Brown (Gray) Chinese Goose

Gander

Female Goose
Location of Conservation: Changhwa Breeding Animal Propagation Station
Taiwan Livestock Research Institute
7 Tanung Road
Peitou, Changhwa, Taiwan
Republic of China
Tel: 886-4-8884106
Fax: 886-4-8886183
Contributor: Mr. Kuo-Chin Wu

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Visible characteristics
  1. Both sexes have a knob on the top of the head above the beak.
  2. The knob is broownish black in the brown Chinese goose.
  3. The feathers are gray, except for the feathers on the ventral part of the body which are pale gray or white.
  4. Black beak, brown eyes and dark orange feet.
         
  5. Cutting roughage with teeth on the edge of beak.
  6. Females brood on eggs.
  7. Alert behavior when frightened or aroused.
  8. Congregate and play in water.
            
  9. Mate in water and fixed mates.
  10. Usually raised in open-sided houses with access to a large field.
  11. To a pond for exercise and bating.
  12. Most of geese followed a leader when they move away.

Growth Brown Chinese
Performance Goose
Body weight at
at birth 0.109 Kg
2 weeks old 0.34 Kg
4 weeks old 0.94 Kg
6 weeks old 1.71 Kg
8 weeks old 2.61 Kg
10 weeks old 3.15 Kg
12 weeks old 3.54 Kg
14 weeks old 3.85 Kg
16 weeks old 3.86 Kg
Feed conversion at
2 weeks old 1.62 F/G
4 weeks old 2.30 F/G
6 weeks old 2.51 F/G
8 weeks old 3.22 F/G
10 weeks old 3.73 F/G
12 weeks old 4.29 F/G
14 weeks old 4.89 F/G
16 weeks old 5.99 F/G
Survival rate 88.2¢H
Reproductive Brown Chinese
Performance Goose
Age at first egg 306±35 days
BW at first egg 4.9±0.6 Kg
Egg weight of first egg 141±20 g
Number of eggs yearly 28.2 eggs
Fertility 87.38¢H
Hatchability 44.63¢H
Conformation Brown Chinese
Measurements Goose
Body length 42.2±2.8 cm
Body height 76.3±6.8 cm
Chest width 22.5±1.2 cm

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Laying Production

One male mates with 4¡ã6 females. The laying period begins in September, peaks in December, and endsin April or May of the following year.

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Meat Quality

The Chinese goose grows more slowly than exotic Embdem, Tufted Roman or Toulouse. Itsrearing period is about 16 weeks, which is at least two weeks longer than that of other breeds. However,consumers in Taiwan prefer Chinese geese and are willing to pay up to 80¢H more for meat, because of the good quality of their meat in relative to the taste flavor.

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