This was the result of the work oscar grow did with the breed during the 1930s. The pilgrim was admitted into the american poultry associations standard of perfection in 1939. Keeping goats, sheep or pigs there would require heavy fencing around. Box 458 191 closz drive webster city, ia 50595 phone. The paunch is minimal and when present has a single lobe. The cotton patch goose is an american landrace breed of goose that was once a common place fixture on farms. Brown chinese geese originate in china descending from the wild asiatic swan goose. Little published information has been available for enthusiasts to learn from, and it has become apparent over time that having consolidated information in a central location is of paramount importance. Autosexing means that males and females are distinguishable, by color, upon hatching. The pilgrim goose is known for being calm and personable. Chinese geese are the most prolific egg laying geese and it is not unusual to have them lay in the fall or winter.
These geese once played the role of weeders in the crop fields, and had extensively been reared throughout their region, especially in the farms and hatcheries. The pilgrim goose is known for being calm and personableb pilgrims are mediumsized geese, weighing 14 pounds at maturity. At a time when other hatcheries specialized in only chickens or ducks or turkeys, i believed that a true hatchery should offer a little bit of. However, they have been extremely rare in recent times. Pilgrim geese are one of the few american bred geese. Brought to the new world by european colonists, these sexually dimorphic geese were a staple on homesteads and farms. Forget big goat propaganda, geese are better at mowing. Cotton patch geese are on the livestock conservancys critical list, and are very. Oscar grow, noted waterfowl expert from the early 1900s developed this breed from one or more of the autosexing european breeds such as the west of england goose or the french normandy goose citation needed.
This has been widely disputed but the birds did get to america and indeed the breed was first standardised in the usa. Cotton patch differ from other sexlinked goose breeds by having pink or. Cotton patch are sexually dimorphic as other sexlinked goose breeds, but differ by having pink or orangepink bills, light weight bodies, and the. The livestock conservancy has an online directory of breeders. Testimonials frequently asked questions the ecofarm the farmers tours. Their bodies are full and plump, with a smooth, keelless breast. Cotton patch geese geese breeds, i like birds, future farms, pilgrims. These geese are native to africa, south of the sahara, and throughout the nile valley. Pilgrim geese are a calm, quiet breed and are excellent foragers. The eyes of the solid females are brown while the eyes of the saddleback female may be either brown or blue. The white embden is a heavy weight breed which originated in europe. All animals range widely and eat all or most of their food from our spacious pastures. Cotton patch goose breed information modern farming methods.
Body of the cotton patch goose is more elongated and less rounded than shetland and pilgrim breeds. Due to high order volumes, please allow 34 business days for processing before you receive a confirmation email. Cotton patch goose info, history and origin, pictures. A mature pilgrim will weigh around 14 pounds, making it a good size for the family table. The cotton patchs head is rounded and the beak is dished. During the breeding season in spring to early summer they can demonstrate particularly protective behaviour.
We are a familyowned farm and hatchery that has been in business since 1972. Depending on who you ask, pilgrim geese were either developed during the 30s by oscar growa wellknown waterfowl breeder of his time or in europe by various breeders. Buy pilgrim geese and goslings online from metzer farms a we have live pilgrim geese and oneday goslings for sale online. Pictures of pilgrim and normandy geese breed info on autosexing. Little published information has been available for enthusiasts to learn from, and it has become apparent over time that having consolidated information in a central location is of paramount. But geese deserve to be fourth on that list in my opinion. Flip flop ranch is known for its collection of cotton patch geese.
Cotton patch geese heritage chickens narragansett turkeys guinea fowl pastured turkey pastured eggs sheep. Homestead geese easy to care for barnyard protectors and. One strain more closely resembles the pilgrim goose and has a beak that is slightly roman. Cotton patch geese are typically remembered in the rural south for helping many. The cotton patch goose is known for its friendly, nonaggressive personality and its ability to thrive under hot, humid conditions. We ship waterfowl when they are freshly hatched out of our hatchers on mondays and wednesdays. Although similar to pilgrims in their dimorphism, cotton patch geese are much. In the usa, the cotton patch goose also carries the same colour genes as the west of englandnormandyshetland. The cotton patch goose is an american breed of domestic goose. Contrary to legend citation needed, pilgrim geese were not brought to the united states by early settlers citation needed.
