Franconian Goose
Light breed
Domesticated Greylag Goose Anser anser
This is an old breed that developed along the flood plains of the winding Rivers Main and Frånkische Saale. This area was part of the former Duchy of Franconia, in southern Germany. Various coloured (blue, buff and pied) small geese living in this region were selected and bred by farmers, resulting in a small, hardy active goose capable of raising good numbers of fast-growing goslings. They required little feed in harsh winters and were good for meat and feathers.
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, good examples of the breed were collected by Ernst Messinger and Martin Wirsching, who began selective breeding to refine the breed. They produced birds of impressive quality that they took to top shows. They began distributing young stock to other breeders and the breed quickly gained popularity and was bred and exhibited widely throughout Germany. Small numbers were imported into the UK from this time.
The breed was first included in the British Poultry Standards in 2018. It will appear in the next edition of British Waterfowl Standards. In the interim, the full standard will be be added here shortly.