Super African vs African @ Metzer's Farms

[June2012]

Hi! I was looking at Super African and African geese on Metzer's Farms website, but I can't really tell the difference. It just seems that the African is lighter and a better forager, while the Super African is a show version?

I won't be getting any geese right NOW, but I'd like to know for future reference. I heard that the African at Metzer's Farms was a mix between the Chinese and Super African, while the Super African is a real African Goose? I'm very confused about this...

 

[Metzer Farms]

The true definition of African is a show type goose. Most hatcheries reproduce their smaller version of an African as not many people exhibit African geese but they like the looks and buy them from feed stores and directly from the hatcheries. I am guessing less than 1% of the African geese in the US are of show quality. We sell the same thing for those people that want African geese but do not want to pay for show quality African geese. Our African geese cost less than our Brown Chinese and our Super African. We do not cross the Brown Chinese with the Super African. We just offer three types of geese that are similar in temperament and color but vary in size and show quality. I hope this helps.

 

[Ms Ellen]

Just to throw in another reason people might want Africans, I have been doing really well with my Africans from McMurray Hatchery. I don't care what the size is or even what the look is or how close to show quality. I buy them for egg production and egg size and great foraging. I sell my eggs and they can not be less than 5oz and my birds are doing this on mainly pasture. Right now my "babies" are growing on mainly pasture with maybe about 5oz each of feed. At about 6 weeks they are almost adult size. Amazing. You just look at them in the morning and by afternoon they are bigger.

 

[June2012]

The true definition of African is a show type goose. Most hatcheries reproduce their smaller version of an African as not many people exhibit African geese but they like the looks and buy them from feed stores and directly from the hatcheries. I am guessing less than 1% of the African geese in the US are of show quality. We sell the same thing for those people that want African geese but do not want to pay for show quality African geese. Our African geese cost less than our Brown Chinese and our Super African. We do not cross the Brown Chinese with the Super African. We just offer three types of geese that are similar in temperament and color but vary in size and show quality. I hope this helps.

Oh! I didn't know that. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I'm not sure if I can talk about this here (so sorry if I can't), but is there a difference of the carcass when butchered between the show and normal African? Would you recommend your "simple" African geese for people who want them for meat?

Just to throw in another reason people might want Africans, I have been doing really well with my Africans from McMurray Hatchery. I don't care what the size is or even what the look is or how close to show quality. I buy them for egg production and egg size and great foraging. I sell my eggs and they can not be less than 5oz and my birds are doing this on mainly pasture. Right now my "babies" are growing on mainly pasture with maybe about 5oz each of feed. At about 6 weeks they are almost adult size. Amazing. You just look at them in the morning and by afternoon they are bigger.

I thought Chinese geese were better for egg laying in comparison to Africans? Don't Africans get easily nesty with their eggs? I'm looking for meat birds in African geese...

 

[apajudgeca1962]

We are raising another 500+ Africans for a processor from Metzer Farms , the processor specifically wanted Africans. They are growing fast, ready for our market at 12 weeks this is the 3rd year we bought goslings from Metzer and plan on it again next year once our processor gives us the green light. But, the first year we got their Embdens. If you want a meat goose those things got HUGE fast we had several 20 lb ganders at 12 weeks many others 15+ . Most from Metzer grew very big fast great genetics. I can't say about other hatcheries.