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I have kept a very few of my gray geese because a good number of people ask for them. I sold all I could produce this year and have still had people call requesting them. I can understand why there are a multitude of types. With no SOP, there has been no reason not to let gray geese interbreed with whatever they are raised around. And if it resembles a gray, they seem to be sold as such. I bought my original 16 from 2 large hatcheries to breed for egg and meat purposes. My American Buffs are kept separate during the breeding season. One of the original (from a hatchery) gray ganders (culled last year) had a buff gene. I sold him as a cross. I also think that if a hatchery is involved in the process of creating a breed standard, that hatchery should breed their own birds, regardless of how many they sell.
I am very interested seeing this happen. My knowledge of genetics is far too limited to be of any real help and I have cut down on the number we keep so as to be able to offer only what we can sell each season. I have had a number of people ask me why we don't exhibit the grays who, when told, ask why they aren't an accepted breed. I can answer that question better now. Most felt it a shame, because they really loved them, but were disappointed that we couldn't show them. I realize that when customers are sent pictures of the parents, they were only seeing the general health and condition of those particular birds.
These are general observations of my own: They seem to be about the same size and weight as the American Buffs, on average, their type is more horizontal across the back and less convex, with orange bills, feet, and around the eyes. Their carriage is not as upright. Other than that, they do seem to be pretty interchangeable with Buff geese, especially in temperament. Mine are very good parents, but not as good as the Buffs, particularly the ganders, who don't seem to be as interested in parenthood as mating until they are at least 2 or 3 years old. The females are not as quick to go broody and do not foster as readily as the Buffs. These are consistent traits over the past four years. The grays lay more eggs consistently over an extended period of time, generally into July, even during periods of extreme heat. Changes in temperature and stress seem to have less effect on their laying consistency and fertility than in the Buffs. I would say this tends to show them as being somewhat hardier birds. The eggs tend to be larger as well.
How many folks are really out there who would be willing to work on this?
I have kept a very few of my gray geese because a good number of people ask for them. I sold all I could produce this year and have still had people call requesting them. I can understand why there are a multitude of types. With no SOP, there has been no reason not to let gray geese interbreed with whatever they are raised around. And if it resembles a gray, they seem to be sold as such. I bought my original 16 from 2 large hatcheries to breed for egg and meat purposes. My American Buffs are kept separate during the breeding season. One of the original (from a hatchery) gray ganders (culled last year) had a buff gene. I sold him as a cross. I also think that if a hatchery is involved in the process of creating a breed standard, that hatchery should breed their own birds, regardless of how many they sell.
I am very interested seeing this happen. My knowledge of genetics is far too limited to be of any real help and I have cut down on the number we keep so as to be able to offer only what we can sell each season. I have had a number of people ask me why we don't exhibit the grays who, when told, ask why they aren't an accepted breed. I can answer that question better now. Most felt it a shame, because they really loved them, but were disappointed that we couldn't show them. I realize that when customers are sent pictures of the parents, they were only seeing the general health and condition of those particular birds.
These are general observations of my own: They seem to be about the same size and weight as the American Buffs, on average, their type is more horizontal across the back and less convex, with orange bills, feet, and around the eyes. Their carriage is not as upright. Other than that, they do seem to be pretty interchangeable with Buff geese, especially in temperament. Mine are very good parents, but not as good as the Buffs, particularly the ganders, who don't seem to be as interested in parenthood as mating until they are at least 2 or 3 years old. The females are not as quick to go broody and do not foster as readily as the Buffs. These are consistent traits over the past four years. The grays lay more eggs consistently over an extended period of time, generally into July, even during periods of extreme heat. Changes in temperature and stress seem to have less effect on their laying consistency and fertility than in the Buffs. I would say this tends to show them as being somewhat hardier birds. The eggs tend to be larger as well.
How many folks are really out there who would be willing to work on this?