That award usually goes to backyard chickens, or dairy goats with the occasional pastured pig thrown in. Mar, 2017 homestead geese easy to care for barnyard protectors and weed eaters. The cotton patch is an upright goose with tail in line with back and wings, giving it a clean wedge profile. Most chinese geese lay from 5060 eggs but may produce as many as 100 yearly. And average mature body weight of the geese vary from 3. They are a calm goose with a reputation of being excellent parents. I did vent sex my pair of africans before selection as breeders. In general, the geese with knobs are nosier than the geese without a knob. May 09, 2012 keep in mind that success is relative. Pilgrim geese also have orange bills and feet, but cotton patch geese have pink bills and feet or at least they should.
By 5 months old, both goose and gander are at full height. Please browse for different breeds of baby goslings for sale at cackle hatchery and order online. In australia, the settler goose named by andreas stoll in 1984 is their equivalent of the pilgrim. Dec 10, 2015 cotton patch goose eggs day 7 duration. For decades we have also been providing our customers with baby ducklings and geese for sale. Our focus is on highly productive but smaller livestock. Geese require little care as long as they have access to an area for grazing and to water. Cotton patch geese cotton patch geese are among the rarest of all domestic geese and are listed as an endangered heritage breed. Because geese relish grasses and shun most broadleafed plants, some enterprising us farmers in the 1950s began. It is one of two american goose breeds that is sexually dimorphic autosexing, the other being the cotton patch breed. I first tried breeding a pair of pilgrim geese, from a group of fifteen goslings received. Once common throughout the south and eastern united states, the cotton patch goose is now critically endangered, with perhaps fewer than 100 breeding pairs alive. Some of the types of ducks we have available include blue swedish ducks, ancona ducks, welsh harlequin ducks and so many others.
A goose is good for producing down for insulation, meat for food, a great watch dog and keeping your pond active. In the usa, the cotton patch goose also carries the same colour genes as the west of. I paid my way through college by hatching and selling baby poultry. Well because we love our traditions in the south and the cotton patch goose has a long and colorful history here.
The cotton patch goose is particularly welladapted to the climate of the southeastern u. Pilgrim goslings for sale hatching from march to june. They are also slimmer in body than most domestic geese, and retain a relatively good flying ability into adulthood. Pilgrim geese also have orange bills and feet, but cotton patch geese. Males are white with touches of gray, and females look like a toulouse with white faces. The cotton patch goose society dedicated to preserving. You can expect a healthy, wellmanaged pilgrim goose to lay 3545 eggs per year. Cotton patch geese, she says, will fall asleep on your lap like a dogs.
Oscar grow maintained that he named the birds pilgrim after the familys removal or pilgrimage from iowa to. Addressing aggressive ganders the problem with some hand raised geese is they become too imprinted to their human flock. All premade chicken coops or chicken coop plans will include nesting boxes. What id really really like to get is the cotton patch. The american south is where they were used on homesteads and farms as multipurpose poultry for weeding, meat, eggs, down, and grease. They are one of the heaviest breeds of geese and are the most popular breed for meat. Shetland, normandy, and cotton patchbut they are even rarer, and in most cases. The cotton patch goose was developed in the southern united states.
With their white plumage, they dress clean and are active foragers. A unique characteristic of the pilgrim gosling and adult pilgrim is that its sex can be determined from the color of its down or feathers. The birds with the gray backs and white bodies are. Pilgrim geese were developed in the early 1900s in iowa. Average live body weight of the mature cotton patch ganders is between 4 and 5. They make excellent watchdogs, alerting you when someone or something arrives. Our cotton patch geese are not descended from the walker line of geesethey are the walker line of geese. They much more closely resemble the wild forebears of domestic geese, the greylag goose. The cotton patchs body is more elongated and less rounded than breeds such as shetland or pilgrim goose. Dayold male pilgrim geese are yellow and light gray with lighter colored bills. Buy pilgrim geese online, pilgrim goose for sale online, best. The cotton patch goose society is a loose association of interested parties who became acquainted through the facebook group, cotton patch goose breeders.
The cotton patch goose is the remaining relic of a little known american breed of goose with parent stock that probably shares common ancestors with the above mentioned sexlinked geese breeds. The ganders are charming and attentive to their geese. Female pilgrim geese looking for 1 or 2 female pilgrim geese, at lease 1 year old. Due to high order volumes, please allow 34 business days for processing before you receive a confirmation. Pictures of pilgrim and normandy geese ashton waterfowl. We produce artisanal food and quality breeding stock. The head is trim, the crown is often slightly flattened and the neck is average in length and thickness. We control all aspects of nutrition, breeding, selection, incubation, and hatching to ensure you the highest quality of dayold birds. Failure and success are relative 3 cotton patch is a huge success for us. Females are found in two color phases pied or saddleback and solid, which is much like the pilgrim goose but.
