Toulouse goose


The Toulouse is a French breed of large domestic goose, originally from the area of Toulouse in south-western France. Two types are recognised: a heavy industrial type with dewlaps, the italic=no; and a slightly lighter agricultural type without dewlaps, the italic=no. Both types are large, with weights of up to Birds bred in the United Kingdom and United States exclusively for showing may be still larger, and have a somewhat different conformation.

History

The original grey-coloured breed is a very old one and the name has been recorded back as far as 1555. The breed was first brought to the United Kingdom by Lord Derby in 1840, who imported some of them to England, and from then onwards the French Toulouse were used as breeding stock with the consequence that by 1894, English breeders had produced a massive bird. The 'Toulouse' in France, although kept in greater numbers, have never quite equalled such weights. The breed was later brought to North America, where it became popular in the upper Midwest due to its ability to withstand cold winters.

Characteristics

The Toulouse generally has a placid disposition. Ring size is for both ganders and geese. In France weights range from about. The UK standard calls for an average weight of about for geese, and nearly for ganders.

Use

The production strain of the Toulouse goose was bred to be fast growing, gaining weight rapidly when there is an abundance of food and no room for exercise. It is thus an important meat producer and, with its oversized liver, a source of foie gras. Geese of the type without dewlaps lay 25–40 eggs extra-large white eggs per year, while geese of the dewlap type lay 20–35. The birds may also be a source of goose down.