There is an opinion that Landa geese are fattened to obtain a gourmet liver. A novice farmer may be confused, since the breeding of this "narrow-purpose" bird seems unprofitable. But in fact, these geese are quite versatile - they are bred like beef poultry, they have average egg production, and these birds are also suitable for plucking a feather.
Breed history
Land geese were obtained by crossing several varieties. Main breed for this were the Toulouse geese. 
The first experiments were carried out in France. In the post-Soviet space, the already bred geese were trapped in 1975.
Did you know? Geese choose a pair, which remain true throughout life. If one individual dies, the other grieves for several years before choosing a new partner or may even be left alone.
Exterior
Land geese have a distinguished appearance, which does not allow them to be confused with other species of birds. 
The following are their features:
- color plumage. Mostly the representatives of this breed have a gray color of a light shade, but sometimes there are individuals that are painted in darker shades of gray. The belly is often covered with white fluff;
- torso and back - quite large and voluminous;
- tail - short and almost imperceptible;
- chest - deep, has developed muscles that make it quite wide;
- stomach painted white. Also on the stomach there are several fat folds that sag slightly;
- wings have a large number of feathers, which form the pattern of scales;
- head birds wide, slightly flattened on top and covered with a dense layer of feathers;
- eyes rather deep, some may have a lump above their eyes;
- beak it is colored orange, but the shape of different individuals may differ significantly;
- neck - dark gray, some individuals may be gray-brown. The neck is not massive, but, on the contrary, thin and long.
Did you know? Metal fountain pens were used from the middle of the XIX century, and before that they used mostly goose feathers. They sometimes needed to be sharpened - it was called a blind spot. A knife designed for this procedure, called pen. Later, the word "pen" was applied to all pocket knives.
Performance Indicators
These birds stand out for their large size. The weight of an adult male is from 7 to 8 kg, and females - from 6 to 7 kg. It is thanks to this body weight that it is possible to achieve a large liver weight, which reaches 800 grams. The large sizes of birds can be observed already at the age of 10 months, when their weight reaches 5 kg. Some specialists cross Landa geese with Hungarian breed, which makes it possible to obtain individuals weighing 10 kg. 
Egg production in these birds is up to 40 eggs per year. The weight of each egg reaches 150 grams, which is a very good indicator. It should be noted that goslings have a rather low level of survival, since only 50% of cubs live to 2 months of age. The percentage of goslings is also quite small - only 60.
Did you know? The world record for weight Landa goose is 14 kg. This record has not been broken for many years.
Feeding ration
The diet and the amount of food of these birds depends on the purpose for which they are grown. To grow them to get big liver need to provide hourly meals. This diet is divided into three main stages:
- Rearing. From 1 to 4 weeks the chicks are given feed in unlimited quantities and 200 g of greens daily. From 5 to 8, mixed feed is limited to a daily rate of 170 g, and greens, on the contrary, increase to 500 g. From week 9, the amount of greens should be 300 g (the rest is unchanged).
- Preparation period. 11-13 weeks. The geese limit the space by placing them in a closed poultry house (2 individuals per 1 sq. M). The diet consists of 50% corn, 20% dertie and 30% protein foods. Also at this time, birds are given double doses of vitamins A and C.
- Forced fattening. From the 14th week, the ration of birds is mostly corn (grain and groats). Grain is poured with hot water for 20-30 minutes, 1% of salt, 1% of vegetable oil and all the same vitamins are also added to it. For feeding, this porridge is used only cooled. The first 3 days of geese give 300-400 g, from 4 to 7 - 450-580 g, from 8 - 670-990 g per day. Fattening can occur manually using a funnel or using special machines. When a bird is ready for slaughter, it becomes inactive, it breathes heavily, its beak turns white.
The diet of geese contained to obtain fluff or meat, in principle, does not differ from the usual. In the summer they are given fresh grass (2 kg, with free walking this position can be excluded), grain mixtures (300 g), root crops (1 kg), chalk (10 g), mineral additives (25 g). In winter, the basis of the ration becomes grain, which is better to be given not in pure form, but as part of mash. You also need to add to the menu wheat bran and hay flour. Geese are fed three times a day, in the summer you can twice.
Important! An important factor is that geese grown to produce fluff or meat cannot be overfed.
Feeding the goslings is a separate and rather crucial stage. In order to get healthy and productive birds, feed the goslings immediately after drying. Newborn chicks are given chopped boiled eggs, crushed grain, greens and bran. At first, chicks are fed 6-7 times a day, with age the number of feedings is reduced to 3-4. Then gradually begin to add to the diet beets and carrots. 
From 4-5 days you can add cake and potatoes to feed, and from the week - root vegetables. Dairy products (cottage cheese, yogurt) are used to create wet mash beans. By the way, sticky mash bags are prohibited, since they can clog the sinuses. Also important for chicks are mineral supplements: bone meal, chalk, shell.
Learn more about the content of geese and geese, as well as about other large breeds of geese: Kholmogory, large gray, Tula, gubernatorial, Arzamas, Kuban, Chinese.
Conditions of detention
Summer Birds live in a spacious aviary, which is easy to build using simple slats, covering them with roofing material. If the geese have reached the age of 7 weeks, they can be let out for grazing, restricting movement only to the territory of the plot. The ideal conditions for grazing geese will be the presence of perennial grasses so that the birds can get all the necessary vitamins and minerals. If geese cannot be grazed, they should be provided with green fodder. 
AT winter period geese are kept in brick or wooden structures. It should be noted that the wooden structures should be built of two layers of thick boards. The litter in the goose should be constantly dry, warm and dense, so that the geese do not hurt. Since the representatives of the Landa breed normally tolerate frosts, it is not worthwhile to insulate the goose goers, but it is important to ensure the absence of drafts, since their birds do not like them.
Important! So that the pets do not overcool and have a place where they can warm themselves, the temperature in the roaster should be above +10 ° C.
Geese Landa breed love taking water treatments. In the absence of free access to the natural reservoir, “pools” should be equipped, which can be made of any deep tanks.
Video: Land geese
Landa breed of geese is designed to produce a massive liver, meat and eggs, and also has a specific appearance. If you provide them with proper care and nutrition, you will get healthy and productive birds.
