Effective use of geese for sustainable management of vegetation in orchards

本研究的目的是获得有关鹅在果园植被可持续管理中的有效利用的基本信息。(1)杂草控制：自由放养的鹅倾向于喜欢草而不是其他植物，在日本果园使用自由放养的动物进行杂草控制是有效的。(2)产肉率：散养鹅（不补饲）生长呈逐渐增长趋势，散养期结束时平均体重为2, 820 g。(3)产蛋率：在牧场中不提供补充饲料的自由放养鹅的产蛋率低于用配方饲料喂养的鹅;然而，产蛋率可以达到约24%。这些结果表明，利用散养鹅控制果园杂草是有效的。

This study was carried out to obtain basic information on the effective use of geese for sustainable management of vegetation in orchards. (1) Weed control: free-ranging geese tended to prefer grasses to other plants and the use of free-ranging animals for weed control in the orchard of Japanese pears was effective. (2) Meat productivity : the growth of the free-ranging geese (no supplementary feed) tended to increase gradually, and their mean BW was 2,820g at the end of the free-ranging period. (3) Egg productivity : free-ranging geese that were not provided supplementary feed in the pasture had lower egg productivity than did the geese fed with formula feed ; however, an egg production rate of approximately 24% could be achieved. These results indicated that the use of free-ranging geese for weed control in the orchard was effective.