West of England Goose

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Two female West of England on the left with a gander on the right West of England geese.jpg
Two female West of England on the left with a gander on the right

West of England geese are a breed of auto-sexing domestic goose.

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Description

West of England geese are a rare or heritage breed of medium-sized geese. They were originally found across the south of England in particular in Devon and Cornwall. They are auto-sexing, meaning that one can identify females by their grey markings on head and back immediately after hatching.

West of England geese have blue eyes, an orange bill, a dual-lobed paunch and a calm temperament. They weigh between 6 and 9 kg. The gander is white and sometimes shows some traces of grey. The female goose has clear grey markings on head, neck, back and the thigh coverts.

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Goose Common name for a group of birds

A goose is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera Anser and Branta. Some other birds, mostly related to the shelducks, have "goose" as part of their names. More distantly related members of the family Anatidae are swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller.

Greylag goose Species of bird

The greylag goose is a species of large goose in the waterfowl family Anatidae and the type species of the genus Anser. It has mottled and barred grey and white plumage and an orange beak and pink legs. A large bird, it measures between 74 and 91 centimetres in length, with an average weight of 3.3 kilograms (7.3 lb). Its distribution is widespread, with birds from the north of its range in Europe and Asia migrating southwards to spend the winter in warmer places. It is the type species of the genus Anser and is the ancestor of the domestic goose, having been domesticated at least as early as 1360 BC. The genus name is from anser, the Latin for "goose".

Greater white-fronted goose Species of bird

The greater white-fronted goose is a species of goose related to the smaller lesser white-fronted goose. It is named for the patch of white feathers bordering the base of its bill, in fact albifrons comes from the Latin albus "white" and frons" forehead ". In Europe it has been known as the "white-fronted goose"; in North America it is known as the greater white-fronted goose, and this name is also increasingly adopted internationally. Even more distinctive are the salt-and-pepper markings on the breast of adult birds, which is why the goose is colloquially called the "specklebelly" in North America.

Bar-headed goose Species of bird

The bar-headed goose is a goose that breeds in Central Asia in colonies of thousands near mountain lakes and winters in South Asia, as far south as peninsular India. It lays three to eight eggs at a time in a ground nest. It is known for the extreme altitudes it reaches when migrating across the Himalayas.

Snow goose Species of bird

The snow goose is a species of goose native to North America. Both white and dark morphs exist, the latter often known as blue goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The species was previously placed in the genus Chen, but is now typically included in the "gray goose" genus Anser.

Egyptian goose Species of goose

The Egyptian goose is a member of the duck, goose, and swan family Anatidae. It is native to Africa south of the Sahara and the Nile Valley.

Common shelduck Species of bird

The common shelduck is a waterfowl species of the shelduck genus, Tadorna. It is widespread and common in the Euro-Siberian region of the Palearctic, mainly breeding in temperate and wintering in subtropical regions; in winter, it can also be found in the Maghreb. Its scientific name comes from the French name Tadorne for this species. It may originally derive from Celtic roots meaning "pied waterfowl", essentially the same as the English "shelduck".

Ashy-headed goose Species of bird

The ashy-headed goose is a large sheldgoose, which breeds in mountainous areas of southernmost South America and winters on lowlands just north of its breeding range.

Australian wood duck Species of bird

The Australian wood duck, maned duck or maned goose is a dabbling duck found throughout much of Australia. It is the only living species in the genus Chenonetta. Traditionally placed in the subfamily Anatinae, it might belong to the subfamily Tadorninae (shelducks); the ringed teal may be its closest living relative.

Blue-winged goose Species of bird

The blue-winged goose is a waterfowl species which is endemic to Ethiopia. It is the only member of the genus Cyanochen.

South African shelduck Species of bird

The South African shelduck or Cape shelduck is a species of shelduck, a group of large goose-like birds which are part of the bird family Anatidae, which also includes the swans, geese and ducks. This is a common species native to southern Africa.

Brant (goose) Species of bird

The brant or brent goose, is a small goose of the genus Branta. There are three subspecies, all of which winter along temperate-zone sea-coasts and breed on the high-Arctic tundra.

Domestic goose

Domestic geese are domesticated grey geese that are kept by humans as poultry for their meat, eggs and down feathers since ancient times. Approximately 700 million geese are slaughtered each year for meat worldwide.

Indian Runner duck

Indian Runners are a breed of Anas platyrhynchos domesticus, the domestic duck. They stand erect like penguins and, rather than waddling, they run. The females usually lay about 300 to 350 eggs a year or more, depending whether they are from exhibition or utility strains. They were found on the Indonesian islands of Lombok, Java and Bali where they were 'walked' to market and sold as egg-layers or for meat. These ducks do not fly and only rarely form nests and incubate their own eggs. They run or walk, often dropping their eggs wherever they happen to be. Duck-breeders need to house their birds overnight or be vigilant in picking up the eggs to prevent them from being taken by other animals.

Sebastopol goose

The Sebastopol is a breed of domestic goose, descended from the European Greylag goose. First exhibited in England in 1860 under the name 'Sebastopol goose'; they were also referred to as Danubian geese; a name first used for the breed in Ireland in 1863. 'Danubian' was used as a synonym in the 19th century; and only given precedence by Edward Brown after the turn of the 19th century. The Sebastopol is a medium-sized goose with long, white curly feathers. The feathers of the neck are smooth and sometimes greyish brown. Crosses have produced all-grey, buff, and saddle back variants. Feathers on the breast may be curly (frizzle) or smooth. The gander weighs 12-14 lbs while the goose weighs 10-12 lbs. The legs and shanks are orange and the eyes bright blue. Grey and buff colored Sebastopol have brown eyes. On average, females produce 25-35 eggs per year. Though domesticated breeds of geese generally retain some flight ability, Sebastopols cannot fly well due to the curliness of their feathers and have difficulty getting off the ground. They need plenty of water to keep themselves clean, and to clean their sinuses.

Pilgrim goose

Pilgrim geese 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.

Pomeranian goose

The Pomeranian goose, also known as the Rügener goose, is a breed of domestic goose.

The Shetland goose is a breed of domestic geese originating in the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Like the other livestock breeds native to the islands, the Shetland goose is small in stature, generally weighing between 12 and 14 pounds. They are very hardy and exceptionally good foragers, and are able to largely sustain themselves through grazing.

Scania goose

The Scania Goose is a breed of domestic geese originating in Scania in Sweden.

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