Czech Goose
Light breed
Domesticated Greylag Goose Anser anser
This is a small, lively white goose originating in Bohemia and known there as Ceská husa. Birds from this area were taken to the then German Democratic Republic in the 1960s and there the breed, Tschechische Gänse, was developed. Hardy birds, these are ‘good doers’ and seemingly resistant to diseases. They were developed as table birds and also prized for their feathers. The export of feathers to other parts of Europe was a significant source of income.
The Czech Goose was standardised in the UK in 2008.
The body is plump, broad and oval in profile with little sign of a paunch, although some older females may have a single-lobed paunch. The neck is sturdy and only slightly curved. The bill is orange-red with a pale bean, and the legs are also orange-red.
Very similar in appearance to the Roman, the Czech is a little more upright and slightly smaller. Classed as a light breed, the gander weighs from 5-5.5 kg and the goose from 4.0-4.5 kg.
The goose is an excellent mother and will lay between 10-20 large white eggs per year.