Susanne Hugo

The author is Associate Professional Officer, Animal Production and Health Division, FAO, Rome,

Many developing countries now recognize the importance of livestock in integrated production systems to provide the sustainable increases in food necessary to feed their rapidly expanding populations. Geese fit well into such systems and are especially well adapted to the humid tropics. They can provide meat and eggs from natural grazing and seem to be more resistant to diseases than other avian species. Yet, even given these advantages, geese have remained a neglected species. This article looks at the possible role of geese in small-scale farming systems as an ecological alternative for weed control and as guard animals.

Since the time geese were domesticated they have inspired artists and writers and fairy tales. Archaeological excavations in ancient Egypt have proved that goose husbandry was common as early as the third millennium BC. Romans dedicated geese to Juno, their highest goddess, and authors such as Plinius and Horace described goose husbandry techniques and delicious goose recipes. The Chinese were already familiar with goose husbandry at the time of the Tai dynasty. Charlemagne encouraged goose husbandry in his empire, and it became common practice all over Europe during the ensuing centuries. Ever since the introduction of modern production techniques in agriculture at the beginning of the twentieth century, however, the number of geese in Europe has dropped steadily (Schneider, 1988).

Geese are found all over the world (Table 1), but at present goose farming is economically important only in Asia and central Europe (Table 2). Most geese are well adapted to hot climates, as long as shade is available, and to high-rainfall regions. They are especially well suited to aquatic areas and marshlands and are completely at home in warm, shallow waterways.

Some European breeds, such as the Embden and Toulouse, have been introduced into tropical developing countries with notable success (National Research Council, 1991). Moreover, Chinese geese, which are widely kept in Southeast Asia, seem to be especially promising for smallholders. They are very good layers, smaller than most other breeds (Table 3), active foragers (making them economical and useful as weeders), the most alert and "talkative" breed and they produce the leanest meat (National Research Council, 1991).

Limiting factors for goose farming in developing countries are that geese are not fully mature until two years of age and, except for the Chinese geese, they are not prolific layers. Their overall reproduction rate, therefore, is comparatively low. In addition, the processing of geese is more complicated than processing chickens, particularly if down and feathers are involved. Technical skills are needed to pluck the birds efficiently and some equipment may be necessary in order to handle the down and feathers properly.

Smallholders in developing countries subsist mainly on the products of their own farms. Scarcity of land, labour and capital obliges them to reorient their livestock production towards species that are cheap and easy to maintain and that provide animal protein as well as cash income.

Geese are particularly well suited to such systems. Mature geese are independent, larger than other poultry species and thus less vulnerable to predators. When kept in small flocks and allowed to roam the farmyard or field, they are adept scavengers, requiring less attention than any other domestic bird. Geese adapt easily to captivity, and if small quantities of supplementary feed are provided in the evening they will even return home by themselves. Thus, requiring little extra work, these animals supply nutritious meat, huge eggs and rich fat for cooking, as well as soft down and feathers for bedding and clothing, which makes them particularly appropriate for providing farmers with a supplementary income.

Geese are among the fastest-growing avian species commonly raised for meat. Goose meat is fatter than other poultry meats, but it is well accepted by many local populations, including some in West Africa. In Egypt, geese are found widely as scavengers around the villages (Smith, 1990).

A feasibility study conducted in northeastern Thailand recommended that goose raising be incorporated into the region's existing farming system in order to utilize farm waste products efficiently, hence providing small-scale farmers with a source of extra income and a much needed animal protein source for the family (Phalaraksh, 1984).

In China, keeping small numbers of poultry and waterfowl is common for small-scale farmers throughout the countryside. As private ownership and marketing are encouraged by the Chinese Government, numerous flocks of ducks and geese can be observed throughout the rice-growing areas of southeastern China (Hoefer and Tsuchitani, 1980; Zhang Jian, 1991).

Waterfowl are the species most suitable to integrated farming systems since they can be used for weed and pest control in many crops as they relish grasses and shun most broad-leaved plants.

In southwestern United States, geese were once used extensively for weed control in special crops such as asparagus, berries, mint, tobacco, beets, beans, hops, onions and potatoes. They were used in vineyards and citrus groves to feed on weeds and fallen fruits. In the 1970s, with the introduction of selective herbicides, the use of geese declined. But today, with the renewed increase in organic farming in the United States, geese farming is becoming more common (National Research Council, 1991). The use of geese in some African countries for weed control is reported by Sonaiya (1993). They seem to perform well in crops such as coffee, banana and pineapple, as well as in kiwi plantations and cotton fields, where chemical control is not practiced or cannot be used.

Geese have shown a particular preference for troublesome perennial grasses, such as Sorgum halepense (Johnson grass), Cyperus rotundus (nut grass) and Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass), representing the notorious weeds in cotton fields and pineapple plantations in the southern United States and in Latin America (FAO, 1983). In Egypt and the United States, geese have been used to weed cotton fields. During the 1960s, some growers in the United States turned goslings loose in maize fields to consume the suckers as well as any grain left on the ground. This eliminated the problem of maize as a weed when other crops were later planted in the same fields.

