Goose Life Span?

[newgoosegirl]

What is the normal life expectancy of geese? I've seen a bunch of pictures and stuff labeled as like 20-something year old geese, but I'm wondering if that's unusually old for them or normal for well-taken care of birds.

I just want to know if I'm telling people the wrong thing or if there actually is a good chance I'll have my goose when I'm 35.

 

[Hillbilly_Curt]

I've been curious about this myself. My dad always had geese when I was growing up, but they were always cut short by coyotes.
Everything I've read has said 20-22 years, except for the larger breeds, which their lifespan is shorter.

 

[The goose girl]

According to Guinness World Records the oldest ever goose was a gander named George who lived to an age of 49 years and 8 months. He died in 1976 in Lancashire, England, at age 49, some 24 years older than the average old goose. George was owned by Mrs. Florence Hull.

A 20 year old wild Canada goose was shot on Dec. 28th 2010. (http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/index.php?/pso/article/tough_old_bird)

Close to where I live there's a guy whose goose turned 38 last year. He says she stopped laying years ago (when she was around 25), but she hasn't yet lost her interest in ganders.

So it seems average old age for a domestic goose is about 25 years.

 

[Ducky94]

My name is Sean and I live in Queensland. I have a Toulouse gander that is nearly 60 years old. This I am not kidding. My uncle David Green breed him in the year 1950 ( roughly).

 

[jtn42248]

My name is Sean and I live in Queensland. I have a Toulouse gander that is nearly 60 years old. This I am not kidding. My uncle David Green breed him in the year 1950 ( roughly).

The average life span for geese of all breeds seems to be in the area of about 24-25 years. That would mean that some don't live that long and that some live longer. As indicated above, the Guinness record so far is about 49-50 years. So, if you can document your goose to be 60 odd years old you may have a new record. Geese will typically live longer in the wild than they do in captivity so, by default, domestic geese have shorter lives than their wild counterparts. Congratulations on your exceptionally long lived goose. We would all love to see a picture and know about his health.