Geese breed – large gray 

One of the best domestic and world breeds is the breed of geese, called “large gray”. Yes, it’s that simple and no frills. Large grays were bred by crossing the Roman and Toulouse breeds.

Although the name “Romny” sounds exotic, in fact there is nothing unusual here. This is a local Ukrainian breed of geese, bred in the Sumy region in the city of Romny. There are three color options for the Roman breed. One of the options is no different from the color of a wild goose.

They transferred the same appearance of wild ancestors to the large gray ones, especially since the Toulouse breed has a similar color. How to distinguish Romanesque from large gray? No goose.

If it were not for the different shades of plumage on the neck and the different color of the tip of the beak, one could doubt that the photographs are of different birds. Live, the differences are often more noticeable, as it is possible to see the actual dimensions. A photo without scaling does not provide such information.

In adult birds, there are some differences. At least the description of the breed is somewhat different.

Roman geese today are kept as breeding material for breeding new breeds of birds of this species.

Breed history

It is believed that the large gray breed of geese today exists in two versions: Borkovsky Ukrainian and Tambov steppe.

True, it is impossible to find a description of how, apart from the origin, these two types differ. Most likely, given the initial data, these two types have already mixed up so much that it is technically impossible to distinguish between the types of geese in the photo and according to the description. If the types are somewhat different, then they have different requirements for content.

They began to breed large gray geese in Ukraine, where the issue of lack of water was not raised. At the Ukrainian Institute of Poultry, at first, Roman and Toulouse geese were crossed for three years to obtain the breed group necessary for creating the breed group – the source material for breeding a new breed. Further, the resulting mixtures were diluted in themselves. The main task was to increase the live weight of the goose while maintaining the initial data of the Roman breed:

• high viability;
• well-developed incubation instinct in geese;
• unpretentiousness to conditions of detention;
• fast weight gain;
• quality meat.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War and the arrival of the Germans, the breed group was evacuated to Tambov, where its breeding took a slightly different path. The crossing of the Roman and Toulouse geese was carried out only once (there is no data on where the evacuated breed group was divided), after which the hybrids also began to breed in themselves, focusing on the ability of geese to manage with a minimum amount of water. The one in the drinkers.

The large gray Toulouse goose differs from its other parent breed in that the egg production of geese increases up to the 5th year of life, while in Toulouse goose only up to three years.

Very often I use large gray as a parent breed for crosses with “Kuban”, “Chinese”, Pereyaslav breed and Rhine geese. A very good result is also obtained when crossing with the Gorky breed.

Gray geese are two months old, ready for slaughter:

Large gray standard, photo and description

General impression: mobile, strong, large bird of “wild” color.

Head small with a short orange beak and a light tip.

The large gray ones do not have a purse and a bump.

Neck powerful, medium length. The goose has a shorter neck than the gander.

Back long, wide.

Chest deep.

Stomach wide, with two fat folds near the legs.

Metatarsus bright orange, strong, capable of supporting the weight of a goose.

In the color of the feathers, the “scales” on the back should be clearly visible.

Disadvantages

A white border at the base of the beak (a sign of the Roman breed), white primary feathers and an indistinct feather pattern on the wings and back. Permissible disadvantages include the presence of only one fat fold on the abdomen.

Vices

• purse under the beak;
• bump on a forehead;
• poorly developed fold on the abdomen;
• high body position;
• small sharp chest;
• pale color of the beak and metatarsus.

Maintenance and feeding

 Since the main difference between the gray large is the ability to live without water, these geese do not even need to put a container of water. True, the owners of the breed disagree on how much this capacity is needed for geese. Some say that their pets prefer the company of their owners and are indifferent even to the river, others describe the joy of geese at the sight of a bath with water instead of a bucket.

In the absence of a reservoir, geese can be kept on a bed of sawdust or straw in a barn. The barn is used as a place to spend the night or in winter. However, large gray geese are happy to walk in winter.

Regarding the litter, some owners believe that it is better to lay a deep litter and stir it up periodically, and clean it out only when fertilizer is needed for the garden. Others prefer a thinner layer and frequent bedding changes. What to choose depends on the preferences of the owner.

In the case of a deep bedding of straw, even earth is not needed. The necessary bacteria are found on the straw. But it should be borne in mind that when using straw bedding, the bottom layer is not touched, sprinkling dirt on top with fresh straw.

Since in winter, instead of grass, geese are given hay, the remnants of the goose meal also go to bedding. All the same, the goose cannot eat all the hay, it will only “nibble” the most tender parts.

They won’t fly to Africa with wild ones, but for a wingless and poorly running person and the “distance norm” of domestic geese, 3 m in height and 500 m in length will be more than enough to lose their property.

Therefore, if there is a suspicion that geese can change their place of residence, it is better to cut their flight feathers on their wings.

Big grays eat everything they give. Or they don’t give it, the birds take it themselves. Most owners do not feed goslings during the summer, as they eat well on the grass. They eat well large gray overripe vegetables from the garden, unsuitable for human consumption. Up to the point that they don’t even need to cut anything finely, the birds themselves can crumble the same zucchini into small pieces and eat the pulp. As a dessert, geese can be offered watermelon.

But this is more likely for owners who keep large gray ones for the soul. Most goose breeders breed geese for meat and are unlikely to indulge the herd with pickles.

Breeding

Large gray geese sit well on eggs, so goslings can be bred under hens. True, the owners complain that the geese sit too well. They have to be driven from the nests so that the mother hen can eat.

If a hatching egg was bought or it was decided to leave the young hatched by the old geese to the tribe, it will be necessary to carefully look at potential producers during selection. For one gander you need 2 – 3 geese.

Initially, you need to leave more geese, since not all geese will be accepted. Outcast ganders wither, the color of their beak and paws fade, and, ultimately, these males die.

Moreover, sometimes it happens that geese begin to kill some member of the herd. The reason may be the lack of trace elements in the feed, but more often after the slaughter of this individual, it turns out that some organs were underdeveloped in it. For example, a gander, outwardly looking like a goose, beats the whole herd. But the fact is that his genitals are underdeveloped and as a producer he is not needed by the mind.

How geese determine the defective representative remains their secret. But there is no need to try to “reconcile” the beaten individual with the rest of the herd. The rejected goose must be removed from the herd and sent for meat.

Feedback from owners of large gray geese