, and they should be promptly herded into the enclosure to lay.

　　The male-to-female breeding ratio for geese is not high. For natural breeding, a ratio of 1:6–7 is appropriate. For artificial insemination, the fertilization rate is 80–84%. The incubation period lasts 30–31 days. Dongping geese weigh around 90 grams at birth and can be marketed at 70 days old, with an average weight of 2.5 kilograms. Adult male geese typically weigh 4–6 kilograms, while females weigh 3–5 kilograms. Female geese usually begin laying eggs at 210 days old, producing 60–80 eggs per year, with each egg weighing around 50 grams. Eggshells are mostly white and coarse in texture. Egg production increases year by year within the first 5 years.

　　Goose meat is nutritious and delicious. Goose liver is tender and considered a delicacy, popular in international food markets. Goose eggs are rich in protein, surpassing the content found in chicken and duck eggs. Goose blood helps protect human blood cells and is widely used as a dietary supplement for cancer patients. Goose down is elastic, durable, and offers excellent insulation and moisture absorption properties, second only to that of wild goose down. It is used to make down quilts and garments, and in recent years, it has shown a trend of surpassing duck down products.

　　The water quality around Dongping Lake is excellent, the lakeside soil is fertile, and the area is abundant with lush vegetation, making it highly suitable for goose farming. Currently, the perennial population of geese raised around Dongping Lake is about 50,000.