Geese in the backyard: a description of the best breeds for keeping and breeding

Raising poultry is much more profitable for the farmer than raising livestock. Geese stand out favorably among the feathered farmstead - stately birds with tasty, high-calorie meat and delicious liver. It will be useful for both a novice poultry breeder and an already experienced farmer to learn about various types of birds with photos and descriptions of the best breeds of geese and their productive qualities.

Many do not even realize that there are dozens of different subspecies of geese, which differ in the quality of meat, in the nature and characteristics of breeding.

There are dozens of different subspecies of geese with varying productivity.

When describing breeds of geese, their weight, productivity and survival are taken into account.

Some of the birds are peaceful and easily get along with other animals. Some geese are real fighting birds that will defend their yard to the death. Before starting a household, it is better to learn more about the names of goose breeds and their distinctive features.

The most interesting goose breeds are described below, with names and photos.

Geese bred in Italy are easily distinguished from the farmstead: large, snow-white, but incredibly graceful. This bird was created for the sake of meat productivity and gives up to 600 g of liver. This makes it a priority in cultivation to obtain a delicacy by-product. Italian geese are distinguished by rapid weight gain - two-month-old goslings already weigh 3 kg each. An adult gander reaches 8 kg.

The nature of the bird is quite aggressive, even for geese. The group keeps apart from other animals, protecting its territory. Crossbreeding with geese of other breeds allows you to get first-class meat. Thanks to this, Italian geese are incredibly popular, it is not at all difficult to find goslings.

It is important to note the excellent maternal instinct of the goose. The bird perfectly incubates eggs, which are distinguished by good survival - up to 70% of goslings are hatched. For a novice farmer, the bird will not present any difficulties - it is quite unpretentious and pleasant for breeding.

Egyptian or Nile geese, in fact, are not geese, but a family of ducks. A bird of an interesting color - pale brown, with a light head and eyes lined with dark feathers, the Nile goose really resembles an inhabitant of the country of the pharaohs.

They breed a bird rather for the sake of beauty and exoticism, although an adult gander grows up to 10 kg. This makes it possible to raise Egyptian geese for their meat. It is worth noting the aggressive nature of the breed. Breeding will be quite difficult for an inexperienced breeder.

Under certain conditions, geese can attack neighboring nesting sites. Therefore, if you plan to start a pair of Egyptian geese, then it is worth equipping them with a sufficient personal territory on which only this family will live.

Important! It is believed that according to legend, it was Egyptian geese who saved Rome.

One of the most ancient Russian breeds was obtained by crossing Chinese and Arzamas geese. This large meat bird has become popular due to its unpretentious nature. A feature of the breed is considered to be a large beak with a small hump, which makes the appearance of the goose peculiar and interesting.

The plumage of Kholmogory geese is white, piebald or gray. The body is very strong and powerful. Geese are perfectly adapted to life in cold regions, they tolerate sub-zero temperatures well. Kholmogory geese live up to 17 years - real centenarians among breeds.

The weight of an adult individual reaches 12 kg. But the bird does not differ in great egg production - about 30 pieces per year. It is bred exclusively as a meat breed.

Today, Lindovskaya geese are almost the most popular among farmers. Bred by Russian breeders from birds of the Chinese breed, the Lindov geese turned out to be a relatively large and trouble-free bird for the farmstead. An adult weighs about 8 kg. One goose lays up to 50 eggs per year. At the same time, they have a very high fertility and survival rate.

The birds are stately built, distinguished by completely snow-white plumage. The meat is tasty, moderate fat content for poultry. The Lindov geese are distinguished by a peaceful and calm character. Birds get along well with other residents of the courtyard, their breeding will work out well even for a novice farmer.

Free access to water is mandatory - geese cannot survive without a small reservoir. Feeding geese is not difficult, the bird is gaining weight very well. Lindowskie geese are well adapted even to a cold climate, as they have good immunity.

The breed of geese, originally from the German city of Emden, attracts farmers with a quick weight gain and good health. This bird of the meat direction is gaining 4 kg by 60 days, and by adult age 10 kg of body weight. Emden geese gain their entire body on green pastures without causing any problems with feeding. This makes the meat less fatty.

During the year, the goose lays 35 eggs with an average spread of 180 g. A distinctive feature of the Emden geese is the change of plumage. Baby goslings hatch light gray, changing color to deep gray by two months. And in adulthood, some of the geese remain gray, and some become snow-white. This quality brings the Emden geese closer to swans.

