Early Bird Gets the Goose

As Christmas looms on the horizon the last thing on goose producersminds are their intentions for next year’s  goose production but early planning can help to save money and produce better quality birds.

Most producers in the UK don’t consider buying their goslings until the weather starts to warm up around the end of April and normally coincides with a drop in other seasonal farming activities. This is totally understandable but there is a fundamental problem with this approach.

Geese start laying eggs around the beginning of March and ramp up very quickly to production levels within a few short weeks. The first batches of eggs are ready to be incubated around the middle of March for a mid April hatch. The goose laying season continues through to August where a sudden drop in egg production then a complete stop within a couple of weeks.

Goose producers not considering buying geese until the beginning of April can only receive goslings a month later. This leaves the UK goose breeders with a surplus supply of goslings early in the season and a shortage towards the end. Inevitably this demand fluctuation is reflected in the price and the availability of goslings. After week 20, demand for goslings outstrips supply and the availability of the goslings is limited.

Goose producers buying goslings early in the goose breeding season benefit from a lower buy price and a reduced mortality rate as the geese don’t have to be pushed to meet the required weight before Christmas.   Though the geese have to be fed for longer, they can be fed on grass for a period from the end of spring to early summer which will keep feed costs are low. In addition to this, geese that have had longer to grow achieve better weights and are considered to be tastier.

So in conclusion, those goose producers able to take goslings a few weeks early will reap the benefits and ensure availability.