As we reach the festive season many of us will be enjoying plentiful and delicious goose meat on Christmas Day or the richness that duck eggs can offer to a festive bake. Well, if you're thinking that 2024 might be the time to add some new feathered friends to your smallholding but you need a 'getting started' guide, then you've found the right place.
The first thing to note for a keen hen keeper is ducks and geese are very different. Hens are quite easy-going whereas ducks can be compared to rowdy teenagers requiring a bit more work especially when it comes to bedtime routines! Geese, on the other hand, can be quite useful "guard dogs" as they will typically make a vocal greeting to any visitors. Differences aside, they will all get on like a house on fire in the day but need separate housing and nutrition.
DUCKS AND GEESE HAVE DIFFERENT NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS TO CHICKENS
Like chickens, ducks and geese need a feed that's suitable for their species, age and breed. Ducks spend much of their time feeding in and around water, whereas geese spend far more time grazing, so you'll need to give them plenty of grass. But their nutritional requirements are very different.
This story is from the December 2023 edition of The Country Smallholder.
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This story is from the December 2023 edition of The Country Smallholder.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
How to Buy a Smallholding in France- Long-time smallholder Lorraine Turnbull looks at the practicalities of moving to rural France
Aspiring smallholders are continually thwarted by the prices of smallholdings and property with land located within the UK. Even the humblest croft in Scotland comes with a substantial price tag and conditions which would make even an adventurous wannabee consider carefully. But all is not lost. For those willing to take the adventure of a lifetime, there is always Europe, and one of the most popular places is France.
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