Adequate Housing/ What Gender?

[Silkie-Feet]

Lydia, when is the breeding season?

 

[Silkie-Feet]

Well- you could keep them all in there if you aren't going to hatch anything. If you want pure bred goslings though, you'll at least have to separate the Toulouse out and a give him/her a friend.

The size difference in the other birds is so drastic though, I wonder if they are 2 different breeds? But, like I said, I am not familiar with those breeds of geese.

ETA: Look at the difference between Super African and Africans: http://www.metzerfarms.com/GooseBreedComparison.cfm?CustID=1306504

As I had stated in the long story I gave ( Sorry for giving such a long story), the large Gander you spoke of is one year older than the other three. I'd say both his gender, line, and age have contributed. There are 3 lines of Chinese/African geese there, as I intended to breed them. Does anyone know if they are Chinese or African? I followed a link to a thread given earlier and it seems they were just as confused there. The common difference I saw in the 2 there was the Dewalp, is that the only difference? P.S, Sorry for asking so many questions. I hope y'all don't mind.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Lydia, when is the breeding season?

Probably starting in your neck of the woods now, it's started here in we're in mountains of NC. a good friend said you usually see mating for about a month before you'll see your first egg.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Probably starting in your neck of the woods now, it's started here in we're in mountains of NC. a good friend said you usually see mating for about a month before you'll see your first egg.

We don't mind a bit just hoping someone from the African/ Chinese thread will come in and post you some answers. or go to that thread and post some of your pics and questions, it's pretty slow on BYC today most of us are dealing with weird weather. I have Toulouse and Embdens so I can't help much either.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/533413/the-african-and-chinese-goose-thread/490

 

[Going Bhonkers]

As I had stated in the long story I gave ( Sorry for giving such a long story), the large Gander you spoke of is one year older than the other three. I'd say both his gender, line, and age have contributed. There are 3 lines of Chinese/African geese there, as I intended to breed them. Does anyone know if they are Chinese or African? I followed a link to a thread given earlier and it seems they were just as confused there. The common difference I saw in the 2 there was the Dewalp, is that the only difference? P.S, Sorry for asking so many questions. I hope y'all don't mind.

Differences: Necks: longer, slender in Chinese; shorter, thicker in African. Dewlap: Chinese definitely dont have them; Africans traditionally had them, some dont due to hatcheries and cross breeding. Size: Africans have an overall fuller body size Knobs: bigger in chinese.

Is there a way you can get a closer picture of them?
Take a look at this picture by WarrenHound's brown chinese (post #206) https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/533413/the-african-and-chinese-goose-thread/200

Now look at these 2 examples of Africans: JenC's (post 151) https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/533413/the-african-and-chinese-goose-thread/150 and Iain Utah's (post # 277) https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/533413/the-african-and-chinese-goose-thread/270

That should help you see some differences between the breeds. (I'm sure there's more, but I stopped looking after page 28, gotta do some work!)

 

[Silkie-Feet]

From looking at the links given, I think I have Africans. Yet mine show no dewalp, or not much of one. I can get better pics tomorrow, but everything was covered in ice today and the geese were practically sliding. If I were to try to get pics today I'm sure I would have fallen multiple times. Ice and I have just never been buddies.