African goose

The African or African Goose is a breed of domestic goose. It is one of two domestic breeds that derive from the wild species Anser cygnoides, the other being the Chinese; all other domestic geese derive from Anser anser. Despite the name, it is not from Africa but is of Asiatic origin. It is a large bird, among the heaviest of all goose breeds.

African
Conservation status
Other namesAfrican Goose
Classification
APAheavy goose[5]
EEyes[6]
PCGBheavy[7]
  • Anser cygnoides
Brown African Goose

History

The African Goose is one of two domestic goose breeds that derive from the wild species Anser cygnoides, the other being the Chinese, to which it is closely related.[8]: 364 [3] Domestication took place in north Asia, and birds of this type were later brought to Europe, possibly via Madagascar;[9] they were present in Britain before the end of the seventeenth century.[10]: 353 

The brown variety was included in the first edition of the Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association in 1874; the white was added in 1987,[5] and the buff in 2018.[11]

Characteristics

The African Goose is a large, heavy bird, among the heaviest of all goose breeds.[8]: 364 [10]: 353 [12] According to the British standard, weights are approximately 8–11 kg for geese and 10–13 kg for ganders; the Bund Deutscher Rassegeflügelzüchter gives weights of 7 kg and 8 kg respectively.[8]: 364 [9] The birds may stand up to 90 cm tall.[8]: 364  The body is large and is carried at about 35° to the horizontal; the back is long and fairly flat, the breast and belly smooth and rounded. The tail is held above the back-line, particularly in ganders.[8]: 364  The head is large, with a large knob protruding forwards and upwards from the front of the head and the top of the upper mandible of the broad bill. The neck is long, thick and slightly arched, with a smooth crescent-shaped dewlap hanging below the lower mandible.[10]: 353 

Three color varieties are recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain and the American Poultry Association: the grey or brown, the buff and the white.[10]: 353  The brown has wild-type plumage, with colors ranging from light to dark grey-brown (or light ash to dark slate), with black bill and knob and dark or brownish-orange shanks and feet. The white has pure white plumage, with orange bill and knob and light orange legs, and the buff has the same plumage pattern as the brown, but in colors ranging from light fawn to buff; the legs and webs are a light dull orange, the knob and bill a pinkish brown.[10]: 354  Only the grey/brown is recognised by the Entente Européenne d'Aviculture et de Cuniculture.[6]

Use

The African Goose is commonly reared for meat.[3] Geese lay about 25 eggs per year; the eggs are white and weigh some 130 g.[9] Ring size is 27 mm.[13]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to African Goose.
  1. Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
  2. Transboundary breed: African Goose. Rome: Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2023.
  3. African Goose. Pittsboro, North Carolina: The Livestock Conservancy. Archived 27 January 2023.
  4. Watchlist overview (2023–2024). Kenilworth, Warwickshire: Rare Breeds Survival Trust. Archived 19 May 2023.
  5. APA Recognized Breeds and Varieties: As of January 1, 2012. American Poultry Association. Archived 4 November 2017.
  6. Liste des races et variétés homologuée dans les pays EE (28.04.2013). Entente Européenne d'Aviculture et de Cuniculture. Archived 16 June 2013.
  7. Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 12 June 2018.
  8. J. Ian H. Allonby, Philippe B. Wilson (editors) (2018). British Poultry Standards: complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain, seventh edition. Chichester; Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley Blackwell. ISBN 9781119509141.
  9. Rassetafeln: Groß- und Wassergeflügel (in German). Reichenbach, Haselbachtal: Bund Deutscher Rassegeflügelzüchter. Archived 16 July 2021.
  10. Victoria Roberts (2008). British Poultry Standards: complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain, sixth edition. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 9781405156424.
  11. Newly added to Standard. American Poultry Association. Archived 2 June 2023.
  12. Geese: Heavy. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 18 November 2018.
  13. Puten, Perlhühner, Gänse, Enten (in German). Entente Européenne d'Aviculture et de Cuniculture. Accessed June 2023.
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