The White Goose of Banat, a Population which Should Have Long Been Declared a Breed

Abstract

Keeping geese is a tradition in Banat, one which takes advantage of the animal to its fullest: meat, organs, feathers, down, blood, etc. Up until 20 years ago, Romania was one of the main exporters of goose meat in Europe. In 2010 the export was dominated by Poland, Hungary and Lithuania due to the fact that they have manages to select certain breeds and hybrids of goose which have especially qualitative meat, by using a new technology. The meat thus obtained differs in taste from the original one and it is highly appreciated in Germany and Austria where the goose import was 98% done from these three countries. Research was conducted between 2005 and 2010 in Vinga, Bodo, Bethausen, Nevrincea, Cutina, Beba Veche, Dudestii Vechi and Teremia Mare, all of these being from Banat. Measurements and exterior evaluations have been made and questionnaires were given to breeders who filled them in. The White goose of Banat represents a uniform population in terms of morphological features. They have white thick feathers, and the down underneath is of an excellent quality. The feet and the beak are orange. Their phenotype is similar to the Italian White goose and the Hungarian White goose. The exact number of the geese kept in Banat and in Romania in general is not known, but widely approximated. Their number tends to decrease mainly because of the dangers that going out on pastures pose, such as stray dogs and even people. The only ones who have done a selection of this population are their owners, while the specialized institutions tend to completely ignore this species. The average body weight of the ganger is of 5,5 kg and of 4.5 kg in the case of the female goose. Their rate when sacrificed is of 65–67 %. The annual egg production is of 20-35 eggs, which have a hard shell and a weight of approximately 153-160 g. Fertility is of 63-70% and the hatching of 35-58%. They are docile birds, resistant to diseases, easily fattened in order to obtain foie gras and easily handled on a pasture. Due to its qualities, the White goose of Banat has participated together with other breeds in crossbreeding the Benkovski White goose in Benkovski, Bulgaria. The White goose of Banat can be raised using new technology, different from the ones applied so far, which is used in Europe to obtain qualitative tasteful meat. Such efforts are being undertaken in a breeder near Timisoara where new hybrids are researched to be used with the new technology. REFERENCES