Do you raise geese for meat birds?

[DawnB]

So, I have a question...do you raise geese for meat birds? I have a Toulouse gander and an Embden goose. Would this make a decent meat bird? If I end up with babies (I'd let the goose do the work), how old/big do they have to be before butchering?

Thanks.
Dawn

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

yes a number of us on here do (even though a few on here find it horrible to do). You have spring hatches and grow them out all year long, butchering late fall. Dec 7th was our last butcher of 2012, we still have one gander left to butcher

 

[squirrelbug]

Celtic,

How many do you do at a time?

I am looking at the possibility of having to do this myself and I don't want to get overwhelmed with it all. I had planned on doing one this last fall, but one of the little ones died early on, and I had wanted to keep 2 of them.

This year I have 3 females and chances are I will have some to try. Jerry (hubby) says I can't keep anymore than the 4 I have, lol...so I have made arrangements with my son to help.

Does it take long to process them from start to finish? I don't want to have him butcher a bunch and we not be able to get them all done in one day.

Thanks much!

Joanne
aka squirrelbug

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

we did two a day because we were hand plucking whick takes some time. This year we will have a plucker so can do large numbers at a time.

 

[DawnB]

Thanks everyone..is it much different from dressing out a chicken?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

lots LOTS more down lol

 

[Grassman 52]

I have read that an Embden X Toulouse makes for a real nice meat bird and the offspring are better parents - I kept one Toulouse goose myself to cross with and Embden Gander - Let you know in the spring how it works out.

The Toulouse is very laid back in comparison to my Embdens - I hope these traits carry through to their young.

My geese are only kept for meat, but this does not mean that I don't love them and enjoy watching them - Just no one has a name and a few will be around for many years (hopefully breeding and providing new geese year after year).

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

 

[Grassman 52]

Processing is a lot more work, but worth it.

I use hot water with soap in it - rough pluck (birds are to big for my plucker)
Then in to a big pot of "duck wax" all the pin feathers and down come off very clean this way, but I don't save the feathers or down for use.

For ducks or geese I recommend buying real duck wax not paraffin - duck wax has an adhesive in it.