Origin, spread and economic characteristics
French breed native of Alsace.
Its origin is in the small valleys of Lower Alsace: Zorn, Bruche Sauer, Moder, and the plain of Ried. It is a breed created to get the largest possible foie gras later forced fattening. It is the smallest of the French breed of geese; 4.5 kg for males and 4 pounds for females. But the females often reach the weight of males. The goose of Alsace is known as pure bred since 1920. It is a very fine goose, elegant, like wild goose, he inherited it from a lot of quality in both color and in the characters of the plumage. It was originally selected in Lower Alsace, in the valleys Prévogiennes, close to the River Ill, the Zorn, the Bruche Sauer and Moder, where it was very widespread, especially in the breeding of a family. Around 1880 - 1890 this breed that was created precisely to produce the famous foie gras in Alsace, as the demand for that product was not enough, and professionals of foie gras, often had to search for other races and species collected from other manufacturers, as well the Alsace region, it succeeded for decades to address the numerous requests of that delicious dish! The goose is Alsace is a product obtained from the intersection with the common goose gray goose Guinea, a wild species that was abundant during the autumn migration along the Rhine and in Ried. The goose Guinea has greatly influenced the breed in both the somatic aspects that productive Alsace's goose is a goose without dewlap and no sacks and is devoid of ventral keel, broad shoulders, short legs, a short neck, but very strong, big head and compact body, the wings are perfectly suited to the length of the trunk. Altogether gives the result of a goose lightweight, robust and well-proportioned. It is a goose with a provision for hatching excellent, really a good mother, with a high fertility by 90% in natural reproduction. This breed, which unfortunately has almost disappeared in 1960, was taken over by the Union of the Lower Rhine in breeding centers and it is pleasing that we can meet each time, at the end of 'year, beautiful specimens in the exhibition Gries (Lower Rhine ). This presentation is organized by the farmers themselves, leading experts and lovers of 'goose Alsace. At the international exhibition of Strasbourg, Mulhouse and Metz other subjects have appeared in the white variety, very beautiful in their whiteness with blue eyes. The prolific and quiet character of this breed may be perfectly adequate for farmers with small free-range areas. However it seems that this goose is still endangered, despite the delicious meat (over foie gras), and eggs. In France there are quite a few lovers who keep this goose in purity, just as in Germany, where Alsace is called "elsässische Ganz", farmers are small about all 'breeding of this wonderful goose.
Morphological characteristics
Size: small.
Average weight:
- Male to. 4.5 kg
- Female a. 4 kg
(But usually both the male and the female have the same mass).
Plumage color: the most common variety is the gray (similar to the designs of its wild ancestor), but are allowed by the official standard also other varieties: gray, white, gray and white, gray and white spotted. Despite the small size, this goose has a wide body and massive, very stretched. Belly devoid of baleen abdominal. Head strong and short, short neck and thin enough brought vertically. Throat without bib. Beak tall thin and not too thick at the base, pale red. Tarsi short pale red. Brown eyes, the white variety for the eyes should be blue. The plumage must not show any trace of gray feathers. For the spotted variety (now extinct) the gray color should be dominant, brown eyes or blue.
Deposition of 25/30 eggs a year weighing 120 grams.
Sono bellissimo...
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