Breed diagnosis for goslings

[DB_Tex]

I ordered some hatchery choice ducklings that are about 4 weeks old now, and I'm still not sure of the breeds. About what age will it be easy to tell if the grays are buffs/grays or be able to tell if they are graylag type cheese or swan goose type geese?

 

[Oregon Blues]

The neck feathers on Greylag look corrugated, if that helps any. They would need adult feathers.

You should be able to tell buffs from grays when they are in their gosling down. The buff geese are buff as goslings.

 

[DB_Tex]

I don't have much to work with yet. >_<

All of them cuties, but I just don't have the scope of experience to recognize the breeds.

I'm thinking some embdens, a couple chinese maybe. The gray in the back maybe a brown chinese/ mainstream african?
One of the little whites (male) is TINY! He's either got a serious case of the runts, or he's a different breed.
In the middle pic, far right, he's the same size, or even a little smaller than the cayuga duck all the way on the left.

 

[Oregon Blues]

You want to know what type of geese your ducklings are?

(sorry, I'm just giving you a bad time). I don't see anything that I recognize. What breeds of geese are offered by the hatchery? Usually hatcheries don't offer very many different breeds, so that helps to narrow it down.

There are a couple of small breeds of geese, and if the hatchery sells any of those, it sounds like you got one.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

You want to know what type of geese your ducklings are?

(sorry, I'm just giving you a bad time).  I don't see anything that I recognize. What breeds of geese are offered by the hatchery?  Usually hatcheries don't offer very many different breeds, so that helps to narrow it down.

There are a couple of small breeds of geese, and if the hatchery sells any of those, it sounds like you got one.

I think she got them from ideal poultry.

[=Idealpoultry.com][/]

 

[DB_Tex]

Lets see, judging what they offer against what they had hatching that week -- Chinese white or brown, african (basic, not giant), toulouse, saddleback pomeranian (although no markings on any of mine) embdens, or tufted roman (but not observing any tufts or funky hairdos.)

(Oh and the ducklings are ultra rare Cayuga Geese! Seriously... they're getting large and in charge! LOL)

 

[Oregon Blues]

At least I can tell you that you didn't get any Pomeranians.

Romans are smaller geese and the tuft is small, barely a button. Also, not all Tufted Romans actually get the tuft. I would guess that your small size gosling is a Roman.

Other than that, they all look like baby geese. I suspect you are going to have to wait until they get bigger to learn what they are.

 

[DB_Tex]

Well, they're great little gooses. I'm pleased with them and their personalities. Great first goose rearing experience.

 

[pete55]

Im afraid I cant offer any advice at this stage and as Oregon Blues advised you're going to have to wait until they feather out and mature more to get an idea of breeds.

Enjoy them while they're so cute as this stage doesnt last long

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

The hatchery can't tell you what they sent you? i would send that picture to them and ask them to tell you what you have.