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Origin
:
The Flemish goose is an ancient breed very well adapted to our climate.
It was originally selected for two purposes, the production of meat and
of feathers. A long time ago the production of goose feathers was still
profitable. Goose feathers were worth money and the white ones even more
than the colored ones but it was believed that completely white birds
were weaker than those with some pigmentation left in their feathers.
That’s why the most typical variety of this breed was the pied. The
white parts of these birds were plucked four times each year but the
colored parts were left so they would provide some protection against
bad weather conditions.
Characteristics
: The Flemish goose is an easy breed to keep. They prefer a large pen
with lots of grass or weeds and than they should only be fed very
little. The geese lay a nice number of large eggs which they brood
easily. The goslings grow up rapidly and without any problems.
Appearance
: The Flemish goose is a primitive breed without keel or paunch. The y
were kept in liberty and had to search for their own food so they had to
be very mobile. The body is almond shaped, this means that the abdomen
is deeper than the breast. The carriage is nearly horizontal. Typical is
also the short thick neck with grooved plumage. The bill is
orange-yellow with pale bean and the legs are pinkish red. The eyes
should be as dark as possible.
Varieties
: Just two, pied and white. The pied pattern should be as symmetrical
and sharply defined as possible. The head is grayish brown with a white
ring around the base of the bill. Only the upper third of the neck is
colored, the rest is white. The shoulders are grayish brown and each
feather has a pale lacing. Seen from above this produces a dark heart
shaped marking on the back. The flights are pure white. The stern is ash
gray and the flanks are grayish brown with pale lacing.
State
: Very rare to endangered. The Flemish goose is only found in Flanders
and there is only a very limited number of breeders left. The white
variety is almost extinct. Unknown in other countries.
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