The Living Forest (218) : Domestic Geese

The Living Forest (218) : Domestic Geese

Domestic Geese are derived from the wild Greylag Geese (see picture below) and this domestication (for meat, eggs and down feathers) is of very ancient date (archaeological evidence in Egypt from more than 4000 years ago !)

One individual weighs about 10 kg. This is much more compared to the average 4 kg. for the Greylag Goose.

This overweight affects their body structure and a large fat accumulation under the tail results in a fat rear which makes that most of these birds can’t fly (when alarmed some of them can get off the ground several 100 meters, particularly when moving downhill and with a good tailwind ).

Nowadays these animals also live frequently in the great outdoors, such as parks and forest ponds (that’s why I placed this picture in my series of ‘The Living Forest’)

Dutch name : Huisgans
German name : Hausgänse
Latin name : Anser anser domesticus