The Pomeranian Goose is one of the oldest geese in the country. However, sadly, this goose is nowhere near as popular as it was all those centuries ago. However, we doubt that it is going to be going extinct any time soon.
Let’s look at the Pomeranian Goose in a bit more depth, shall we?
The Origins of the Pomeranian Goose
Records indicate that this goose breed was produced in Germany sometime around 1500, specifically around the Pomerania area.
Although, there is a strong chance that it was produced before this, but most records seem to state this is where it first appeared. It didn’t take long for the breed to spread around this area of Europe, mostly to Slavic countries.
This breed developed from the Eastern Greylag goose, although, nobody is quite sure what breeds were combined to create the Pomeranian Goose.
These geese were brought to the United States centuries ago with the first German settlers.
After all, while we know that records have been kept throughout history on goose development, very few people centuries ago made much of an effort to record which breeds went into their animals.
They just continued to produce animals in the hope they could create something that was viable. That is all that really mattered to them.
Even though the Pomeranian Goose was brought to the US centuries ago, it was admitted to the APA in 1970s and this is a breed of goose that has waned in popularity recently.
If you go to any farmer’s market in Germany, and a little in Poland, then you will likely see the breed for sale. However, there are not many people actually producing this breed. We are not 100% sure why. It is a perfectly viable dual-purpose breed.
The Appearance of the Pomeranian
This is where there is actually a little bit of a conflict.
The original Pomeranian Geese had a single-lobed paunch.
In fact, there are indications that this was the main aim of the breeding program that they were part of.
The end goal was that single-lobed paunch, for some reason.
However, Pomeranian Geese in the US do not have this characteristic. Instead, they boast a double-lobed paunch.
This is due to the limited breeding stock in the country which has resulted in a few genetic mutations.
Now, some may argue that this would mean that these geese are not actually Pomeranian Geese, but breeders have decided otherwise. Just note that the geese in the US will not look like the German version of the bird.
The Pomeranian Goose has a rather thick neck, even if it is a little bit short. Their heads are flat. They come in several different colors. In fact, the colors are important to breeders.
There are a lot of different markings that can appear on this goose, and breeders love to combine geese to see which new markings they can come up with. No goose seems to look the same.
The Pomeranian Goose as a Show Bird
A lot of the focus for Pomeranian Goose nowadays is on the goose as a show bird. After all, it has some beautiful markings, and it would be a shame to let these go to waste.
Although, a lot of breeders will keep their birds close to them when breeding for new markings, so it can be difficult to find a show quality Pomeranian Goose.
Of course, you do not have to use the Pomeranian Goose for shows. They make a good ornamental bird, simply because they have such a unique look. Well, each of the birds has a unique look.
Once you start breeding these properly, you will very quickly start to see how many different ways their markings can look. Although, do bear in mind that this is probably the noisiest of ornamental breeds.
The Pomeranian Goose for Egg Laying
The Pomeranian Goose, during breeding season, should lay somewhere between 20 and 30 eggs. It isn’t the most productive goose on that front.
That being said, the Pomeranian Goose is pretty easy to breed. They are broody, and most of their eggs should fertilize well.
So, if you are looking to build up a stable flock of geese, then this may be the route to go down. However, do bear aware that inbreeding could be an issue unless you are introducing new genes into the gene pool.
The Pomeranian Goose for Meat
The Pomeranian Goose grows to about 16 lbs in size. This means that it is a fairly substantially-sized bird, and as a result there are a lot of people that will raise them for meat.
Now, we have never found somebody that raises this bird purely for the meat. It really does seem to be the sole domain of show breeders, but it is one of the benefits of the bird, and likely one of the reasons why they have been around for centuries.
The only real reason why you would want to raise the Pomeranian Goose over other goose breeds for meat is that they eat a little bit less, so if you want cheaper meat production, this bird may be the way to go.
The Personality and Taking Care of Pomeranian Geese
A lot of people will say that this goose is easy to raise and pretty friendly. We would agree. Although their temperament can range from docile, friendly and sweet to fairly aggressive.
Obviously, like most geese, they are going to need to have a decent amount of space that they can roam around in.
A lot of them are only happy when they are foraging. However, for the most part, you do not need to do much beyond feeding them and giving them water. This is a fairly self-sufficient breed.
However, there is a major flaw in the personality of the goose. This is a very, very loud bird. It is almost constantly honking. If you approach it, it honks. If other animals get close to it, it honks.
Now, this is good for keeping predators at bay. Some people even use this particular goose as a sort-of ‘watch bird’, but it can get annoying.
Unless you live out in the middle of nowhere and can be 100% sure that you will not be annoying your neighbors, this really is not going to be the goose for you.
Related articles that you might be interested in:
– Pilgrim Goose
– Egyptian Goose
