Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T19:44:37.206Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Development of out-of-season laying in geese and its impact on the goose industry in Guangdong Province, China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 September 2007

A.D. SUN
Affiliation:
College of Informatics; South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong Province, China
Z.D. SHI*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong Province, China
Y.M. HUANG
Affiliation:
Faculty of Life Science, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Technology, Guangzhou, 510600, PRChina
S.D. LIANG
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong Province, China
*
*Corresponding author: zdshi@scau.edu.cn
Get access

Abstract

By using a lighting programme with an 18 h long daily photoperiod for 2 to 2.5 months starting in winter (December to January) and 11 h short daily photoperiod from spring (March) to autumn, the breeding season of Greylag geese in Guangdong Province, China was successfully altered to achieve out-of-season lay in the natural non-breeding seasons in the spring and summer months. Application of such out-of-season laying technique on gosling production, resulted in economic benefits of earnings 5 to 6 times higher than conventional production, and doubled profits of commercial goose meat production using out-of-season management programmes compared with using conventionally produced goslings. In addition, using the out of season laying technique balanced the whole year's geese production, goose meat consumption and also stimulated market growth. Development and application of the out-of-season laying technique, together with the resultant economic benefits, lead to modernization and sustainable development of the goose industry in Guangdong Province, as represented by growth of farm or flock sizes, a decrease in farm numbers and the use of modern nutrition, disease prevention and breeding programmes.

Type
Small Scale Family Poultry Production
Copyright
Copyright © World's Poultry Science Association 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

DAWSON, A., KING, V.M., BENTLEY, G.E. and BALL, G.F. (2001) Photoperiodic Control of Seasonality in Birds. Journal of Biological Rhythms 16: 366381.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
HUANG, Y.M., SHI, Z.D., LIU, Z., LIU, Y. and LI, X.W. (2007) Endocrine regulations of reproductive seasonality, follicular development and incubation in Magang geese. Animal Reproduction Science, doi: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2007.02.005.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SHI, Z.D., ZHU, J.M., HUANG, Y.M. and BI, Y.Z. (2001) Preliminary results of regulating reproductive characteristics in Magang geese. China Herbivor 3: 1215. (in Chinese).Google Scholar
SHI, Z.D., SUN, A.D., HUANG, Y.M. and LIANG, S.D. (2004) Using artificial photoperiod to control reproductive seasonality in geese: data from production trials. Proceedings of XXII World Poultry Congress, Istanbul, Turkey, 2004, June, 8–13. (Abstract 952).Google Scholar
SHI, Z.D., SUN, A.D., HUANG, Y.M. and LIANG, S.D. (2005) Study on photoperiodic regulation of reproductive seasonality of Guangdong greylag geese. Guangdong Agricultural Science, Issue 3 (2005): 7275 (in Chinese with English abstract).Google Scholar
SHI, Z.D., HUANG, Y.M., LIU, Z., LIU, Y., LI, X.W., PROUDMAN, J.A. and YU, R.C. (2007) Seasonal and photoperiodic regulation of secretion of hormones associated with reproduction in Magang goose ganders. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 32: 190200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
WANG, S-D., JAN, D-F., YEH, L-T., WU, G-C. and CHEN, L-R. (2002) Effect of exposure to long photoperiod during the rearing period on the age at first egg and the subsequent reproductive performance in geese. Animal Reproduction Science 73: 227234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
WANG, C.M.KAO, J.Y., LEE, S.R. and CHEN, L.R. (2005) Effects of artificial supplemental light on the reproductive season of geese kept in open houses. British Poultry Science 46: 728732.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
ZHU, J.M., LU, G.X., XIAO, Z.Y. and TANG, S.S. (1989) Study of shortening photoperiod to change breeding seasonality in Cantonese geese. Guangdong Agricultural Science, Issue 3 (1989): 35 (in Chinese).Google Scholar