Important! The Emden breed is famous for its excellent down and feather properties.

Gray geese are a meat-fat breed bred in Ukraine at the Poultry Institute. When breeding it, breeders focused on getting large birds when fed with low-calorie feed.

The appearance of large gray geese attracts attention. The bird is large, with a proud posture, a broad chest and a bright red beak. Intense gray plumage. On the back and head, the feathers are darker, and on the upper part of the neck and on the chest, the feathers are pearly. The belly of the geese is snow-white, which gives the bird a special appeal.

An adult gander grows up to 10 kg, and a goose up to 7 kg. The breed is easy to breed - a goose lays up to 60 eggs per year, from which three quarters of chicks hatch. Of course, the meat and liver of large gray geese are not of the same first-class quality as, for example, those of Toulouse or Italian geese. But these gray birds are distinguished by unpretentiousness in nutrition, which makes them a profitable poultry.

One of the most prominent and large breeds in the backyard. This spectacular bird originally from France has excellent meat in taste. The weight of an adult goose reaches 12 kg. Fatty poultry liver is an ingredient for quality foie gras.

Toulouse geese are grown not only by farmers on their own farms, but also by owners of large poultry farms. This indicates the profitability and profitability of breeding geese.

Young Toulouse geese are pale gray in color, slightly furry. Grown up individuals are already saturated pearl color. By two months, a fat fold appears on the belly of the goose, sometimes two. On the neck, some variants of the breed have a "purse". The legs of the Toulouse geese are short, wide-set, straight.

The bird itself is calm and calm, has a rather melancholic temperament. Some farmers note excessive inactivity of the bird, which affects the fat content of the meat. But the taste of the carcass only benefits from this. The disadvantage is the weak incubation instinct of Toulouse geese.

Tula fighting geese

The name speaks for itself - the Tula geese were bred to participate in entertaining goose fights. The most courageous fighters were selected to continue the breed, which led to the creation of very interesting birds. Compared to cockfights, goose fights are less traumatic, but look more attractive due to the unusual behavior of birds and smooth, almost snake-like throws.

Tula geese have very strong immunity and developed muscles. The bird grows slowly, maturing only by two years. An adult gander is rarely larger than 7 kg. The standard weight of 5-6 kg makes the bird slim and agile. Meat of low fat content, with a uniform distribution of fat.

Feeding Tula geese does not cause problems - the birds are picky. The disadvantage is low egg production - up to 25 eggs per year. The violent nature of the Tula geese can be a problem when kept with other types of poultry.

The bird belongs to the breeds of a heavy type - a two-month-old duckling already weighs about 6 kg. In this case, weight gain is carried out on grass feed. Excellent immunity, good survival and economical feeding with rapid weight gain make legarts almost the most profitable geese.

The plumage of the bird is white. The down is of very good quality, already from 10-11 months it can be plucked for use. From one bird per year you can get 400-450 g of fluff. The appearance of the legart is extremely attractive - an elongated, slender body, blue eyes and a small fat fold on the stomach.

The gait of the bird is graceful, which goes well with a calm, obedient character. Fights among the Danish legart are rare - the bird is quite peaceful. The weight of an adult gander reaches 8 kg, and geese - 7 kg.

Important! The main disadvantage is the low hatchability of goslings - only up to 60%.

Gorky breed is the result of selection of Chinese geese and native local breeds. The final breed has excellent quality meat of moderate fat content. An adult goose grows up to 8 kg, and a goose up to 6.5 kg. For a year, a goose is able to lay up to 65 eggs - this is a good result. But it is not so easy to breed goslings - the females of the Gorky goose do not show the instinct of the mother hen. The survival rate of incubator goslings reaches 85%.

The weight gain of the Gorky bird is very good - eight-week-old goslings weigh an average of 3.5 kg. The immunity of the goose is strong, they are quite resistant to many diseases. The appearance of the Gorky geese is diverse: white, gray-gray, gray plumage is found. The chest is not too wide. In general, geese look quite slender and stately.

The bird was bred in the Krasnodar Territory and adapted to the hot conditions of this region. Adler geese are distinguished by tasty meat, which can be obtained quickly enough. The weight gain in the bird is fast - by 8 weeks the goslings reach 4 kg. An adult gander weighs about 9 kg, a goose - 7 kg.

