Pomeranian Goose
Encyclopedia
The Pomeranian Goose also known as the Rügener Goose, is a breed
of domestic goose.
Although only an officially recognized breed since 1912, this fowl
was developed by Northern German
farmer
s of Pomerania
as early as 1500. While it is popular as a market goose throughout Europe
-- especially in Germany
, Poland
and in Slavic communities around the Baltic region
-- today "there are few breeders of the Historical Pomeranian goose."
specifically bred for a single-lobed paunch. In North America
, these geese often have two lobes nonetheless due to genetic variation
and inbreeding
.
Pomeranian Geese average 16 pounds in weight and lay about 70 eggs a season although some varieties may produce less. They have flattened heads, stout necks, prominent breasts, rounded bodies and what has been described as an "arrogant" bearing. They make good watch birds as they tend to greet visitors noisily.
Pomeranian Geese "are a good all-around breed for a colorful home flock". Breeders should look for plump birds that look heart-shaped when viewed from above. Breeders should also seek stock
with good markings as these are a variable trait
and breeding geese with clearly defined markings is a challenge. Pomeranian Geese usually have white feathers around the base of their bills
but solid-colored heads are more preferred. A Pomeranian Goose should have blue eyes, a pinkish red bill, and reddish orange legs and feet.
The indication of knobs at the base of a goose's bill is viewed negatively and is considered indicative of inbreeding. Likewise, Pomeranian Geese with such undesirable traits as dark feathers in the wings, dewlap
s, excessively white heads, orange bills, orange feet, and undersized bodies should be avoided as breeding stock.
According to an expert:
In their native Germany, Pomeranian Geese are a "utilitarian goose breed" represented white, gray, saddleback buff, and saddleback gray varieties.
The American Saddleback Pomeranian which is almost the sole representative of this breed in the United States
is recognized by the American Poultry Association
. Its head, back, and flanks are light gray or beige. The bird has an all white body with the colored feathers on its tail edged in near-white. It is uncommon enough that the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
regards its status as "critical".
Pomeranian varieties and related breeds are also raised in the United Kingdom
. Categorizing geese can be a complex matter as indicated by this 2004 letter in the bulletin of the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities Bulletin:
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
of domestic goose.
Although only an officially recognized breed since 1912, this fowl
Fowl
Fowl is a word for birds in general but usually refers to birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl and the waterfowl...
was developed by Northern German
Northern Germany
- Geography :The key terrain features of North Germany are the marshes along the coastline of the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and the geest and heaths inland. Also prominent are the low hills of the Baltic Uplands, the ground moraines, end moraines, sandur, glacial valleys, bogs, and Luch...
farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s of Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
as early as 1500. While it is popular as a market goose throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
-- especially in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and in Slavic communities around the Baltic region
Baltic region
The terms Baltic region, Baltic Rim countries, and Baltic Rim refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.- Etymology :...
-- today "there are few breeders of the Historical Pomeranian goose."
Description
The Pomeranian is the only descendant of the Greylag GooseGreylag Goose
The Greylag Goose , Anser anser, is a bird with a wide range in the Old World. It is the type species of the genus Anser....
specifically bred for a single-lobed paunch. In North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, these geese often have two lobes nonetheless due to genetic variation
Genetic variation
Genetic variation, variation in alleles of genes, occurs both within and among populations. Genetic variation is important because it provides the “raw material” for natural selection. Genetic variation is brought about by mutation, a change in a chemical structure of a gene. Polyploidy is an...
and inbreeding
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
.
Pomeranian Geese average 16 pounds in weight and lay about 70 eggs a season although some varieties may produce less. They have flattened heads, stout necks, prominent breasts, rounded bodies and what has been described as an "arrogant" bearing. They make good watch birds as they tend to greet visitors noisily.
Pomeranian Geese "are a good all-around breed for a colorful home flock". Breeders should look for plump birds that look heart-shaped when viewed from above. Breeders should also seek stock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
with good markings as these are a variable trait
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
and breeding geese with clearly defined markings is a challenge. Pomeranian Geese usually have white feathers around the base of their bills
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
but solid-colored heads are more preferred. A Pomeranian Goose should have blue eyes, a pinkish red bill, and reddish orange legs and feet.
The indication of knobs at the base of a goose's bill is viewed negatively and is considered indicative of inbreeding. Likewise, Pomeranian Geese with such undesirable traits as dark feathers in the wings, dewlap
Dewlap
A dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck of many vertebrates. While the term is usually used in this specific context, it can also be used to include other structures occurring in the same body area with a similar aspect, such as those caused by a double...
s, excessively white heads, orange bills, orange feet, and undersized bodies should be avoided as breeding stock.
According to an expert:
This breed descended from the Eastern GraylagGreylag GooseThe Greylag Goose , Anser anser, is a bird with a wide range in the Old World. It is the type species of the genus Anser....
, which is why true Pomeranians have pinkish red beak, legs and feet. The Pomeranian is believed to have developed in the Pomorze region between the Rivers Odes and Vistula. It is an ancient breed that has stood the intrusion of foreign and modern breeds into its home turf and contributed to the development of numerous breeds and varieties, and proven itself competitive where ever tried. Today it is the dominant breed in Northern Germany, PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, SlovakiaSlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and the Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. It is very popular in the rest of Germany and AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and seems to be gaining elsewhere. More than thirty years ago I encountered representatives of the breed in SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the Low CountriesLow CountriesThe Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
and BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, as well as its more typical range. Despite what Soames and other writers have said, when I was in Germany in the early 1970's I had the distinct impression it was the dominant working goose everywhere...this is a unique and ancient breed worthy of preservation.
Varieties
The American Saddleback Pomeranian which is almost the sole representative of this breed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is recognized by the American Poultry Association
American Poultry Association
The American Poultry Association is the oldest poultry organization in the North America. Founded in 1873, and incorporated in Indiana in 1932 The first American poultry show was held in 1849, and the APA was later formed in response to the burgeoning need for an overseeing body to set standards...
. Its head, back, and flanks are light gray or beige. The bird has an all white body with the colored feathers on its tail edged in near-white. It is uncommon enough that the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy is a nonprofit organization focused on preserving and promoting genetic diversity among rare breeds of livestock...
regards its status as "critical".
Pomeranian varieties and related breeds are also raised in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Categorizing geese can be a complex matter as indicated by this 2004 letter in the bulletin of the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities Bulletin:
Toulouse x Embden cross is what gave us the English Greybacks and Buff Backs and the American Saddlebacks. All three of these breeds have Pomerainan blood and their standard represents that. The historical Pomeranian has been a major working goose in America, which is also the root of the confusion. Greyback, buff back, pied, spotted or saddleback refers to the pattern of plumagePlumagePlumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
. These do not identify the breed of goose. Some breeds that have these markings are the British Buff Back, British Greyback, American Saddleback and the Historical Pomeranian. A saddleback goose is not necessary a Pomeranian. To avoid confusion, specific language is required to identify the separate breeds.
External links
- Pommerngans (in German)
- FeatherSite: Pomeranian Geese