At nonesuch farm it is our goal to to preserve rare breeds of livestock and heirloom vegetables. Homestead geese are not the first animals that come to mind when you consider homestead livestock. These are one of the few american breeds of geese, and the only domestic goose breed in which you can distinguish males from females at any age. Cackle hatchery sells more than just standard poultry breeds. Make sure you get your cotton patch goslings straight from the best. Our cotton patch geese are not descended from the walker line of geese they are the walker line of geese. If i was raising geese for a hatchery, 3 cotton patch goslings would be an utter failure. March, 2017 by laurie neverman 69 comments this post may contain affiliate links which wont change your price but will share some commission. The birds with the dark gray bodies are females of the solid color variety. Pilgrim ganders males are yellow and light gray with lightcolored bills when they hatch, while pilgrim geese females are a darker gray and have darker bills.
Females lay an average of 2035 eggs per year, are very calm and make good mothers. And i want live birds, not eggs, im not up to trying to hatch my own yet. Cotton patch geese are an extremely rare variety of geese, and usually you have to get a pair from another farmer. This breed once thrived throughout the southeastern states to weed mostly cotton fields, but as herbicides and pesticides use grew more common, the geese became less needed. And for a gray goose, we have the toulouse and african. These geese were used to weed cotton and corn fields up until the 1950s. While the geese are either entirely gray or pied gray and white also called saddleback. For white geese, we offer the embden and white chinese. Chickens for sale pet chickens, chickens backyard, chicks for sale, baby chicks. The owner of the cotton patch geese, tom walker, once said. The only way i even knew about them was american livestock breeds conservancy.
When imprinted to humans, the human is viewed as the parent for the first 23 months. Sep 24, 2010 but the female pilgrim geese are all solid no saddleback variety. Pilgrim geese were developed by oscar grow in the early 1900s in iowa. Ever wished you could tell gander from goose upon hatching. We can handle all sizes of poultry orders and can ship any anywhere in the united states throughout the year. But the female pilgrim geese are all solid no saddleback variety. Pilgrim geese originated in britain but is associated with the pilgrim fathers with some believing that the breed was taken to america in the 1600s with them. Day old pilgrim goslings for sale hatching march to june. Pilgrim geese were developed in the early 1900s in iowa and are one of the few american breeds of geese. Used for their eggs, meat, grease, down, and weeding abilities, these early american geese were allowed to adapt to their local environments, thus creating the land race breed commonly referred to today as cotton patch geese. We specialize in waterfowl, hatching 19 breeds of ducks pekin, jumbo pekin, mallard, rouen, khaki campbell. Welcome to the pilgrim geese web site the purpose of this site is to. Pilgrim geese are relatively fast to grow and where pilgrim geese are used commercially for meat mainly in the us it is said that they look similar to exhibition strains.
Cotton patch geese are among the rarest of all domestic geese and are listed as an endangered heritage breed. The fertility of their eggs is low a it averages about 60% over the complete season. Description of the pilgrim pilgrims are medium weight geese 1218lbs. Pilgrim geese are curious and aware of their surroundings. Geese lay fewer eggs than chickens or ducks, but many people who raise them like to use the eggs for baking. It is similar in color to the shetland goose and pilgrim goose.
Cotton patch geese are very rare, and in need of serious conservation breeders. Mar 14, 2019 pilgrim geese are curious and aware of their surroundings. Welp hatchery of iowa is a chicken hatchery that sells dayold poultry including chickens, turkeys, pheasants, geese, and ducks. Newest first most popular price high to low price low to high name az name za. Over a period of three or so years i traveled more than 10,000 miles to louisiana, arkansas, mississippi, and tennessee trying to find as pure as possible some cotton patch geese. Cotton patch geese are remembered in the rural south for helping many farmers and their families. I had geese befor, a mix of breeds picked up at the feed store. Since every hatchery now known to man offers many of those breeds just listed, we have decided to specialize in pilgrim geese. Most pilgrim geese are very tame if hand reared and have good parenting qualities. For breeding, birds should be selected for correct autosexing.