White Hundred-Egg Goose

White Hundred-Egg Goose

　　The White Hundred-Egg Goose gets its name from its ability to lay about a hundred eggs annually. The main concentrated production areas are located in Mahé, Nanhe, Liuge, and Xinyan, and the breed is distributed across the whole city. The primary production region lies north of the Jianghan area, centered on Mahé, and includes lakes such as Dieca Lake, Bao Lake, Dongxica Lake, and Laoguan Lake. South of the Han River, the production area centers on Nanhe, and features lakes such as Baishi Lake, Jiugang, and Huanglong Lake. Both the northern and southern regions are crisscrossed with ditches and canals, enjoying abundant water sources, lush aquatic plants, and expansive lakeside and riverside flats where green wild grass thrives. The main agricultural crop is rice, providing rich supplies of both fine and coarse feed. The areas of Mahé and Nanhe have a long history of artificially incubating poultry chicks. The Jiugang hatchery in Nanhe has a history of over a hundred years, while the Donggangzui hatchery in Mahé has been operating for nearly three hundred years. These two locations are the primary producers of Hanjian goslings.

Hanchuan has a long history of goose farming. According to the "County Annals Illustrated Record of Micro Realities": "The goose, also called the domestic goose or the comfort goose. It resembles a wild goose but cannot fly. Its head is crane-like, but its neck is shorter. With green eyes, a yellow beak, and red feet, it is good at fighting, cries at night, responds to the changing of watches, and will crow upon seeing strangers. It can drive off thieves and brood eggs." The above description of the goose’s appearance largely matches that of the White Hundred-Egg Goose.

The White Hundred-Egg Goose has a moderately sized, delicate head with an orange-yellow fleshy knob on top—larger in males than in females. There is no dewlap under the chin. The neck is slender and long, the chest broad and slightly protruding, the back wide and flat, and the male’s breast is slightly indented. The female has a drooping abdomen and an oval-shaped body. Its beak is flat and orange-red, and its webbed feet are also orange-red. It walks with strength, and when running, its feet make a thudding sound. When standing, it holds its head and neck high, giving it a majestic posture. Its feathers are all pure white and glossy. In its first year, the White Hundred-Egg Goose lays about 90 eggs; in its second and third years, it lays around 110 eggs. Each egg averages 135.91 grams, amounting to an annual egg yield of 13.6 kilograms. The goose has strong foraging abilities and high disease resistance, and does not easily contract avian diseases. Adult geese weigh around 3,100 grams, and their meat is suitable for making cured dishes. The White Hundred-Egg Goose is widespread in Hanchuan, with concentrated production areas in towns such as Mahé, Liuge, Nanhe, Xinyan, and Dongzhong. The city's annual goose population remains at around 30,000. (Hanchuan)