How to keep geese as a pet in an apartment and difficulties
The presence in the apartment of exotic or just strange animals that have never been considered suitable for keeping indoors remains popular. People give birth to wild animals and reptiles, ornamental pigs and farm birds. The presence of geese in an apartment has its own difficulties, which you should get acquainted with before raising birds in a metropolis.
Features of keeping geese at home
The goose is a large bird. For normal development, she needs at least 2 square meters of space. After all, not every owner will allow himself to release a goose every day to walk around the apartment. The main disadvantages of large birds that should be considered:
- these are not cats, it is almost impossible to teach them to walk in the tray, geese eat a lot and shit almost everywhere if they are outside the cage;
- in the summer geese are on the walk during the day, it is impossible to provide such conditions in the city, no one will allow the birds to eat lawns, and grazing them for several hours every day is an impossible task;
- they eat up to 2 kilograms of green mass or hay per day, you should think about where the feed will be stored, especially in winter;
- geese - loud birds with a loud voice, people living behind the wall will not be delighted with such a neighborhood;
- they must be systematically walked and provided with a pond or the opportunity to swim in the bath.
Birds need veterinary checks and vaccinations. They shed twice a year, so there will be a lot of fluff and feathers in the apartment. The nature of the birds should be taken into account - geese are jealous and remember the offense for a long time.
Suitable breeds
It depends on the preference of the host. All breeds of geese are divided into 3 types: heavy - when the goose weighs 7-9 kilograms, the goose - up to 8 kilograms, medium, which includes most ornamental breeds, light breeds, if adult geese reach 4-6 kilograms. Houses either give birth to large birds of 9-12 kilograms, which will amaze neighbors and friends with their size, or representatives of decorative breeds. For example, birds of the curly breed have a snow-white color and very beautiful plumage.
Room preparation
The goose can be placed in a cage on a glassed-in balcony or loggia. It should be borne in mind that by screaming he is able to wake up neighbors. Sometimes they build a small aviary in one of the rooms or in the pantry, or put a suitable cage. If a pantry is determined for a pet's housing, lighting is needed in it (at least 14 hours a day).
A litter, a drinker and a feeder are placed in the cage. They are washed daily.In addition to the feeder, a container with small pebbles is required, they are necessary for normal digestion. Water should be in the drinker at all times. Straw or shavings are used for bedding. To avoid odor, the bedding is changed daily. The bird should be released from the cage every day to warm up. Once every 2-3 days, the goose needs to swim in order to keep the feathers clean and get rid of excess fluff.
Feeding rules
The pet is fed 3 times a day. In summer, fresh grass is required in the diet, in winter - hay, at least 2 kilograms per individual per day. In the morning and in the evening, crushed grain is given (a mixture of corn, oats, wheat). Adult birds consume 300 grams of cereal mixture per day, divided into 3 doses.
During the day, in addition to grass, you need a mash of finely chopped vegetables (carrots, beets, pumpkin, potatoes). Individuals living in an apartment are given minced meat 2-3 times a week. It is a source of protein. The diet should contain feed yeast, salt, fish oil or fish meal. To enrich the diet with calcium, cottage cheese is added to the vegetable mash, and whey is given to the pet. The food must be of high quality, the vegetables are clean, without signs of mold and rot.
If a small gosling falls into education (a daily one, or the owner decided to purchase a fertilized egg and observed the appearance process), he is given hard-boiled, finely chopped eggs. From day 5, cottage cheese is mixed with the eggs, a week later, finely chopped fresh nettle is introduced into the diet.
After 2-3 weeks, the baby is gradually transferred to an adult diet. He also needs constant access to fresh water. Geese prefer to feed in the evening and at night, it is necessary to ensure that there is food in the trough in the evening.
Hygiene
Geese are sure to worm 2 times a year. The drugs are purchased from a veterinary pharmacy and used according to the manufacturer's instructions. You can get advice on the necessary vaccinations at the nearest veterinary clinic. Better to find a sanctuary specializing in feathered pets. Goslings after 3 weeks of age and adult birds should be bathed 2-3 times a week without the use of detergents. It is better to collect lukewarm water for your pet.
After water procedures, the gosling should be placed under a lamp to dry; in winter they simply place the box with the baby closer to the heating battery. The paws are washed after each walk and as they become dirty.
Possible difficulties
The main difficulties arise with the toilet. The pet is not able to learn to walk in the tray, therefore, when leaving the house, it should be placed in a corral or cage. It is better to clip his wings, a strong and large bird, having taken off, can wreak havoc in the apartment. Geese are wayward and jealous, they quickly get used to the owner, but strangers can pinch and try to drive them out of the territory that the animal considers its own.
It is necessary to set aside a place in the apartment for storing feed and bedding material, the grain mixture can be prepared independently from products purchased in the store, but problems may arise with hay in winter.
In captivity, with good care, a goose can live up to 30 years. When planning to have a feathered pet in a city apartment, you need to objectively assess your capabilities, since the bird is not very suitable for indoor keeping. Of course, there is always an option to cook it with apples for the festive table, but this is not the best solution.
