The Roman goose is an Italian breed of domestic goose. It is said to be one of the oldest breeds of goose, bred more than 2000 years ago and originally sacred to the goddess Juno.
These are a light weight smaller breed of geese with a tuft of feathers on their head. They are either solid white or spotted white and brown. [1]
Sometime in the late 4th century BC, as the Gauls attempted to sneak into Rome under cover of night, it is said that the honking of Roman geese alerted the Romans and saved the capitol. In honour of this, the Romans later founded a temple to Juno, to whom the geese were considered sacred. Geese were also revered in the supplicia canum annual sacrifice.
In the modern period, it is kept for a range of purposes such as for meat and eggs depending on location. It is a popular exhibition breed in North America, where it is more commonly known as the tufted Roman goose and possesses a crest. In Europe, it is primarily kept as a utility meat breed, [2] while in Australia, they are used for both purposes. Crests are optional in Europe and Australia.
Roman geese can live up to 25 years and lay between 25 and 35 eggs per year. An egg takes 28 to 30 days for incubation. [3] If you continuously take their eggs they will lay more then the average amount. [3]
These geese will begin to lay early spring. During this time the head gander will become aggressive.
These are a light weight smaller breed of geese with a tuft of feathers on their head. These geese are only admitted if they are solid white. [1] No marking is allowed for them to be considered Roman Tuft. Roman Tuft consist of solid white, but some can have brown or tan spots. They show rosy pink beaks and feet or red-orange. All have bright blue eyes. The goose is of medium length and weight and generally long neck. Roman tuft are a generally docile breed and good watch-geese. [3]
When showing Roman Tuft Geese, you want a goose free of any dirt, or discoloration. Red feet and beak are a large fault and are not to be bred for. Select a goose with a medium paunch. Females will have larger paunches especially during laying season. [3]
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting useful animal products such as meat, eggs or feathers. The practice of raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes. The term also includes waterfowls of the family Anatidae but does not include wild birds hunted for food known as game or quarry.
A domestic goose is a goose that humans have domesticated and kept for their meat, eggs, or down feathers. Domestic geese have been derived through selective breeding from the wild greylag goose and swan goose.
The Plymouth Rock is an American breed of domestic chicken. It was first seen in Massachusetts in the nineteenth century and for much of the early twentieth century was the most widely kept chicken breed in the United States. It is a dual-purpose bird, raised both for its meat and for its brown eggs. It is resistant to cold, easy to manage, and a good sitter.
The Ancona is a breed of chicken which originated in the Marches, region of Italy, but which was bred to its present type mainly in the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century. It is named after the city of Ancona, capital of the Marche. It is popular in Britain and the United States, but uncommon in Italy; an initiative to re-establish it in its native area and preserve its biodiversity was launched in 2000. There are also Ancona bantams.
The Swedish Blue or Blue Swedish is a Swedish breed of domestic duck. It originated in the former dominion of Swedish Pomerania – now in north-west Poland and north-east Germany – and is documented there from 1835. It is closely similar to the Pomeranian Duck from the same general area, differing mainly in its white primary feathers.
The Toulouse is a French breed of large domestic goose, originally from the area of Toulouse in south-western France. Two types are recognised: a heavy industrial type with dewlaps, the French: Oie de Toulouse à bavette; and a slightly lighter agricultural type without dewlaps, the French: Oie de Toulouse sans bavette. Both types are large, with weights of up to 9 kg. Birds bred in the United Kingdom and United States exclusively for showing may be still larger, and have a somewhat different conformation.
The Emden or Embden is a German breed of domestic goose. It is named for the town of Emden in north-westernmost Germany.
The New Hampshire Red or New Hampshire is an American breed of chicken. It was developed in the early twentieth century in the state of New Hampshire by selective breeding of Rhode Island Red stock; no other breed was involved. It is fast-growing, early-maturing, quick-feathering, and yields a meaty carcass. Mature birds are a light or medium red in color; they may fade in sunlight.
The Orpington or Buff Orpington Duck is a breed of domestic duck. It is a dual-purpose breed used for meat and egg production. It is capable of laying up to 220 eggs a year. Originally created by William Cook of Orpington, Kent, England, from the selection of mis-marked Blue Orpington Ducks; Cook was also the developer of the Orpington chicken. The breeds used in the development of the breed included Cayuga, Indian Runner, commercial Aylesbury and Rouen. It is proposed that Cook's intentions for the breed were to capitalize on the growing demand for the buff colour pattern. The Buff Orpington Duck was introduced to the public at the Dairy Show, the Agricultural Hall (q.v.), Islington, London in October 1897. It is considered a threatened breed by the ALBC. This breed was admitted to the British Poultry Standard in 1910 and the American Poultry Associations Standard of Perfection as the 'Buff Duck' in the Medium class in 1914. The Orpington duck is available in three colour varieties: Buff, Blond and Brown. The Buff Orpington is an unstable colour due to a blue dilution gene which means that from the offspring, all three colour variations will appear.
The American Buff is an American breed of domestic goose. It was accepted by the American Poultry Association in 1947. It is named for its single plumage variety, which is a pale buff or apricot-fawn in color.
Pilgrim geese is a breed of domestic goose. They are considered to be a relatively quiet, lightweight and medium-sized breed. The pilgrim goose is a rare and critically endangered species according to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) and was officially entered into the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1939. Generally, they can live for 15 to 25 years. In most breeds of geese, males and females are indistinguishable from one another; however, the pilgrim goose is well known for its auto-sexing trait. Males are characterised by white feathers while the females have grey. This sexual dimorphism makes pilgrim geese desirable for breeding as the sexes are easily determined. Their commercial use is primarily limited to the United States where they are bred for eggs and meat. They are known to grow relatively fast and are easy to handle.
The Faverolles is a French breed of chicken. The breed was developed in the 1860s in north-central France, in the vicinity of the villages of Houdan and Faverolles. The breed was given the name of the latter village and the singular is thus also Faverolles, not Faverolle. The final "s" is silent in French.
The Nankin Bantam or Nankin is a British bantam breed of chicken. It is a true bantam, a naturally small breed with no large counterpart from which it was miniaturised. It is of South-east Asian origin, and is among the oldest bantam breeds. It is a yellowish buff colour, and the name is thought to derive from the colour of nankeen cotton from China.
The Silver Appleyard is a British breed of domestic duck. It was bred in the first half of the twentieth century by Reginald Appleyard, with the aim of creating a dual-purpose breed that would provide both a good quantity of meat and plenty of eggs.
The Pomeranian goose, also known as the Rügener goose, is a breed of domestic goose.
The Cotton Patch is a breed of domestic goose originating in the Southern United States. It is so named because it traditionally was used to weed fields of cotton, corn, and other crops.
The Brecon Buff Goose is a breed of domestic goose originating in Wales.
The Elizabeth duck is a breed of domestic duck, originating in Australia. They were developed as a small, fast growing meat breed in 1972 by Lance Ruting in Merrylands, New South Wales and named after his wife, Ann Elizabeth Ruting. They are presently bred in Australia and New Zealand, but are not widely available and classified as endangered by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.
Danish landrace goose, or Danish goose, is a landrace variety of goose native to Denmark.
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