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Domestic Waterfowl Club.

Toulouse Geese

Toulouse Geese

Toulouse  Geese
Breed History; . . .
 
The importance of feeding all growing creatures The 'Toulouse' in France, although kept in greater numbers, have never quite equaled such weights. The Toulouse Goose is one of the larger goose breeds. In its exhibition or "dewlap" form, the Toulouse Goose may  have its body skimming the ground. The "utility" Toulouse Goose is smaller and lacks the dewlap being basically a cross bred grey Heinz with no value other than for the table.

Country of Origin: France . The Toulouse Goose was bred in southern France (near the city of Toulouse) originally for pate de Fois Gras now considered a superior meat bird in Europe. The breeding work to finalize the points and breed true was done in England with a great number being exported to America and Canada prior to the 1950's . At the moment the Club has been importing a number back from the USA as the gene pool in Britain has become too narrow making a number of males virtually infertile.

Breed Background: A heavy breed which does well in confinement since their size restricts foraging and although their goslings tend to grow slower than other geese. The progeny of a Toulouse goose crossed withan Emden gander grow rapidly..  and is the basis for commercial breeds.
Names Also known as L'oie Grise des Landes and L'oie du Toulouse inFrance/Belgium the name alteration appears to be area
Country Of Origin;........France
Carriage; like a galleon in full sail or Margaret Rutherford in feathers for the older reader
Purpose;.........Eggs..Meat...Broody...exhibition
Egg Colour.....................white
Egg Numbers..............Lowest is average about 35 per season  also known 60+ per Goose.Not always fertile from young due to anatomy ! . If a good strain then the average Toulouse lays 220-240 eggs per year the best layer so ask the seller whether a laying or decorative strain !
 Broodiness: Incubation:. . . . 28 - 34 days/ good mother but clumsy due to size need a large hay covered tray for the eggs to prevent crushingas they pip. Otherwise hatch very well under Muscovies.
Breed Hints....Kept as trio or pair .. will go broody and hatch
Weights; Gander, 12 kg / 26 poundsGoose, 9 kg / 20 pounds
Breed Tip**As a breed succeptible to flystrike (maggots) on open cuts or scratches which are disguised by the open feathering.
tip Due to their size in comparison to their leg length they prefer real ponds or shallow edged trays/ childrens sandpits (ELC or IKEA) as many others can produce a snug fit. Wickes builders merchants do a'cement mixing tray' in black composite. . . cheap!
Appearance: Grey feathers laced with white, brown eyes with a long deep body with a prominent breast bone. Better show birds have apronounced front as in the picture and double muscled folds when seen from the front. Better breeding birds often have less front or their'equipment' does not reach to mate successfully
Meat Production: The supreme meat crosswhich tends to pass on the placid (dumb) temperamernt to the off spring. As a pure breed it often resembles a large tub of lard withfeet .....so unless a very poor specimen not worth the plucking...... better for the breeding pen for X breds.








American Toulouse  Grey  Toulouse Pictures by Roger Thibaultof Swansea Mass.



Toulouse Female


Goose and goslings


Buff Toulouse in the USA same source


from Lewis Wright 1870's same profile smaller dewlap

 Breed History
The Toulouse is a breed of domesticated goose originating near Toulouse, France. It is a large bird, with a weight of up to 9 kg, and is known for its ponderous appearance and large dewlaps. 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 description in 1850 is "The Toulouse Goose, which has been so much extolled and
sold at such high prices, is only the common domestic, enlarged by early hatching, very liberal feeding during youth, fine climate, and perhaps by age. I am in possession of Geese, hatched at a season when it was difficult to supply them with an abundance of nourishing green food, that are as much under-sized as the Toulouse Goose is over-sized; they are all Domestic Geese, nevertheless. It is for the sake of enlarging the growth of the Goslings, not for the mere purpose of supporting their strength, that the breeders cram them night and morning with flour-and-egg pellets. Grass alone would suffice for their sustenance, but extra nourishment makes extra-sized birds. Toulouse Geese are fine, six foot high, grenadier individuals of the Domestic Goose that is all. Some were to be seen not far from the Horse Guards, in proximity to their human representatives, in the autumn of 1848." ie even then they knew to supplement the grass to get the size. The same book also details  angel wing in  these geese when improperly fed !

Standards in 1866  from Saunders "The Toulouse Goose should be tall and erect, with the body hanging on the ground ; the breast and the body light grey ; back, dark grey ; neck, darker grey ; wings and body should shade off to white, but there should be but little actual white visible ; hiUs, pale flesh color, hard and strong ; legs and feet, deep orange, approaching red. The weight of these birds by careful feeding and management has become extraordinary, 74 lbs. for three birds has been attained. The Cup gander at Birmingham, in 1859, weighed 33 lbs., and in 1860, 30 lbs.—Goslings early inOctober often weigh 20 to 22 pounds."






Breeders
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