Chinese goose

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Chinese
Conservation status
Country of originChina
DistributionWestern countries
Traits
Weight
  • Male:
    4.5–5.4 kg[4]: 361 
  • Female:
    3.6–4.5 kg[4]: 361 
Classification
APAyes[5]: 20 
EEyes[6]
PCGBgeese: light[7][8]
A family consisting of six individuals. Four goslings, a male (left), and a female (right). found at Staglands Wildlife Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand
Two white examples in Kyoto, Japan
Four individuals near the Marne river in Île-de-France

The Chinese is an international breed of domestic goose, known by this name in Europe and in North America. Unlike the majority of goose breeds, it belongs to the knob geese, which derive from Anser cygnoides and are characterised by a prominent basal knob on the upper side of the bill. It originates in China, where there are more than twenty different breeds of knob goose.[9]: 4 

History[edit]

Unlike the majority of goose breeds, which derive from the greylag goose (Anser anser), the Chinese belongs to the knob geese, which derive from the swan goose (Anser cygnoides) and are characterised by a prominent basal knob on the upper side of the bill. As the name suggests, it is believed to have originated in China, where there are more than twenty different breeds of knob goose.[9]: 4 

It was seen in Britain from the early eighteenth century if not before,[10]: 371  and was present in the United States in the latter part of that century – George Washington is believed to have kept some on his plantation at Mount Vernon.[11]: 203 

It was included in the first Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association in 1874.[5]: 20 [11]: 203 

In the twenty-first century it is an endangered breed: it is reported to DAD-IS by seven countries – Australia, Lithuania, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Suriname and the UK – but none of them report population data.[2] Population data was last reported by the United Kingdom in 2002, when there were between 150 and 1000 birds.[12] The Livestock Conservancy in the United States lists it as watch, its third level of concern.[3]

Characteristics[edit]

It appears in two varieties: the grey-brown, with colouring similar to that of the wild swan goose (Anser cygnoides), and the white.[10]: 371  The bill and the knob are black in the grey-brown variety, and orange in the white; the shanks and feet are always orange.[4]: 361  In birds bred for showing the neck is long and slender.[11]: 203 

Use[edit]

As a layer of eggs it is the most prolific of any breed of goose, usually laying some 50–60 eggs in a season of about five months, but sometimes reaching 100 eggs during that time.[10]: 371 [9]: 5  The eggs weigh about 120 g, rather less than those of other geese.[9]: 5  Flocks of the geese may be used to guard property or to keep down weeds.[10]: 371 [11]: 203 [13]: 473 

References[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chinese Goose.
  1. ^ Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b Transboundary breed: Chinese. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed May 2022.
  3. ^ a b Chinese Goose. Pittsboro, North Carolina: The Livestock Conservancy. Accessed May 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Victoria Roberts (2008). British Poultry Standards: complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain, sixth edition. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 9781405156424.
  5. ^ a b APA Recognized Breeds and Varieties: As of January 1, 2012. American Poultry Association. Archived 4 November 2017.
  6. ^ Liste des races et variétés homologuée dans les pays EE (28.04.2013). Entente Européenne d’Aviculture et de Cuniculture. Archived 16 June 2013.
  7. ^ Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 12 June 2018.
  8. ^ Geese: Light. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 27 October 2018.
  9. ^ a b c d Roger Buckland, Gérard Guy (editors) (2002). Goose Production. FAO Animal Production and Health Papers 154. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9251048622
  10. ^ a b c d J. Ian H. Allonby, Philippe B. Wilson (editors) (2018). British Poultry Standards: complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain, seventh edition. Chichester; Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley Blackwell. ISBN 9781119509141.
  11. ^ a b c d Carol Ekarius (2007). Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. North Adams, Massachusetts: Storey Publishing. ISBN 9781580176675.
  12. ^ Breed data sheet: Chinese / United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Goose (domestic)). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed May 2022.
  13. ^ Janet Vorwald Dohner (2001). The Encyclopedia of Historic and Endangered Livestock and Poultry Breeds. New Haven, Connecticut; London: Yale University Press. ISBN 0300088809.


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