BREED NAME
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BREED SUMMARY
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AFRICAN
OF CONCERN
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Origin: China
Uses: Table
About: The African goose is a larger relative of the Chinese goose and both breeds have developed from the Wild Swan goose. The African goose varies from the Chinese goose in being larger and having a larger dewlap and different shaped knob. It is a very large bird with a reasonably upright stance, its head held high and proud. The plumage is tight and sleek on the body, the neck plumage is smooth, like velvet. The ganders have a higher pitched call than the geese and are taller. The female is shorter and stockier. Two origin theories exist....the first being the African is a cross between the Wild Swan goose and the Chinese goose, and the second is the African is the pure derivation of the Swan goose and its unique traits are the result of selective breeding. The African goose produces high quality, lean meat and is considered a great roasting bird. For this reason it is preferred for the bird to be keelless. Males can be a little aggressive. The geese lay large white eggs but are not prolific layers producing around 25-40 eggs per year. The breed can withstand quite cold temperatures but require shelter to stop the knob on the beak from getting frostbite.
Weight: Male 9.1-12.7kg; Female 8.15-10.90kg
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AUSTRALIAN SETTLER
OF CONCERN
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AUSTRALIAN BREED
Origin: Australia
Uses: Table
About: The origin of the Australian Settler or Pilgrim Goose is one of conjecture. One school of thought believes it was developed in the United States during the 1930's by Oscar Grow. A second says it was developed in Europe by several breeders. The plumage of the breed is sex linked and the sexes can be distinguished on hatching. The males are almost white, while the females are completely grey apart from their spectacles and stern. They are considered personable, docile birds but will quite vigorously defend their nest and young if challenged. Like most geese, they are constantly alert and are great sentinels, as well as being good foragers and excellent natural parents. The geese will lay around 45-50 eggs per season.
Weight: 6.35-8.15kg; Female 5.45-7.25kg.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Paternoster, Gaggles of Geese World
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BRECON BUFF
CRITICAL
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Origin: Wales. United Kingdom
Uses: Eggs, Table
About: The Breco Buff is a hardy and prolific goose of medium size. Buff is not a colour commonly seen in the wild, probably because the buff gene is recessive and sex-linked. Buff had no doubt been seen in farmyard flocks earlier, but it was in 1929 that Rhys Llewellyn of Swansea noticed it and decided to develop a buff breed. In The Feathered World (1934) he says, “… while motoring over the Brecon Beacons in Wales, I noticed a buff-coloured goose among a large flock of white and grey geese. This buff ‘sport’ interested me greatly and I purchased her there and then, with the definite intention of producing a breed of this attractive colour.” He crossed her with a white Emden-type male and in the next generation introduced buff females from other flocks. By 1934 he produced 100% true colour birds. The birds were fair layers with good table qualities. The intention was to produce a paler coloured medium-sized market goose that plucked well and apparently the buff plumage plucks more easily and any remnants are less visible. While somewhat similar to the American Buff in many features, it differs from that variety in being more refined in head and neck and also finer of bone. It is a very hardy, active breed and is reputed to be more prolific than some of the extremely heavy branches of the domestic goose family. Moreover it has the reputation of carrying a maximum amount of flesh for its size.
Weight: Male 7.25-9.10kg; Female 6.35-8.15kg.
Note: It is likley that this breed no longer exists in Australia. If you do have a breeding flock or are recreating the breed please send us informatio using the Update form as below.
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CHINESE (WHITE)
OF CONCERN
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Origin: China
Uses: Table, Eggs
About: The Chinese Goose descended from the Wild Swan Goose and the Brown/Grey shows similar colouring with the dark stripe down the back of the neck although they are a larger breed than the Wild Swan Goose. It is a bird of stylish beauty with its long, graceful neck carried upright but in a graceful arch. The domesticated breed also has a large basal knob on the upper side of the bill, which is more prominent on the gander than the goose and can be used to sex the goslings at 6-8 weeks of age. They are excellent as table birds and are prolific layers for geese, having been known to lay up to one hundred eggs annually, although fifty is around the norm. They are also known for being great "watch dogs" and can be very noisy when there are intruders or anything with which they are unfamiliar. The breed is a great forager and consequently needs less supplementary feeding than some of the other breeds. Temperaments vary but generally if they are raised well and handled from being goslings they remain friendly and will even follow their owners around. A word of warning though....it is never a good idea to approach the goose sitting on eggs as the gander can be quite protective and aggressive if he is nearby.
Weight: Male 4.55-5.45kg; Female 3.6-4.55kg
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CHINESE (BROWN)
WATCH
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As above for Chinese (White).
