Comparison of the Toulouse and Embden..

[Wolf-Kim]

What are the pros and cons of each?

Which typically lays more eggs?

Which matures quicker?

Which do you prefer and why?

Friends of mine have both Toulouse(crested and non-crested) and White Embden. I just want to know other peoples opinion and personal experience with both. Feel free to give any info you deem interesting or helpful.

-Kim

 

[DuckLady]

My toulouse, Chirpy, thinks she is hot stuff and the world revolves around her. She eats treats from my hand but tends to think my fingers are part of it. Very curious, very beautiful, fairly calm unless you are trying to see if she is laying or has laid an egg. She doesn't like to be watched on the nest. She has a cow.

My Embden girl, Irma La Goose, is drop dead gorgeous with her pure white feathers, blue eyes and orange eyeliner. She is majestic and calm and her honk sounds like Katharine Hepburn in those old movies "AH-hahahahaha....AH-hahahahaha" and she does that when I sneeze, like she is saying "bless you". She lays less than the Toulouse and won't come too close to me, but is very protective when strangers are in the yard. She is nice to the ducks, too.

*edited to say I don't know about maturation, as I adopted Chirpy as a grown up goose.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
I breed Toulouse geese. I find them to be very friendly, calm, and social. They aren't loud or noisy. My Toulouse females lay about 40-50 eggs during breeding season. Toulouse mature pretty quick. They are very fast growers. I prefer Toulouse, I have never had embdens, but I think that Toulouse are much more prettier.

 

[MissPrissy]

I have some mutt toulouse that are funny and sweet and big and I don't think I can eat them. I hatched them myself. I love the way they sound and talk to me in the yard when I go out.

I have some giant dewlap buff toulouse that I hatched. I love them. They are funny and talk to me like I am supposed to know what they are saying.

I have some embdens that I am raising for Christmas goose. They are a bit aloof. they know who I am and do come when I go out but I have tried not to get attached to them at all. They are for eating not pets.

The embdens have lovely blue eyes. The toulouse have brown eyes.

I love them both. They are great grazers and will do your yard good.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

So even though the Embdens are more "tempermental", they recognise owner from stranger?

I like the idea of a friendly Toulouse greeting me, but I am also hoping that the geese will run tresspassers off the pond. I'm mean, I know. I just don't like strangers hangin around in my horse pastures.. If they were to ask permission to fish, I "imagine" I could put the geese up.

Oh the choices. LOL. I thought ya'll would make it easier, but you're only making me want both.

I've only heard "pros" so far, does either breed have "cons" I need to know about?

Which one is louder or more apt to make noise?(Not that it is a deciding factor, I'm just curious)

Are the Toulouse not as friendly towards the ducks?(in reference to Terrie's comment "She(Embden) is nice to the ducks, too.")


LOL. At this rate I'm going to end up with both and in trouble with the DH..

-Kim

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

A toulouse will honk when somebody comes in the driveway.

I kept a trio of Toulouse in a large dog kennel with call ducks, and they were fine. They are great with ducks.

 

[DuckyBoys]

I have noticed that my Embdens are a little more bossy than the rest, even though they are not yet mature. They stand their ground when the buffs come try and chase them away, oh they run a little, but don't get too excited.

My giant dewlap toulouse are the sweetest things alive. I know they are probably more tame than a regular toulouse, so keep that in mind. They talk the talk, but certainly won't walk the walk when it comes to being agressive.

I think my embdens will run the pasture before long. They are almost as big as my grown buffs and they are like 6 weeks younger and still have down.

All my geese are beautiful.

I was probably no help at all!

 

[Omniskies]

All geese can recognize people and identify who is good and who is bad. They're like dogs: if you socialize them enough they won't mind a stranger in the yard. If you don't then anyone they don't know will be screamed at.

Our old Embdens seemed louder than the Toulouse. Our big male was also the greatest guard dog we've ever had, and at times I wish we didn't get rid of him. He adopted any goose in the yard and made sure everyone was safe. I didn't lose a single gosling while free ranging when he was around. Embdens grow quickly and have a cleaner carcass when plucked.

Toulouse are also loud and protective of a yard. They lay more eggs than an Embden and dirt won't show up as much as with a pure white goose.

Both the Embdens and the Toulouse will greet you if raised with people. Any you keep in a meat pen will be aloof. Both are perfectly fine with other birds (though there's always the chance of an aggressive oddball, as with anything else). Embdens are more common than Toulouse (Toulouse are listed on the watch list put out by the ALBC).

Honestly, just go with the one that looks the prettiest to you. Embdens and Toulouse are almost interchangable as far as size, growth, temperment and eggs go. Unless you get the giant Embdens from Holderreads

If you do decide on both you'll need two separate pens for pure eggs if that matters to you. Geese may be loyal to one another, but they aren't above having flings from time to time.

PS: http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/waterfowl/africangoose.html

Quoted: "African geese are long-lived and will produce for many years under normal circumstances. If well managed, they will reproduce in their first year. Eggs are large, weighing 5-8 ounces, and hatch in 30-32 days (Holderread, 1986). Each gander can be mated with two to six geese, depending on the individual birds (Holderread, 1981). Africans produce high quality, lean meat, and are considered a premier roasting goose. Young ganders can weigh 16 to 18 pounds by the time they are 15 to 18 weeks old (Holderread, 1986)."

These guys aren't usually thought of as meat geese so I figured I'd toss them in. I'm not digging mine at the moment - they're definitely going to be louder than my favorite breeds. Plus I've already caught a couple hissing when upset. If it wasn't for one male I really like I'd move all of them to the meat pen.