The West of England Goose is a breed of domestic goose from United Kingdom. It is a rare breed of medium sized goose.
The breed was originally found across the south of England, especially in Cornwall and Devon. It is a pretty old breed, but was standardized in 1999.
This type of birds were once common in farmyards throughout the United Kingdom, particularly in the West Country.
The West of England Goose birds may have been bred for countless generations from the same stock. This mean that, although likely to be pure-breeding, they may be somewhat inbred.
One effect of this is that, in these situations, the size has often decreased. Read some more information about the breed below.
West of England Goose Characteristics
The West of England Goose is a medium sized bird. The mature ganders are usually white in color, but they may have the odd grey feather. And the geese have saddleback grey and white pattern, with grey on the head and neck.
The breed has blue eyes, an orange bill, a dual-lobed paunch and blue eyes. The tail of the birds has some grey central feathers but most are white.
Grey color on the head of the West of England Goose usually decreases with age, and some more mature geese may have very little grey on the head.
Average mature weight of the West of England gander is between 7.3 and 9.1 kg. And average live body weight of the mature geese vary from 6.3 to 8.2 kg. Photo and info from Wikipedia.
Uses
West of England Goose is a dual purpose or utility breed. It is raised for both meat and eggs production. But the breed is very good and mainly raised for meat production.
Special Notes
The West of England Goose breed is known for it’s relatively calm temperament.
Gender of the goslings is easily identified, and they can be identified by their grey markings on head and back immediately after hatching. These birds are relatively hardy breed, grow well and very good for meat production.
The geese are seasonal layers, and usually lay about 30-40 eggs per year in Spring. However, review full breed profile of this breed in the following chart.
| Breed Name | West of England | |
| Other Name | None | |
| Breed Purpose | Meat, eggs | |
| Special Notes | Known for their relatively calm temperament, gender of the goslings is easily identified, hardy, grow relatively faster, good for meat production, geese are seasonal layers | |
| Breed Class | Medium | |
| Ganders | 7.3-9.1 Kg | |
| Geese | 6.3-8.2 Kg | |
| Broodiness | Average | |
| Climate Tolerance | All climates | |
| Egg Color | White | |
| Egg Size | Large | |
| Egg Productivity | 30-40 eggs per year | |
| Flying Ability | Average | |
| Varieties | Single | |
| Rarity | Rare | |
| Country/Place of Origin | United Kingdom |
Hello,
I live near a golf course in
Mill Hill
London NW7 3HH
This lone goose has been seen with a group of Canadian Geese for the last 6 months or more.
I was worried that it had lost it’s flock.
I looked it up to find it’s breed and thought it could be a West of England duck which is rare.
It has an orange beak and dark grey feathers on it’s head and back.
I have a photo but I don’t see an attachment to send it