Domestic goose

The house is a pet goose and is kept as companion animals and livestock. The ordinary form of most European geese is the Greylag Goose ( Anser anser ). Hump ​​geese, domesticated form of the Central Asian Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides ), are rarer. Domestic geese are usually not airworthy.

Designation

In the German language there are special names for male geese: gander, Ganser, Ghent Rich or Ganter. Goslings are called Gänsel or goslings.

History

Even the Romans and the Germanic tribes domesticated the gray goose for their meat and their feathers.

Among the Greeks, the goose was sacred to Persephone and served as a sweet bird whose beauty was admired for gifts to loved boys etc. Even Penelope had a small flock of 20 geese. Geese were kept not only because of their holiness, but deliberately stuffed - and for the same reason as now, for Fattening her liver. Two pretty early covers bring geese in a way with feeding in combination, distinguish them from the other animals on the farm ( Homer, 19.536 f; Kratinos 49 in Athenaeus 384c, where the passage is also quoted from the Odyssey). Among the Romans, the goose was sacred to Juno, and were therefore kept geese in the temple on the Capitol, which should have aroused in the invasion of the Gauls under Brennus by their cries the occupation and attack the castle.

Racial formation in the goose happened mainly in Europe. First was an increase in body size in the foreground. Even 150 years ago were with domestic geese 8 kg live weight, even reached 15 to 20 kg in march geese. Later, the propagation performance has become increasingly important.

Breeding areas

Geese for the German market are mostly imported from countries such as Poland or Hungary, where in addition to the Martinsgans especially the Christmas goose plays an important role. Foie gras for the preparation of foie gras is imported mostly from France, Israel, Italy and Hungary, as the feeding of geese in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is prohibited.

Geese mast

Geese lay up to 60 eggs per season. Goose eggs are a local delicacy on the Lower Rhine. To this end, laying geese are kept. Your attitude is fundamentally different from the fattened goose attitude. The chicks reach their slaughter weight after 9 to 32 weeks. Quick fattened geese have claimed nine weeks about a slaughter weight of 4.5 to 5.5 kg. In intensive fattening the animals reach their slaughter weight of 5.5 to 6.5 kg after about four months. In fattening the animals only after five to eight months of their final weight of 6.5 to 7.5 kg.

Goose breeds

A distinction is made about fifteen geese breeds that are classified according to size and laying or breeding behavior. The oldest domestic goose breed is the Emden goose, goose laying a heavy breed that emerged from held in the area of Emden and Bremen large country geese. In the 19th century it was common in the U.S., England, Bohemia and Hungary. A fairly new goose breed is the German laying goose, representing one for the current production of goose meat preferred moderate type.

Color strokes

Some goose breeds are available in several color varieties. Describe colors punches, which area of the plumage has which color. Here the famous colors strokes with descriptions:

• White: In white geese all the feathers are white.
• Gray: The color of the wild greylag (see gray goose and swan goose). Grey geese have a light brownish - gray plumage, only belly and rump are white. The feathers on the shoulder, which carry feathers, also called: leg feathers, and the wings feathers have a white hem.
• Blue: The blue is a diluted gray, otherwise in gray.
• Pied: Pied colors beats there are, among others, in gray ( graugescheckt ) in blue ( blaugescheckt ) and brown ( braungescheckt ). It affects the head, such as the upper half of the neck, the shoulder feathers ( viewed from above heart-shaped ), the lower back, the support springs ( ' leg feathers '), and the tail feathers. The feathers on the shoulder, the carrying springs and suspension springs have a white hem.

Goose bumps

Another domesticated form of the cusp goose that was bred from the originating from East Asian Swan Goose. It can be successfully crossed with European domestic geese.