How many kinds of grey geese are there? An introduction to common grey goose breeds
The grey goose is in fact a variety of goose, named for its grey feathers. It is reported that grey geese have characteristics such as tolerance of coarse feed, fast growth, tender meat and strong stress resistance, making them very popular in the goose farming industry, and grey geese are rich in breeds and high in economic value, and have also become a new money-making farming project in many regions. Today let us talk about the breeds of grey geese, and take a look together.
1. Yongkang Grey Goose
The Yongkang Grey Goose originated in Yongkang and parts of the adjacent areas of Wuyi County, and is the only fine local breed to bear the name "Yongkang" and be included in the "Directory of Fine Local Livestock and Poultry Breeds of China". It is said that during the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty, local farming households raising grey geese was already quite common in the area.
The Yongkang Grey Goose has a rectangular body, dark grey feathers on its back, a protruding chest raised upward, a relatively large rear body, and a black beak and knob. Its metatarsus and webbed feet are orange-red, and its skin is pale yellow. In terms of farming characteristics, the Yongkang Grey Goose grows fast, matures early, has strong adaptability, good meat quality and a delicious taste, and also has good medicinal value. Friends who like eating goose meat must not miss the Yongkang Grey Goose.
2. Pingba Grey Goose
The Pingba Grey Goose also has a very long farming history, and has always been a Halal culinary culture brand of Pingba District; in 2016 it obtained a pollution-free agricultural product geographical indication from the Ministry of Agriculture of China. The Pingba Grey Goose is a fine meat goose breed in China, mainly bred in Pingba County in Guizhou region of China. It has characteristics such as tolerance of coarse feed and strong disease resistance, and is suitable for farming in Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan and other places in China.
The Pingba Grey Goose has a compact shape, with a white ring of feathers of varying width on the top of its forehead, a long arched neck, grey-brown feather color on the neck and back, and a grey-white belly. Adult ganders weigh about 8 kg, and geese about 7.5 kg. It matures relatively late, starting to lay eggs at 240-270 days of age, and lays about 30 eggs per laying cycle. Farmers buy goslings in spring and summer, start grazing after 1 week of age (depending on temperature conditions), feed supplements at night, and sell them in autumn and winter.
3. Xingguo Grey Goose
As early as the beginning of the 1980s, the Xingguo Grey Goose was rated by experts at the Guangdong Foreign Trade Association as the best goose breed, winning the crown among geese and gaining fame in domestic and international markets. The Xingguo Grey Goose tolerates coarse feed, likes flock grazing, and has strong stress resistance. It grows fastest in winter and spring, and can be released from the pen at about 65 days of age.
The Xingguo Grey Goose has grey feathers; at birth, the tip of the gosling's beak has a soybean-sized yellow-white spot. Adult geese have a yellow beak and yellow feet, a grey back, a grey-white breast and belly, and wavy feathers on the back and wings. The Xingguo Grey Goose is not only beautiful in body shape, but also has tender meat, crisp bones and white skin, and high nutritional value, and contains a unique protease, giving it extremely high edible value. People of Xingguo use Xingguo Grey Goose meat as a main dish during festivals and when entertaining guests.
The above are the three relatively famous grey goose breeds in China. In recent years the reputation of grey geese has been rising year after year at home and abroad. In order to protect these fine local goose breeds, local governments are also constantly taking action to support the grey goose farming industry.
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