African Geese

African and Super African goslings for sale hatching March to July.
The Super African is an impressive regal breed of goose. They are large with a well developed dewlap.
African geese are long-lived and will produce for many years under normal circumstances. If well managed, they will reproduce in their first year. Eggs are large, weighing 5-8 ounces, and hatch in 30-32 days. Each gander can be mated with two to six geese, depending on the individual birds. Africans produce high quality, lean meat, and are considered a premier roasting goose. Young ganders can weigh 16 to 18 pounds by the time they are 15 to 18 weeks old. The Brown African was admitted to the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1874. The White African has pure white plumage, an orange bill and knob, and bright orange shanks and feet. It was admitted to the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection in 1987
The Production African is intermediate in size between the Super African and Brown Chinese and does not have developed knob or dewlap but works great for the backyard flock owner.
Conservation Status: Watch
African geese are not from Africa! They are the same color as the Chinese goose, and originated in SE China. Like the Brown Chinese, they are the same color as the wild swan goose. They were imported into the USA in the nineteenth century, and reached Britain too as the 'Hong Kong' goose in Victorian times. Good examples of the African were more or less lost in the UK in the 20th century. Most Africans here now come from birds imported from the USA from the 1970s onwards. Exhibition Africans are imposing birds, ganders standing one meter tall. Hand reared, they are very tame. There is a great deal of variation in weight. Some varieties are quite small; reaching only 16-20 lbs. Big exhibition birds in the UK and the USA reach 26 lbs - the same as their stated weight in SE China.
This breed is not as heavy as the Toulouse or White Embden, but they mature early. They are different from other geese in having a large black knob on their head and a dark stripe down the back of the neck. They are very dignified looking and attract a great deal of attention. They are especially desirable for crossing with the heavier breeds of geese.