THE BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUALLY KEPT FEMALE BREEDER GEESE .1. NESTING AND EGG-LAYING BEHAVIOR

22 individually kept geese were observed by video to get some informat ions about egg-laying behaviour. 60 egg-layings could be evaluated. Th ere was shown, that in the mean geese need more than three hours from beginning of nesting up to leaving the egg. several kinds of nesting b ehaviour increase during last three hours before egg-laying. food and water intake, care of plumage and motionless standing of geese decreas e during last three hours before egg-laying. one part of individually kept geese shows signs of restlessness like in laying hens, especially before egg-laying. during first hour after egg-laying food intake rem ains minimal in contrast to water intake. during second year of observ ations of individually kept geese, frequences of food and water intake and putting of single straws by making a nest were reduced, whilst in motionless sitting the duration was doublicated. there existed clear differences between the individuals within all observed kinds of nesti ng and egg-laying behaviour. To get a good basis to decide, whether in dividual keeping can be an acceptable method of geese husbandery or no t, there will be needed some more investigations.