Broad-eyed Goose

Broad-eyed Goose

　　Origin and Distribution: Originally from the Laiyang area of Shandong Province, it is also known as the Wulong Goose because its main production areas are located in the Wulong River basin. Historically, a large number of Shandong immigrants migrated to the Northeast, bringing this breed of goose with them. The Broad-eyed Goose is most commonly raised in Changtu, Liaoning, where it is commonly called the Changtu Goose. In the Tonghua area of Jilin Province and parts of Heilongjiang, it is commonly referred to as the Scarred-eye Goose. Currently, it is most prevalent in the three northeastern provinces and Shandong, and is also distributed in Inner Mongolia, Hubei, Guangxi, Anhui, and other regions.

　　Breed Characteristics: The most distinctive feature of this goose is its eyes, which are almond-shaped, with pointed front eyelids and rounded rear eyelids. There is a notch about 0.4–0.5 cm wide at the front upper edge of the eyelid, hence the name Broad-eyed Goose. The body is oval-shaped, with a broad and flat back, full chest and abdomen, and sturdy legs and feet. The feathers are all white, with orange-yellow flesh-colored feet and an orange-red beak, shanks, and webbed feet. Adult male geese weigh between 3.72–4.58 kg, while females weigh 3.12–3.82 kg.

　　Production Performance: Goslings at 90 days old weigh between 1.9–2.5 kg. At 150 days old, they can reach 3.0–3.5 kg. The semi-eviscerated slaughter rate is 78.3%–81.2%, and the fully eviscerated slaughter rate is 70.3%–72.6%. The average annual egg production is around 100 eggs, with an average egg weight of 120–130 grams and white eggshells. Generally, egg-laying begins at 210–240 days old, and the breed does not exhibit broodiness. The mating ratio of male to female geese is 1:6–7, with a fertilization rate of around 85%, and a hatching rate of 80%–85% for fertilized eggs.