Kirsten Lie-Nielsen photoĪn ancient breed of goose, the Roman Tufted is small and usually friendly but still energetic and attentive enough to make an excellent guard bird. An all-purpose breed, and can be used for eggs, guarding or weeding. Buff geese are medium in size and were originally bred as a source of meat. The Buff goose is a perfect example of an all-purpose breed, similar to Pilgrims and Embdens. Bred originally for meat, they can be used interchangeably for eggs, guarding or weeding. They aren’t gifted as guardians, however, because they aren’t interested in the energy it takes to complete that job.Ī good all-around goose, the Buff is a unique color and medium size. More interested in food than aggression, they make excellent pets and are also exceptional egg layers. The largest breed of goose, the Dewlap Toulouse is also one of the most docile and friendly. Sebastopol geese are known for their curly feathers and friendly personalities. Good mothers and egg layers, they are one of the best breeds for a small farm or homestead. They have gained in popularity greatly in recent years as a smaller-sized goose with one of the friendliest personalities. The curly feathered Sebastopol goose is often compared to a line of laundry or a wedding dress in appearance. They are most commonly used for weeding and guarding loud honks and attentive personalities serve them well in these roles. The Chinese goose is the smaller of the two breeds and both have a noticeable, bulbous knob at the beginning of their beaks. They are active, with the Chinese goose being particularly known for its energy. Large and loud, African and Chinese geese are both remarkably upright birds with proud stances and long necks. Our flock’s geese included the following breeds. The breeds of geese vary noticeably in build, color, personality and use, as well as popularity. One of the first things I learned about geese was how important breed selection is. From the first imprint of the first day-old gosling, geese became a huge part of my life and a focus in our farm’s growth and my writing and research. Our flock contained a wide variety of breeds, each with their own personalities and special skills. Through trial and error over the next few years, we would learn the ins and outs of keeping geese as our flock expanded from two to four to eight to twenty-two. This breed is known for a noticeable, bulbous knob on their beaks. Kirsten Lie-Nielsen holding a Chinese goose. The birds arrived, peeping and squeaking, and it immediately became apparent that geese had different needs from chickens. Ordering chicks seemed like the logical way to progress our little urban homestead in Maine, and at a whim we added two goslings to our hatchery order. The correct terms may seem archaic, but they are certainly descriptive.Ī few accepted bird and other animal group names:Ī charm of hummingbirds or goldfinches a staring of owls a covey of quail a chattering of starlings and a party or band of jays.It was 2013, and my husband and I had never raised birds of any kind. I have found several lists that include group names for some types of birds, as well as for other animals. If the group is flying, it becomes a skein if the group is on water, it’s a gaggle. It’s not, “Look at the 119 geese!” But rather a simple: “Look at the flock!” In researching the correct group name for the Canada geese I see daily in the Twin Cities, I found that flock is correct, but only if the geese are standing around or grazing on grasses. Flock in most cases is fine, but it’s also fun to be more imaginative.Ĭollective nouns are words that identify a collection of individuals. When we happen to see bunches of birds of various species - especially now during migrations - we sometimes are uncertain about whether to call them flocks or bands or something else. We are seeing flotillas of American coots called rafts this time of year, and also kettles of hawks high overhead.
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