1. Geese populations in selected countries - Population d'oies dans certains pays - Población de gansos en algunos países

Country Reference year Population Source China 1986 88 257 000 Zhang Jian, 1991 Hungary 1988 8 500 000 Schneider, 1988

1990 2 804 000 Rees, 1 992 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 1988 4300000 Schneider, 1988 Poland 1 988 4 600 000 Schneider 1 988

1 990 1 234 000 Rees, 1 992 France 1 988 2 200 000 Schneider, 1 988 Germany 1991 656 700 ZMP, 1994 West Germany 1386 377 100 Petersen 1986 East Germany 1 988 1200 000 Schneider, 1 988 Lithuania 1 990 97 900 Rees, 1 992 Kenya 1 990 60 000 FAO, 1 990 Cameroon 1 990 13 000 FAO, 1 990

2. Selected data on annual goose meat and fatty liver production - Quelques données sur la production annuelle de viande et de foie gras d'oies - Algunos datos sobre la producción anual de carne e hígado grave de ganso

Country Year Goose meat production ('000 t) Fatty liver production (t) Import and export of fatty liver (t) Source Developing countries 1989 270.0 - - FAO, 1990 China 1986 250.0* - - Zhang Jian, 1991 Hungary 1987 43.5 1 200 983 (exported) Kozak, 1989 France 1989 9.0 600 2 548 (imported) Rouvier, 1992 Germany 1993 47.0 (22.5 imported) - - ZMP, 1994

*Represents 0.02 percent of China's total meat production in 1986.

3. Important goose breeds - Races d'oies importantes - Razas importantes de gansos

Breed

Plumage colour

Adult body weight (kg) Eggs per year

Egg weight (g)

Eggshell colour

Male Female Embden White 10.0 9.0 40 170 White Pomeranian White

Grey 8.0 7.0 20 170 White Toulouse Grey 9.0 8.0 25 160 White

Chinese goose White 5.5 4.5 >50 120 White Italian goose White 6.0 5.0 50 140 White Fighting goose Dark grey 7.0 5.5 20 120 White

Source: Schneider, 1988

Geese have been protecting Ballantine's bonded warehouses near Glasgow, Scotland, since 1959. They guard 240 million litres of maturing whiskey, keep the grounds weed-free and the grass clipped - Les oies protègent les entrepôts en douane de whisky «Ballantine» près de Glasgow (Ecosse) depuis 1959. Elles gardent 240 millions de litres de whisky qui vieillit en fût, nettoient les mauvaises herbes et tondent la pelouse - Los gansos protegen los almacenes de whisky Ballantine, cerca de Glasgow, Escocia, desde 1959. Cuidan 240 millones de litros de whisky durante la maduración, y mantienen el terreno libre de males hierbas y gramíneas cortas (Copyright Ballantine's)

Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth), with its extremely rapid growth in eutrophic waters, is a particular problem in waterways, dams and drainage canals. In Florida and Hawaii, the ability of Chinese goslings to control water hyacinth as well as other water-weeds has been tested. The results of these studies indicate that the goslings consume the floating weed and can effectively control even heavy infestations (Damron and Wilson, 1983).

Geese with their exceptional eyesight and wide field of vision, combined with their strident voices, make excellent guards against approaching strangers or predators since outsiders cannot calm them into silence. This was shown in 390 BC, when Rome was attacked by Gallic troops. It was the alertness of the holy geese housed in the temple of the city's fort that allowed the defenders to wake in time to resist the attacking enemy. Today, in the high Andes, Southeast Asia and many other places, geese replace guard dogs. In Europe, they are used to guard whiskey warehouses (see Photo) and sensitive military installations (National Research Council, 1991).

The integration of geese in mixed fanning systems is feasible and economically viable in many countries. In developing countries there is a large potential for goose farming, especially in Africa, where many countries have suitable climatic and ecological conditions.

Damron, B.L. & Wilson, H.R. 1983. Geese found highly effective in controlling water hyacinths. Feedstuffs, 55(45): 15-17.

FAO. 1983. The goose and its possible use for controlling weeds. Small Animals for Small Farms. GAN-1. Santiago, Chile, FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

FAO. 1990. Proceedings of the FAO Expert Consultation on Waterfowl, Accra, Ghana, 2-5 July 1990. p. 46.

Hoefer, J.A. & Tsuchitani, P.J. 1980. Animal agriculture in China. CSCPRC (Committee on Scholarly Communication with the People's Republic of China) Animal Sciences Delegation Report No. 11. Washington, DC, USA, National Academy Press.

Kozak, J. 1989. Production, realization and interest in goose farming. Baromfitenyéstés es feldogozás, 3-4: 135-143.

National Research Council. 1991. Microlivestock: little-known small animals with a promising economic future. p. 101 - 113. Washington, DC, USA, National Academy Press.

Petersen, J., ed. 1986. Jahrbuch für die Geflügelwirtschaft 1986. Stuttgart, Germany, Verlag Eugen Ulmer.

Phalaraksh, K. 1984. The feasibility studies of geese production in the northeast of Thailand. Memoirs of the Tokyo University of Agriculture, 26:187-247.

Rees, D. 1992. Hoher Anteil der Privaten in der osteuropäischen Tiererzeugung. Kraftfutter, 75(8): 376-379.

Rouvier, R. 1992. L'amélioration génétique en France: le contexte et les acteurs. Les Palmipedes. INRA Prod. Anim., p. 39-42.

Schneider, K.H. 1988. Gänse. Berlin, Germany, VEB Deutscher Landwirtschaftsverlag.

Smith, A.J., ed. 1990. Poultry. In The tropical agriculturalist. (CTA); The Netherlands, MacMillan Press Ltd.

Sonaiya, E.B. 1993. Towards sustainable poultry production in Africa. FAO Animal Production and Health Paper No. 107. p. 255-260. Rome, FAO.

Zhang Jian. 1991. To devote major efforts to developing herbivorous animal production in China. Wld Rev. Anim. Prod., 26(1): 61-65.

ZMP (Zentrale Markt- und Preisberichtstelle). 1994. Bilanz Eier & Geflügel '94; Statistisches Bundesamt (Bundesrepublik Deutschland), p. 82-83, 128-129.