Chinese goose

The Chinese goose is a breed of domesticated goose descended from the wild swan goose. Chinese geese differ from the wild birds in much larger size (up to 5–10 kg in males, 4–9 kg in females), and in having an often strongly developed basal knob on the upper side of the bill. The knob at the top of the beak is more prominent on males than females. It takes several months for the knob to become pronounced enough that it can be used for determining gender. Chinese geese are a close cousin of the African goose, a heavier breed also descended from the swan goose.

A family at Staglands Wildlife Reserve, Wellington, New Zealand

White Chinese geese in Japan

A goose in Myitkyina, Kachin State, Myanmar

Chinese geese appear in two varieties: a brown, similar to the wild swan goose, and white. While many domestic Chinese geese have a similar body type to other breeds, the breed standards as defined in the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection and other sources call for a slimmer, taller fowl.[1]

Chinese geese are among the better laying breeds of goose. A female Chinese goose can lay 50–60 eggs over the course of the breeding season (February to June), although there are reports of Chinese geese laying up to 100 eggs during that time.[2]