The egg production of the breed is not too high - up to 35-40 eggs per year. Against the background of not very good fertility of eggs, this causes difficulties in reproduction. The hatchability of goslings is also low, about 50%.

The geese themselves look heavy and squat. They have white plumage, a short and wide chest. The bird's beak is bright orange, rather short. In general, outwardly the breed is very similar to gray geese, differing in a slightly smaller size and snow-white plumage color.

Geese, originally from Arzamas, got their name thanks to this city. It is believed that the breed is one of the branches of the Tula geese. But the Arzamas birds are slightly smaller in size, with a longer neck and more squat. Like many breeds, the Chinese goose played a role in its appearance. The plumage of the Arzamas geese is mostly white, but there are gray and clay colors.

The back and chest of the goose are wide, powerful, the paws are short and widely spaced, the head is rounded. The eyes may be blue or black. The nature of the bird is to match the Tula progenitor - fighting. For further breeding, the most lively birds were selected, which affected their temperament.

This is not the largest goose - the gander does not grow more than 6 kg, and the goose - 5.5 kg. At the same time, egg production is also low - about 20 eggs per year. But geese are excellent hens and hatch goslings with pleasure. The survival rate of offspring in such mothers reaches 90%.

Important! Arzamas geese are perfectly adapted to a cold, humid climate.

The breed was bred at a poultry farm in the Vladimir region. Otherwise, these birds are called clay birds for their brown-brown color. Breeders crossed the Toulouse and Kholmogory breeds as the most productive for obtaining a new breed. Vladimir geese have not yet received active distribution.

This is a harmoniously folded bird weighing up to 7 kg. Egg production reaches 45 eggs per year. At the same time, the eggs are very large, up to 200 g. The geese themselves are excellent mother hens and the survival rate of offspring in favorable conditions reaches 100%. The color of the plumage is bright clay, with a lighter belly. The head is elongated, the neck is wide.

Birds are very strong, hardy and unpretentious to eat. Getting excellent meat and fluff is easy for a beginner poultry breeder.

Birds, originally from Asian countries, only in the XVIII century began to gradually spread across the European continent. Chinese geese became the progenitors for many of today's goose breeds. In its pure form, these are medium-sized, almost miniature birds. The weight of the gander is not more than 5.5 kg, and the geese - 4.5 kg. The bird is pleasantly distinguished by very good egg production rates - up to 80 large eggs per year.

Outwardly, Chinese geese are a colorful and attractive bird. There are two color options: gray and brown. The wings of both species are darker, contrastingly colored compared to the belly. Brown geese differ from gray ones by a bright stripe of dark brown color running along the body from beak to tail. The nature of the bird is peaceful, but very active and mobile.

The result of crossing Chinese and Gorky birds led to the creation of a new breed with good productive properties. Geese are becoming more common every year due to their good characteristics. The bird has a slightly raised body, a rounded body and a massive head. Legs of medium length.

Plumage color can be either brown or white. The bird is well adapted to different climatic conditions. The Kuban goose is not large, grows up to 5 kg in adulthood. Egg production is quite high, up to 50 per year, as well as the hatchability of offspring.

It is easy to get goslings from Kuban geese. Gray plumage gives a not too attractive shade to the skin of the carcass, but this is such an important drawback, given all the advantages of the breed.

The Landes breed of geese is quite versatile. Farmers breed poultry for fatty liver, tasty meat, valuable fluff and some goose eggs. This breed is common in the central part of Russia and in the Volga region. The average weight of an adult goose is 7-8 kg.

At the same time, the liver of the Landa goose is genetically hypertrophied and reaches 10% of body weight.

The plumage of the Landes goose is gray, darker on the wings, with a snow-white belly. Light gray chest not very broad. The bird itself looks very harmonious, but squat due to short legs.

Perhaps one of the rarest breeds. Finding these goslings is difficult, the breed is not very common in Russia. This is a decorative bird with chic plumage. Absolutely white feathers on the back and tail are long and curly. What gives a unique curly plumage goose.

The birds themselves are small - up to 5 kg, with low egg production. Geese grow and fledge slowly, requiring good, high-calorie nutrition with vitamins. Another name for the breed is ribbon geese. Indeed, long tail feathers look like wide ribbons. The bird is distinguished by its incredible beauty and charm.