The Sebastopols are reaching maturity and have settled in nicely here at the homestead. It’s as if they’ve always been here with us. Their personalities are starting to emerge and we definitely have our favorites. We are still unsure of their sexes, but that should be obvious pretty soon. They are starting to exhibit some behaviors that could be mating type behaviors. We are watching their every move and working hard to solve the mystery.
The question I’m asked most often is what purpose they serve. And the truth of the matter is I bought these birds for their stunning beauty. Their flowy ribbon-like feathers are so fancy. It’s as though they’re always in a formal gown. One of their nicknames is “wedding dress geese”, and you can definitely see why. It gives me so much joy to see them out in the pasture (especially when the wind is blowing). I hope to breed them and sell goslings in the near future.
Sebastopols are a breed of domestic goose that descended from the European Greylag goose. They were also referred to as Danubian geese. Although the only recognized color is white, many breeders are working with colored varieties such as Grey, Buff, Blue, Grey Saddleback, and Buff Saddleback. They are medium sized geese with adult weights normally in the 10 to 15 pound range. They are excellent foragers and known for their good temperaments. Because of their curled flight feathers, they aren’t able to fly. This is another trait that makes them desirable for homesteads. Sebastopols are grazers and absolutely love greens. They make great lawn mowers. (Did you know that’s why geese are so often found on golf courses?). We supplement their grazing with an all flock feed as well as lots of fresh leafy greens from the garden. Kale is their absolute favorite!
Another question I’m often asked is if they make good flock protectors for chickens. My opinion on this is that they make an excellent alarm system for the chicken yard. They are quick to alert if anything is awry or unusual….and they are LOUD. But, I don’t think they could or would actually protect a chicken from an outright attack of any kind. One really interesting behavior we’ve recently observed is them breaking up a rooster fight. They are definitely in charge in the chicken yard.
Do you have questions that I haven’t answered? Do you have geese or plan on adding them to your homestead? They have seriously been the most amazing addition for us and we can’t wait to have some sweet little goslings next Spring. Drop any questions in the comments. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll do my best to find one.
Blessings, Leslie
The Fourteen Acres 