African - A larger form of the Chinese Goose and is normally a gentle breed with a pronounced dewlap. It has the upright carriage of the Chinese along with the 'knob' which is the ornamental head appendage of the Chinese. It is said to be originally from China and not Africa as its name would suggest.
They can become very tame if hand reared.
Available in white; brown (grey) and buff.
Egg colour – white
Egg numbers – 10-20 per season
American Buff - A heavy smooth breasted and double lobed breed. As a dual-purpose goose, it produces both eggs and meat. The meat is a rich, dark meat. The American Buff is an apricot-fawn colour with a whitish abdomen, brown eyes and orange feet and bill.
Requires deep water, but rarely flies - a good all rounder.
Egg colour – white
Egg numbers – 10-20 per season
Brecon Buff - A welsh breed that was officially recognised as an individual true breed in 1934 based upon stock used by Brecon farmers. The Brecon Buff is hardy, breeds well and responds to being allowed to forage rather than be kept in a yard. They require grazing and water.
Egg colour – white
Egg numbers – 10-20 per season
Buff Back – A large distinctive goose with a buff back and head. It is a good egg layer, rarely flies and is a good all rounder.
Egg colour – white
Egg numbers – 30 per season
Chinese (Swan Goose) – From China, this breed is smaller than others and is distinguishable from other geese by the knob or protuberance on its head. Chinese geese go broody easily and are generally better layers.
They can be susceptible to severe cold.
There are two varieties, brown and white. The brown variety has a brown bill and eyes, and orange legs. The body feathers are brown and lighter on the underside of the bird. The white variety has a bright orange bill and legs, blue eyes and pure white body feathers.
The has been known to attack small dogs. It rarely flies and is a good back garden all rounder.
Egg colour – white
Egg numbers – 50+ per season
Diepholz – Originating from Diepholz in Northern Germany. It has been bred there for the last 100 years and in 1925 the Diepholz Goose was recognised as a breed.
It is a light breed, with white feathers, and an orange bill and legs.
Embden (Bremen) - A northern Dutch breed that migrated throughout Europe to Italy where it was imported into the UK to cross with our native white breeds. It is a large white breed with an upright carriage and a long, broad body. It is the tallest breed.
Not advisable to be in contact with dogs.
Egg colour – white
Egg numbers – 10-20 per season
Grey Back – A European medium sized breed. The Grey Back is a plump goose with no keel. The back is slightly convex - approximately 60% wider than the depth (long bodied). It has blue eyes, with an orange bill and legs. It is often mistaken for the Pommeranian goose but is dual lobed underneath.
The Grey Back rarely flies - a good all rounder.
Egg colour – white
Egg numbers – 30 per season
Pilgrim – A light weight breed developed in the 1930's in the midwestern US. It is likely that the Pilgrim was not standardised as a breed until this century.
Pilgrim geese are unique in that they are the only domestic breed of geese that is sexually linked as a gosling and as an adult. In Pilgrim geese, the sexes have a distinct colouring and pattern that identities them. Adult ganders are mostly white with some grey on the back and wings. Adult females are mostly grey with some white on their head and neck. The gosling males are silvery yellow with light beaks. The young females are olive drab with darker bills.
Pomeranian - A hardy, good foraging, medium sized goose bred for the colder winters of Germany. They produce strong goslings that need fresh greens from a very early age to thrive.
The Pomeranian is keen to try almost any green plant. It is excellent at shredding / debarking trees (Willow being their favourite).
Varieties include saddleback, pure white and solid grey.
Egg numbers – 30 per season
Roman – Originating in Italy and imported into the UK in 1903. They are a very small compact breed with no keel. In America this breed is often found with a small feather crest and many have crests.
They have become more popular in the USA and Europe due to its good meat to bone ratio and being prolific breeders. They produce a carcase more suitable to smaller families.
The Roman is a white breed, with orange beak and legs, and a short neck.
Sebastopol - A smaller European breed that were called Sebastopol after being brought from the seaport of Sebastopol (now Sevastopol, Ukraine).
They are average layers as a breed and due to their east European heritage can be short tempered having the Russian fighting Geese / German Kampfganse in their makeup.
They are unable to fly well having no true wings, but need care and plenty of water in order to groom and care for their plumage.
Sebastopol geese are light weight, white and come in two types - one with smooth feathers the other with 'frizzled' feathers. The frizzled geese are highly decorative and are unique within goose breeds. The frizzled feathers curl due to the lack of a rigid feather spine/quill.
Steinbacher - Originally a cross from a local German goose and a Chinese. It is a medium sized goose with a very straight neck, strong with a sloping back line.
Known as a Kampfganse (fighting goose) which is shown by the short strong bill used for defence. Not an aggressive breed though, having a similar temperament to the Chinese - will protect if provoked but mostly amenable.
They are distinctive in that they have a black bean on an orange bill with black serration marks around the edge of the mouth. Feet and legs are orange with uniform grey blue feathering.
Toulouse – A French bird and one of the larger breeds. They have grey feathers laced with white, brown eyes with a long deep body with a prominent breast bone.
Considered a superior meat bird in Europe. Popular among breeder because of its hardiness and ability to withstand the cold
Bred for both exhibition and utility. The exhibition (dewlap) version can weigh 25 pounds and have its body skimming the ground. The utility version is smaller and lacks the dewlap – bred only for the table.
As the Toulouse is a heavy breed, it does well in confinement since their size restricts foraging - although their goslings tend to grow slower than other geese. As a breed it is susceptible to fly strike (maggots) on open cuts or scratches which are disguised by the open feathering.
Egg colour – white
Egg numbers – 35-50 per season
West of England – A medium weight breed with a mixed parentage/history. The West of England can be sex linked with white males and grey and white females.
