Wild geese, also known as wild ducks, are wild waterfowl belonging to the duck family and the genus Anser. After artificial feeding, their meat is thick and is a high-protein, low-fat meat product. They are rich in essential human elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron, making them an ideal health food. Their fat can benefit qi, detoxify, relax tendons, and promote blood circulation. Goose down has good warmth retention and is light and soft. As herbivorous waterfowl mainly feeding on plant-based feed, their feeding costs are low and benefits good. In Northeast China, Guangdong, and other regions, geese created by crossbreeding domestic geese and wild geese have been farmed, developing into scaled production.
The development prospect still depends on further development and cultivation of the wild special poultry consumer market to form an industry. Moreover, wild geese are national Category II protected wild animals, and introduction, breeding, nurturing, and sales must be approved by the relevant administrative departments of wild animal management. Goose breeding techniques: (1) Living habits Wild geese are omnivorous waterfowl, often inhabiting watersides or marshes with aquatic plants, feeding on wild grass, pasture, grains, and snails and shrimp.
They like to roam in lakes and mate in water. They are highly social and combative. In spring, 10~20 gather in small groups, while in winter, hundreds gather to forage and roost. When roosting, there are sentinel geese; upon detecting abnormalities, they loudly alarm and flee in groups. In social groups, they establish a hierarchy through fighting, with the prince goose having priority in feeding and mating rights. (2) Breeding places Wild geese prefer to roost in groups and can be caged or wing-clipped for free range.
The goose house requires sufficient sunlight, good ventilation, and warmth in winter and coolness in summer. Goose houses can be divided into brooding houses, fattening houses, and breeding goose houses. Brooding houses should be warm and moisture-proof. Fattening houses must have racks and be equipped with feeding troughs and drinkers. Breeding goose houses should have land and water exercise yards surrounded by fences 1.8~2 meters high. The land exercise yard should be dry without water accumulation, paved with 5 cm thick sandy soil, and planted with trees or crops for shade. The water exercise yard's fence should extend down to the water bottom.
There should also be lush grasslands for grazing. (3) Source and reproduction of breeding geese Source of breeding geese: During the spring wild goose breeding season, goose eggs can be collected from their distribution areas for artificial incubation, or wild geese hunted for artificial taming. Reproduction method: Wild geese rut in spring and mate in water. After mating, female geese begin laying eggs 10 days later, producing one egg every 2~3 days. Goose eggs can be incubated by the mother goose, fostered by domestic geese, or artificially incubated.
The incubation method is similar to domestic geese, lasting 31 days. Eggs should be turned every 2~3 hours at a 90-degree angle, with gentle, steady, and slow movements. In late incubation, eggs should be cooled 2~3 times daily at 25~27°C; if room temperature is too low, “egg flash” may cause developmental issues. Hatched goslings can be raised collectively with humans to enable breeding geese to resume egg-laying early. (4) Feeding management: ① Gosling rearing: Goslings are young geese aged from hatching to one month.
The first drinking water for goslings is called “moist opening” or “starting water.” When goslings can walk steadily and begin pecking the litter, they should be allowed to drink water freely for 3~5 minutes. After drinking, feed can be started, using soaked broken rice and chopped vegetable leaves, for about 30 minutes until they are 80% full. After starting feeding, regular feeding should occur in small quantities and multiple meals. By 4 days old, goslings can be grazed, 5~6 times during the day and returned to the house for feeding 2~3 times at night.
Goslings fear cold and dampness, so keep warm. The temperature for 1~7 days old should be 26~30°C, 8~14 days old 24~28°C, and 15~30 days old 20~24°C. Litter should be regularly sun-dried or replaced. ② Growing geese management: Geese aged from 1 month to sexual maturity are called growing or rearing geese. At this stage, they eat large amounts and grow rapidly. Breeding growing geese mainly graze but with increased concentrate and less roughage to promote early sexual maturity.
Before grazing, wing clipping should be performed by removing a portion of one side's metacarpal and phalanges or cutting the digital extensor and wrist radial long extensor muscles. They can graze after one week when wounds heal. Commercial geese not kept for breeding should be fattened with a diet of 70% corn, 15% soybean meal, 10% leaf powder, 4~5% wheat bran, and 0.3~0.5% salt. Activity should be limited in the fattening period to reduce nutrient consumption and promote meat gain.
Fattening can also combine grazing and supplementary feeding. After 15~20 days of fattening, goslings reaching market weight can be marketed. ③ Breeding geese management: Spring is the breeding season for breeding geese. The principle is mainly house feeding supplemented with grazing, increasing concentrates with crude protein at 17%~18%, feeding 2~3 times daily, with an additional feed at night, and proper mineral supplements.

Provide abundant water several times daily, especially in the morning when ganders’ libido is stronger, allowing breeding geese to play and mate more on water. During the laying period, keep non-laying females indoors every morning; after laying, allow water access or grazing. After July, laying decreases gradually towards the non-laying period; change concentrates to roughage and switch to roughage-based grazing feeding. They can graze all day without supplement. However, during continuous rainy days or harsh winters with poor grazing conditions, appropriate supplementary feeding should be given to maintain weight and prevent loss.