An evaluation of growth ability in domestic geese

The growth potential of Landes, Pomeranian and Steinbacher geese breeds was evaluated in free-range management conditions. Goslings were individually weighted by electronic weight tool at the age of 1, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, 84 and 98 days. During rearing, goslings were fed by standard feed mixture and grazed at the pasture; water was offered ad libitum. The results showed that egg weight was significantly correlated with hatching weight (0.79625). During rearing period, the highest body weights of goslings were recorded in Pomeranian geese. There are significant differences among breeds, while most significant differences were observed in comparison Pomeranian and Steinbacher geese.


Introduction
Growth is a complicated progress and enlargement in size is the most straightforward form of it as manipulated by genetic and environmental factors.These factors are expressed with the sex, age, genetics, feeding and weight of hatching eggs (Tilki et al., 2005;Saatci and Tilki, 2007).
Geese are mainly kept for their meat, down and feathers, and fatty liver in various regions of the world and therefore they are the most common poultry species for certain world regions (Kirmizibayrak et al., 2010).
Waterfowl have a remarkably rapid growth during the first weeks of live.At slaughter age of 7-8 weeks in domestic ducks, 9 weeks in domestic geese, and 10-11 weeks in Muscovy ducks, they reach 70-80 % of adult weight, while chicken broilers have a slaughter weight less than 40 % of adult weight (Pingel, 1990;Shalev, 1995).Geese have a rapid growth rate during the first weeks of life; they reach 70-80 % of adult weight at 9 weeks of age.Males exceed females in growth rate by more than 10 % up to age of 8 weeks (Tilki et al., 2005;Uhlířová and Tůmová, 2014).
The aim of this study was determined correlation between egg weight and hatching weight of goslings and compared body weight in Landes, Pomeranian and Steinbacher geeses.

Material and methods
The experiment was conducted with goslings of three goose breeds (Landes, Pomeranian, Steinbacher) at natural conditions.After hatching goslings were identified with wing number without sexing and were individually weighted by electronic weight tool at the age of 1, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, 84 and 98 days.
One-day-old goslings were placed into brooder batteries, at the age of 2 weeks they were transferred into shelter run, both sexes together.Pens were fitted and 0.4-0.8m 2 floor place allowed for each animal from 2 to 16 weeks.They were raised in free-range conditions and grazed in the pasture.
The evaluated variables were submitted to analysis of variance using Statistical Analysis System software package (SAS, 2003).The significance of differences among the geese breeds was tested by t-test at the levels of significance (P < 0.05).Correlation between egg weight and hatching goslings' weight were determined using the independent sample test by Pearson (1956).

Results and discussion
As shown table 1, a significant positive correlation (79.63 %, with restricted number, n = 28), was found between egg weight and hatching weight (P < 0.0001).According to Tilki and Ünal (2004), origin and variety of geese have significant effects on egg properties, hatching and growth traits.The close relationship between the egg properties and hatching weight of chick has been well documented for domestic fowls (Tserveni-Gousi, 1987).It was reported by several researchers (Whiting and Pesti, 1983;Shanawany, 1984;Yannakopoulos and Tserveni-Gousi, 1987;Altan et al., 1995;Başpinar et al., 1997) that egg weight has an important influence on one-day-old chick weight in various poultry species.A great impact of egg weight on hatching weight of goslings was reported by Willin (1995).Puchajda et al. (1988) stated a significant relationship between egg weight and hatching weight of Bilgoraj goslings.The positive correlation between egg weight and the weight of chick hatched from it was reported by Skewes et al. (1988) for Bobwhite quail, by Altan et al. (1995) Isguzar and Pingel. 2003).
Live weight increased rapidly until of 10-12 weeks of age.After those weeks, it did not show a noteworthy increase.Body weights found in this study, were similar to the reported values by Arslan and Saatci (2003) for native Turkish geese and Tilki and Inal (2004) for different origins of geese, but values were lower than for most European originated geese reported by several authors (Hrouz, 1988;Szabone Willin and Bögre, 1992;Guy et al. 1995;Kirchgessner et al. 1997;Szabone Willin 1998).There are significant differences among breeds during rearing period.The most significant differences were observed when comparing Pomeranian and Steinbacher geese (Table 3).
Ksiazkiewicz et al. (1998) et al. (1997)for chicken, byKsiazkiewicz et al. (1998)for ducks and byShanawany (1987)for geese.Table2shows the means of the body weights of goslings up to the age of 98 days of life.The highest body weights we repeatedly noted in Pomeranian, lowest body weights were in Steinbacher geese.The reared goslings weighed averaged from 105.20 g (Landes) to 118.63 g (Pomeranian), while Biesiada-Drzazga (2014) reported for White Kołuda geese body weight from 104 g to 111 g.

Table 2
Body weights in Landes, Pomoranian and Steinbacher geese from 1 to 98 days

Table 3
Statistical significance between Pomeranian, Landes and Steinbacher geeseIn conclusions, we recorded that egg weight was significantly correlated with hatching weight in our study.From selected geese breeds, highest increase of body weight was in Pomeranian geese, lowest body weight re recorded in goslings of Steinbacher geese.