White goose: description of the 8 best breeds for home maintenance, care

Wild white geese are migratory birds common in the subpolar and polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere, in Russia, Canada, the USA (wintering in California) and Greenland. But in agriculture, another representative of the genus with plumage of a similar color is used. This is a white domestic goose that has several different breeds with similar appearance but different characteristics.

Features of white breeds

At first glance, the breeds are similar, but they have dozens of differences in the following points:

Belonging to the meat or egg direction. Some are grown for fatty liver, which can reach a mass of 500-600 grams. It is used to create the traditional French delicacy, foie gras.
Body weight. If a wild white goose barely reaches 4 kilograms, then its domestic relative, depending on the breed, can weigh from 5 to 10 and a record 12 kilograms.
Egg production. This figure ranges from 25 to 70 eggs.
Hatchability of chicks from the clutch is also strikingly different: 50-80%.

Despite these differences, all snow goose breeds have similar characteristics and common features. They are united not only by the same color, but also by the rapid growth of chicks, rapid weight gain, belonging to the meat type, since these birds are extremely rarely used in a highly specialized way - only for eggs.

This is due not only to the fact that goose eggs are rarely used for food, but also with a meager number of clutches per year. Even the best laying hens do not lay more than 90 eggs, which is extremely low compared to other types of poultry.

Top Representatives

Based on long-term, and sometimes centuries-old, selection, breeds of white geese have been bred, which have a number of excellent qualities. Thanks to them, birds are widespread and grown in almost all countries on our planet.

Adler geese

The ancestors of this breed had too fatty meat and a scanty number of eggs in the clutch. To improve their performance, they were crossed with Solnechnogorsk and large gray. The resulting hybrid was named Adler, according to the original roots.

Pros and consThe mass of the gander is up to 7 kilograms, the goose is up to 5-6 kilograms.Rapid growth of goslings. In two months, their weight reaches 3-4 kilograms.High safety of offspring.Excellent taste of meat.Frequent refusal to incubate.Low number of eggs - about 30 pieces per year.Removability - 50%.

Birds are adapted to a hot climate, common in the Krasnodar Territory.

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Governor's

Chicks have a grayish spot, while adults of the breed are pure white. They have a wide back, a small head, paws and an orange-colored beak. The birds are not large, but they are active.

Pros and consRapid weight gain.The male weighs up to 5 kilograms, the goose - up to 4.Ganders are able to "serve" a lot more females than males of other breeds.No more than 45 eggs are laid per year.Not the biggest weight compared to other varieties.Successful cultivation requires special conditions and a balanced diet.I like it I don't like it

Danish Legart

These are large white geese, bred relatively recently, related to the meat direction. It is recommended to keep them for poultry farmers with experience, because the breed requires a special approach and knowledge.

Pros and consThe mass of the gander is up to 8 kilograms, the goose is up to 7.At 60 days, goslings weigh up to 4 kilograms.Unpretentiousness in maintenance and nutrition.Suitable for obtaining juicy lean meat and fluff - up to half a kilogram from one individual.Low egg production - no more than 30 pieces.The survival rate of chicks is 65%.Thermophilicity.I like it I don't like it

Italian whites

These are solid snow-white birds with bright orange beaks and paws. They are popular because of their useful qualities and characteristics.

Pros and consThe body weight of the male is up to 7 kilograms, the goose is up to 6.The liver reaches 500 grams or more, so these geese are fattened not only for meat.Early maturing - chicks weigh 4 kilograms at 2 months.Egg production - at least 45 eggs per year.They can show aggression towards other birds, especially ducks, but this, to one degree or another, is characteristic of all representatives of the goose tribe.

Italian white geese are a productive breed suitable even for a beginner in poultry farming.

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Ural whites

The geese of this breed are also often called Shadrinsk, according to the place of receipt. Despite the fact that the Ural white geese have existed for several centuries, the breed has not received wide distribution.

Pros and consRapid growth and weight gainUnpretentiousness in food and maintenance.Adaptation to the conditions of the Urals.Geese are excellent mother hens, diligently raising offspring.The weight of a goose is no more than 6 kilograms, a goose - up to 5.Low egg production - no more than 20 eggs.Low productivity.Not the best exterior.

The most important feature of white geese of this breed is their adaptability to living in rather harsh conditions of the Ural region. But it is precisely this quality that makes the breed rare at the same time.

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Rhenish

This breed of geese was bred on the basis of endemic, especially for industrial rearing and breeding.

Pros and consExcellent quality meat and tender, easily digestible fat.Accelerated growth - at 60 days goslings weigh from 3 to 4 kilograms.Ganders weigh 6.5 kilograms as adults, and geese weigh a kilogram less.The breed is suitable for profile fattening for foie gras. The liver of Rhine geese weighs up to 400 grams.Egg production - 50 eggs per season. This is much more than most other snow goose breeds.Weakly expressed incubation instinct.The need for balanced fattening for liver production.I like it I don't like it

Kholmogorsky

Geese of this breed can be white or gray (brownish, with a characteristic feather pattern, especially on the wings and sides, with a wide gray stripe along the neck). Both varieties are of excellent quality, but the white variety is considered more valuable.

These are birds with a massive body, a long neck, a fairly large head with a specific bump on the forehead and a skin bag under the beak.

Pros and consOne of the best meat breeds. Males reach 12 kilograms, adult females - 8. Two-month-old goslings can weigh up to 5 kilograms or more.You can feed geese not only with mixtures - they actively graze in the fresh air.Disease resistance.Geese require proper feeding, as they are massive birds, and excess food will lead to excess accumulation of fat.I like it I don't like it

Emden

These geese are bred in Germany, have a massive body with a flat back, dewlap under the beak and a fat fold on the stomach. The beak and legs are orange, the plumage is pure white. These birds are bred for meat.

Pros and consThe weight of a goose is 10 kilograms, an adult female weighs 8 kilograms.Egg production - 30 pieces per season.Rapid weight gain.The need to release geese for free grazing is due to the fact that indoor birds are more prone to disease, and the meat loses its taste. It is better for those birds that graze on the grass and receive complex nutrition.I like it I don't like itFinal ranking tableAdler geeseGovernor'sDanish LegartItalian whitesRhineKholmogorskyEmdenskayaUral whites-one

A variety of white goose breeds with specific qualities and characteristics gives you the chance to choose the right option for growing on an industrial scale, on farms and in home gardens.