Pilgrim Geese
By: Laura Phillips

It is difficult to trace the origin of the Pilgrim Goose. Most people believe they arrived to America with the pilgrims. It is however, a recently developed breed. They are the only sexlink breed. Females are grey or a light olive color with some white and have brown eyes. The males are pure white with blue eyes. According to some articles I came across, the Pilgrim goose may be related to the rare West of England goose, another sexlink breed, which could possibly have arrived with people traveling many years ago. Dave Holderread, a very well known and experienced waterfowl breeder and an author on waterfowl care and breeding, says that small populations of sexlink geese likely existed in a few different locations. He states that "studies on the inheritance of plumage color and patterns in domestic geese have shown that when gray-colored geese and white geese of European descent are crossed,… their offspring, when intermated, will produce some … progeny that carry auto-sexing plumage color similar to that seen in Pilgrims." (Holderread, 1986). But this breed  is also believed to have been developed by Oscar Grow, a leading authority on waterfowl in the 1900's. He claimed to have developed the breed in Iowa, and that his wife named them in memory of their moving or "pilgrimage" to Missouri during the Great Depression of the 1930's. According to both Hawes and Holderread, the breed was first known to be named in 1935, corresponding with the Grow family’s pilgrimage. The Pilgrim Goose was admitted into the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection in 1939. The Pilgrim Goose is known for being one of the calmest and friendliest breeds around. Day old males are greyish yellow with light colored bills. The females are olive-gray with darker bills. You can determine the sex of your goslings from the day they are hatched. Pilgrims are medium-sized geese, weighing 13 - 14 pounds when mature. The head is trim, the crown is often slightly flattened, and the neck is average in length and thickness. Their bodies are full and appear chubby, with a smooth and sleek front. They should have two rounded fatty lobes on the abdomen. They can lay 35-45 eggs a year which are large and white. Pilgrims are rugged, quiet, docile, good foragers, and excellent natural parents. Ganders can be mated with three to five geese. When selecting for breeding or showing, I would recommend looking for geese that have broad backs and breasts that are keelless. Do not buy Pilgrim geese with any signs of a knob (an indication of crossbreeding), long necks and legs, shallow breasts, ganders with excessive gray in the plumage and geese with predominantly white necks. Most people buy Pilgrims because of their sweet-tempered personality and this should be considered when buying geese for breeding. On the whole, I think that Pilgrim are the best geese for a home flock. They are very good with kids. I have never been around nor had a friendlier goose than a Pilgrim. If you decide to own one, you will be hooked for life!!