cotton patch geese

[AuroraSprings]

Not to the degree they are when they are adults. Here are some growing up:

 

[goosedragon]

Well I have spent most of the morning reading about the so called Cotten Patch goose and My conclusion is that it isn't one true breed at all but rather a group of blood lines that were allowed to develop in isolated patches all over the South. Here in NC we have a group that weeded tobacco, their TYPE is different with longer necks and less streamlined bodies than the pictures of the Cottons that I have seen. It is hard to judge true color from photos reproduced on a computer minotor but there seems to be a buff or tan tint to the more pearl gray of the female cottens. Frankly I like the appearance of the so called cottons better but I have to wonder if that is due to the selection of the stock that made up the current breed. I suspect there will be a lot of battles over what is the true breed in about 10 years, just like there were battles over the Pilgrim geese in the '50s. Oscar Grow won that one because he was a famous breeder not because his version was superior. Frankly I am starting to lose interest in Cottons as it moves on to some of the Snow-Blue crosses with domestics and I hope I live long enough to see what Hollerread makes of the mini-geese.

 

[Serina81]

As said before, they're great weeders, but they're also great eaters. They're good for strawberries, older corn, vineyards, orchards, asparagus and of course cotton.

 

[Serina81]

Goosedragon, the cotton patch is a breed that has only recently been brought back from the brink of extinction (and some would argue is still on the brink). Of course there's going to be some variation in neck lengths, coloring, etc. That's what you expect from a heritage breed. You get similar variations in midget white turkeys or in navajo churro sheep. The whole idea of raising these geese is to reestablish the breed, which means you have to expect and cull nonstandard looking animals. It also depends on what the breeder is focusing on. If I focus on breeding for personality and another focuses on color and another focuses on getting the neck length right, you'll have variations. It's just par for the course when reestablishing a breed. The same thing happens with established breeds too. For example, we have bloodhounds and you can always tell who bred the dog by it's look. One owner always raises big, meaty, strong dogs with lots of wrinkles. Another breeder raises smaller smoother dogs. They all fall within the breed standard, but there is some variation.

 

[Serina81]

Sorry I'm doing this in separate posts. I'm using my cell phone and it's awkward. As for the bill coloration. The girls are born with a grayish bill and the boys with a yellowish bill. They begin to change around 3 or 4 months. And another thing @goosedragon, new breeds come about by old breeds being developed in isolation performing a specific funtion and being selected for specific traits. You just described a breed by defining the reasons for this not being a breed.

 

[Serina81]

The first picture is female goslings-see the grey bill? The second is a male with a yellowish pinkish bill.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Right but I really want to point out that yours are not the only ones that have a claim to the Cotton Patch Name. I am working with a local and he plans on calling his "Tobacco Road Geese" since they worked Tobacco, not Cotton. Again allowing for photo color and monitor color many of the Cottons seem to have Orange rather than Pink Bills and Feet.~gd

 

[Serina81]

Tobacco Road geese! What an excellent name. I suppose it comes down to whether or not that goose has distinct genetics or not. The name cotton patch is pretty well established however, so I'm going to guess it will stick if his geese really are CPGs. Many cotton patch geese do develop an orange bill-i have one right now. That's considered a fault though and he's headed to the freezer or as a pet. The genetics are "messy" and breeders are going to need to be very strict to help CPGs meet the breed standard. These geese were just raised to perform a function and not to look uniform.

 

[AuroraSprings]

I too have one female with light orange feet and beak, not as orange as my Americans, but not pink like her Cotton Patch sisters. As Serina said, she's headed for the meat pen or a pet home.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Just wondering is there any hint of the saddleback pattern? I noted that they seem not to have a lobe. The egg belly of a laying goose is not usually considered a lobe.~gd