* Large Goose Breeds:- African Geese .Buff and Grey available  |
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| African is a breed of domestic goose
that are not actually African at all,They are supposed to be
descended from the wild Swan Goose, as in their skinny cousin the
Chinese goose. Although they share similar characteristics (such
as colour ), the African's larger dewlap and different knob
shape plus being substantially larger than the Chinese, and
are more well-known for their docile temperaments rather than their
yappy skinny cousin Various origin theories abound but they were recognised as a separate breed by Tegetmeir and Lewis Wright in the 1870's most are pure speculation African geese appear in three color varieties: Brown, Buff and White. Browns have black bills and knobs, and plumage with irregular shades, from a very light to dark brown. Whites have all-white plumage and orange bills and knobs. For housing use a large dog kennel or small garden shed to house the geese. During the winter they need to be protected against rain, wind, and snow and watched in a drought summer for sunburn on their head ( also dimmer by nature) . The shelter must be waterproof, predator proof and well ventilated ( goose crap is high in ammonia so small places produce quite a smell). At night these geese must be penned up being vulnerable with their trusting nature to two and four legged predators. For bedding use straw, paper shreds,wood chip, wood shavings or hay, although I do prefer hay for the nests. Recommend mucking out the geese enclosure every 1-3 weeks, depending on how many geese you have in the enclosure, and how big the enclosure is. Queries ask via the domestic - waterfowl club website
. . . . . Large keels and dewlaps(on Toulouse) are byproducts of selecting for large birds. If not carefully bred, all heavyweight breeds of geese may decrease in size every succeeding generation. Do not use birds with narrow or undersized bodies, excessively arched backs, keels with extremely rough underlines, slender necks, small dewlaps, and weak heads. Except in mature laying geese, tails drooping below the line of the back are often a sign of low fertility and lack of vigor. Breeders of production birds should take care not to select for excessive keels as these inhibit a bird's ability to breed. Matings of pairs or trios are usually the most productive. (Holderread, 1981). |
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| . Telephone : 01691 655 635 (Shropshire) or Email grahamhickss@hotmail.co.uk |
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