Geese

Geese

Geese, are a species of waterfowl that are bred primarily for their meat. However, they have also served other purposes. These include being raised for eggs and in the preparation of foie gras. Their feathers are used to stuff pillows. Geese are very good at weeding out unwanted plants, often used in organic farming. They also make excellent pets, and can even act as alert guardians.

Geese Flying

Goose

The word “goose”, its singular form can signify a male or female, but if paired with the male term “gander”, it refers specifically to a female one. Young geese  are called goslings prior to fledgling.

Geese Image

Goose Egg

Sexual dimorphism is barely seen in domestic geese, with the identification mostly done on the basis of behavior and physical features. The males appear larger and taller with longer necks, and protective demeanor than their female counterparts.

Types of Goose Breeds

Geese are generally classified into three categories based on their weight – heavy, medium, and light.

Heavy Breeds

• African Goose
• American Buff Goose
• Embden Goose
• Toulouse Goose

Medium Breeds

• Brecon Buff Goose
• Buff Back Goose
• Danish Landrace Goose
• Faroese Goose
• Pomeranian Goose
• West of England Goose

Light Breeds

• Chinese Goose
• Cotton Patch Goose
• Czech Goose
• Pilgrim Goose
• Roman Goose
• Sebastopol Goose
• Shetland Goose
• Steinbacher Goose
• Oland Goose
• Alsatian Goose

History and Development

Geese Teeth

Goose Bird

It is believed that the goose was first domesticated in Egypt over 4000 years ago. The goose also underwent separate domestication events in both Southeastern Europe, especially Greece, and in Mesopotamia in around 3000 BCE. The main reason for rearing the bird was for its meat and for sacrificial purposes. Geese husbandry slowly gained popularity, peaking during the Medieval Period that spanned from the 5^th to the 15^th century, with peasants maintaining massive flocks during this time.

Baby Geese

Goose Picture

In northern Africa, western Asia, and Europe, domesticated geese were bred from the greylag goose, while in eastern Asia, they evolved from the swan goose. A large knob is seen on those that developed from the swan goose, which is used to distinguish the two.

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