Structure and dynamics of australia's commercial poultry and ratite industries

Chapter 9: The Goose Industry

9.1 Description of the Australian Goose Sector

There is no structured goose industry in Australia and the industry is basically a backyard hobby industry that small processors have exploited for the small processed bird market in years past. Very few geese are slaughtered for human consumption through processing plants because supply from any producer will be as small as five or six birds. Geese are now kept for aesthetic purposes because they look nice on properties and are inexpensive to keep since they gain most of their nourishment from grazing. They act as pest controllers in vegetable and orchard crops and also serve as effective watchdogs on account of their territorial instincts.

There is a demand for goose feathers but the supply in Australia is very limited. Demand for goose meat is low and likely to remain so while the productivity of Australian stock remains low compared with overseas. Christmas, when goose is a favoured dish in the northern hemisphere, is unlikely to become popular because suitably sized goslings are out of season at that time.

9.2 Structure of Sector

The Departments of Agriculture and Primary Industries in the various Australian states did a great deal to promote geese as a viable poultry enterprise in the 1960s and 1970s. These efforts were thwarted by two factors. The egg-laying season in the southern hemisphere is in spring (laying in August/September hatching in November) which leaves just two months to grow a gosling to a good weight by Christmas. It usually takes four months to achieve a suitable market weight for geese to be a popular poultry meat. The second reason for geese not being favoured as a basis for a poultry sector is the poor genetic base of available stock compared to that available overseas.

9.3 Establishing and Maintaining a Flock

Embden, Toulouse and Chinese varieties are available in Australia. The Toulouse is the largest and can weigh up to 15 kg and lay 30 eggs per season in spring, however, they are not good at sitting on and hatching eggs. Their grey pinfeathers also detract from the dressed carcass. Embden geese, on the other hand, have a pure white plumage which favours their dressed carcass, however, they are slow to mature and also lay only about 30 eggs per season. Chinese geese come in two colours, white and brown and are good layers, laying up to 100 eggs per season or averaging 60-70. Young birds carry more weight than the heavier Toulose and Embden breeds at an earlier age, however, hatchability is notoriously low adding to their inefficienct production.

9.4 Production Unit Size, Husbandry and Shedding

Being maintained for aesthetic or pest control purposes, goose flocks are rarely kept above 10 birds nowadays. Geese are nervous and temperamental and prefer to be tended by one person which makes their commercialisation difficult. Geese are hardy animals and generally remain disease free and can withstand cold better than other poultry breeds. Although they can survive without shelter after two weeks of age, heat supply to goslings is required up to that time and basic shedding is usually supplied to ensure protection of birds.

9.5 Flock Size and Density

The failure of goose meat to become popular at Christmas in Australia means that goose husbandry has not become an economic venture despite being pushed by state departments of agriculture and primary industry over a number of decades. Any marketing of geese is on a direct approach between grower and purchaser. Small numbers appear at live bird sales but have declined over the last 20 years, being replaced by the much more popular duck.

9.6 Mixed Species Farming

Fanciers of geese often also keep a few ducks and/or other poultry for the purposes of supply of other poultry products.

9.7 Dynamics Within the Industry Sector

Establishing Flocks of Basic Genetic Stock

A small number of specialist breeders can supply stock to new people wanting to keep a few geese.

Development of Genetic Stock

i Management of Genetic Stock

The holders of the various geese breeds are all small producers and no significant effort is able to be made in maintaining or bettering the production characteristics of their birds. One producer in Victoria is attempting to establish a goose farm using a cross of Chinese (good layer but small) and Embden (larger but poor layer) breeds as production stock. This venture proposes to rear goslings by intensive farming, but only 60 goslings were reared last year.

ii Feed and Water Supplies

Geese can be supplement fed to improve growth rates and this supplement would be purchased from small suppliers of poultry feed or prepared on site. Water supplies to geese on hobby farms is unlikely to be secure from contamination by wild birds.

iii Farm Waste Disposal: Reject Eggs and Dead Birds

Being grazers, geese are not a problem for disposal of manure and litter. Being kept in small groups means that dead birds are not usually a problem to deal with and geese are particularly hardy, healthy animals when reared extensively.

iv Factors Influencing Genetic Stock Performance

The availability of poor genetic stock and Australia’s location in the southern hemisphere has not assisted a goose sector or industry to develop.

9.8 Horizontal Contacts

The goose industry is essentially a backyard industry. There would be little contact between geese that are essentially kept as grazers and the other poultry breed sectors. When taken to live bird sales, birds are usually purchased for slaughter and owners often have an arrangement with smaller specialist processing plants for disposal of small numbers of excess geese.

Chapter 10: Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) Production

10.1 Description of the Australian SPF Sector

SPF fertile eggs are essential in the production of many poultry veterinary vaccines and in some human viral vaccines. Chickens hatched from these eggs may also be used as sentinels in disease control or quarantine programs, or for the diagnosis of or research into avian and mammalian diseases.

There is a single commercial supplier of SPF fertile eggs and chickens in Australia. It operates egg production, hatchery and grow-out facilities for SPF fertile egg and chicken production.

The chickens at this facility are raised under strict biosecurity guidelines, in filtered air positive pressure housing, with weekly serological monitoring to ensure their pathogen free status.

Due to the strict biosecurity rules governing this facility, there is no contact between this flock and any other poultry farms or industries.

Feed is irradiated to prevent entry of disease. Contractors that deliver products and dispose of wastes to the farm do so under strict isolation and biosecurity guidelines and do not have contact with other commercial poultry flocks. Farm workers and staff are supplied with reject fertile eggs for home egg consumption, as they are banned by the company from having any contact with other poultry eggs.

10.2 European Pharmacopeia SPF Egg Status

The Australian facility operates under the European Pharmacopeia 5.2.2 standard which means that Chicken Anaemia Virus (CAV) positive eggs are unacceptable in its “Premium Plus” SPF eggs.