The biggest and heaviest domestic geese ever recorded

[TeamRetic]

What is the biggest and heaviest show quality geese you guys ever heard? I always wonder what is the record breaking weight and size for domestic geese is. I do wonder there is a such thing of a 40lb goose.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Exhibition Dewlap Toulouse would be my guess for the largest/heaviest of the domestics.

 

[roboboy]

I would agree exhibition toulouse are no small bird, however, something about them always seems a little... what's a good word for this... refined (maybe) to me? I think that an exhibition quality embden might edge them out. With their equality in weight to a toulouse (according to the standard) and coupled with their usually taller stature than a toulouse make them a larger and more imposing bird.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

lol I describe them as robust, but never think refined when I look at them. Would like to see an exhibition embden in person sometime.

 

[TeamRetic]

lol I describe them as robust, but never think refined when I look at them. Would like to see an exhibition embden in person sometime.

I like to see one too. I heard stories they stand 4 feet tall, kind of have a hard time believing that. I also want to find out if there is really show quaility geese that weighs 40lbs.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

I will send Pete a message asking how much is largest gray dewlap Dewlux weighed at his heaviest. That was one huge gander.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Geese are not as big as they look. A lot of that size is feathers.

The SOP gives 3 breeds as "heavy". Toulouse 26 pounds, Emden 26 pounds, and African 22 pounds

 

[pete55]

Here in the UK the 2 heaviest breeds are the Embden and Dewlap Toulouse. Embden ganders are recorded as 28-34lbs and I have seen some very large (and tall) ganders at shows which must have been over 30lbs. However its the height and length that make them impressice and almost reminded me of swans.

The Dewlaps tend to appear massive due to their bulk. In 1901 a Miss Campian recorded her Toulouse at 38lbs but thats an extreme.The usual weight for Gander being 26 - 30lbs. For us we tend to be around 27lbs for older males. However our oldest male is huge (perhaps the largest Toulouse I've seen) and he's weighs 30lbs at his heaviest in Autumn.

 

[Iain Utah]

Pete, what did your bigger ganders weigh as juveniles? I am curious how heavy my biggest buff gander juvenile will wind up being as he already weighs almost 20lbs at 7 months.

 

[pete55]

I would suspect that at 20lbs at 7 months he's going to be a very good sized gander. I think we had one last year that weighed the same and he's continued to develop into a very big gander at around 28lbs.

Sometimes its not the weight but the size and we've found great variation amongst youngsters - even from the same hatch. Some grow very big quickly as they 'build' their frame but look skinny then fill out and develop their type in the 2nd and 3rd year. Others develop their type with great keels early but are not as big but just keep growing slowly until they reach their adult size. The Dewlaps are a waiting game over 3 years to realise their best potential for size and type.