Toulouse goose
The Toulouse is a very heavy grey French goose, originally bred for meat and foie gras. Exhibition birds can be massive.
The Toulouse is a pure-bred goose breed in the PCGB Heavy class. Its origin is given as Toulouse, France. It appears on the RBST Watchlist as a priority breed, so keepers of pure stock help conserve it.
It is kept in heavy form. Recognised colours: Grey, Buff, White. Typical adult weights: gander about 11.8–13.6 kg and goose about 9.1–10.9 kg.
Expect roughly 20–40 eggs a year, with white shells. It is mainly kept for eggs and for the table.
Compiled from poultryclub.org, rbst.org.uk, domestic-waterfowl.co.uk, poultrykeeper.com, waterfowl.org.uk, en.wikipedia.org. See sources
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Identity
- Species
- Goose
- Type
- Pure breed
- PCGB class
- Heavy
- Origin
- Toulouse, France
- Kept for
- Eggs, Table
History
Its history near Toulouse goes back to at least 1555, and it was famous by the early 1800s. The Earl of Derby imported it into Britain in the 1840s. Grey was standardised in 1865, White in 1982 and Buff in 1997. America admitted it in 1874, in Grey only.
Appearance
France recognises two types: a heavy industrial type with a dewlap and a lighter farm type without. BWA gives exhibition geese 9–11 kg and ganders 12–13.5 kg. Pearly grey is preferred to dark or brownish grey. British and American show birds carry a bigger keel than German ones.
Recognised colours
Grey, Buff, White
Size and weight
- Forms
- Heavy
- Gander
- 11.8–13.6 kg
- Goose
- 9.1–10.9 kg
Eggs
- Eggs a year
- 20–40
- Egg colour
- White
- Notes
- No reliable egg figure was found in the sources.
Temperament
- Keeping notes
- Size and quality vary a lot between strains.
Hardiness
Not recorded yet.
Broodiness
Not recorded yet.
Flying
Not recorded yet.
Suitability
- Good to know
- Grey is the easiest colour to find. Buff and especially White are rare.
Conservation status (RBST)
A priority breed on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist, listed as Toulouse (Exhibition).
Breed club
- The Goose Club, umbrella · Website
Sources
This page is compiled from:
Review
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