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EMBDEN
OF CONCERN
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Origin: North Sea area of Northern Europe
Uses: Table, Commercial meat production
About: The exact origin of the Embden Goose is unknown. One train of thought is the breed was created by crossing the German White with the English White while another theory suggests that the great size and weight of the Embden goose is due to selective breeding with the Toulouse goose breed. Most probably the Embden goose originated from the town of Embden in Lower Saxony, Germany. They are also known as the Bremen goose in Germany. The Embden is classified as a heavy breed and boasts a large and long body. With its fast growth and large size it is ideally suited to the table and is also used in commercial meat production. It is a hardy breed that grows quickly and matures early, but they are not good layers, producing only twenty to thirty eggs per year. They are, however, cold hardy and can cope with mild, sub zero temperatures. The birds are herbivores and good foragers, preferring to live close to water. They are excellent mothers being very protective against predators. They have strong wings, so can fly but do not migrate. The ganders can be aggressive and will threaten with their wings.
Weight: Male 12.7-15.40kg; Female 10.00-12.7kg
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POMERANIAN
OF CONCERN
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Origin: Northern Germany
Uses: Table, Eggs, Watch
About: The Pomeranian is an ancient breed dating back to around 1500 and one of the descendants of the Greylag goose, specifically bred for a single lobed paunch. The breed has a chunky body, protruding breast, giving a large amount of breast meat and a rounded body. The markings should be well-defined and when looked at from behind or above the coloured areas of the back and shoulders should resemble the classic heart shape. Solid coloured heads are preferred. They are quite social and chatty birds and although some are quite docile, they are good at reading nervousness and may become aggressive accordingly. They greet visitors noisily so also make great "watch dogs". The Pomeranian goose is a seasonal but good layer, producing around seventy eggs per season. The breed is another breed that requires careful breeding to attain the perfect colouring and marking, so this can be a challenge to breeders, as is the declining number in Australia.
Weight: Male 8.20-10.9kg; Female 7.3-9.10kg
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ROMAN (INC TUFTED)
OF CONCERN
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Origin: Italy
Uses: Table, Ornamental, Watch Bird
Facts: According to legend these were the birds that saved Rome from attack from the Gauls in 365BC. As the Gauls tried to steal into Rome under cover of darkness, it was the honk of the Roman goose that awoke Marcus Manlius and saved the capitol. They were also considered sacred to Juno, the Goddess of Marriage. The Roman goose is a smaller sized bird with a full and well rounded breast and abdomen. It has a dual lobed paunch and is bred for its fast growth and meaty carcass. They are moderate egg layers, averaging around 25-35 eggs per year. Temperament wise they are generally calm and pleasant, although as with most geese, the ganders can become aggressive. The Roman makes an excellent "watch bird".
There is also a Tufted variety, which is identical in size, colour and type to the Roman, only with a conical tuft on the crown, beginning just over the eyes and inclined somewhat backwards. Both types are exhibited in Australia.
Weight: 5.45-6.35kg; Female 4.55-5.45kg
Non Tufted Photo courtesy of Alex Zandra
Tufted Variety Photo courtesy of Wayne Paternoster
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SEBASTAPOL
WATCH
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Origin: Eastern Europe, the drainage basin of the River Danube and the Black Sea
Uses: Table, Ornamental, Exhibition
About: Curled feathers are the main characteristic of the Sebastopol goose, although it also comes in a Smooth Breasted variety. The breed is descended from the European Greylag and by the nineteenth century was found in all countries surrounding the Black Sea. It arrived in England in 1860 and was exhibited as the Sebastopol goose, although it is also known as the Danubian goose. The Sebastopol goose is a medium sized breed with long, white curly feathers. It is easily identified by its distinctive feathers. Feathers of the neck are smooth. Feathers may be curly (frizzle) or smooth on the breast. Their eyes are usually bright blue and the legs and shanks are a dark orange color. Their heads are large and rounded, and the plumage of the head and upper two-thirds of the neck is normal.The birds are quite hardy but will need shelter from the cold wind and rain. They also require a constant source of water to keep the feathers clean. The feathers make it difficult for them to fly and their quiet nature makes them a good choice for pets and showing. The geese will produce around thirty large, white eggs per year.
Weight: Male 5.45-6.35kg; Female 4.55-5.45kg
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TOULOUSE
WATCH
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Origin: France
Uses: Table
About: Toulouse geese were first developed in Toulouse, France as a table bird and were imported into England by the Earl of Derby in the 1840s. The breed underwent further development outside France and the British and American breeders were responsible for increasing the overall size and enlarging the keel and dewlap. The breed is an important meat producer and with its oversized liver is a source of foie gras. Its fluffy feathers are also a good source for down, but the goose is not good for egg production, laying only around 20-40 large white eggs per year. Like most of the heavy goose breeds the Toulouse is typically docile. They are known for the massive, deep bodies, pendulous dewlap and fast growth rate, particularly when there is abundant food and little exercise. The pendulous dewlap extends in folds from the lower mandible. The breed is not a good forager and requires an adequate supply of concentrated feed with good protein levels, as well as water in which to swim, and access to green feed to maintain peak health.
Weight: 11.80-13.60kg; Female 9.10-10.00kg.
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