Sebastopol Geese
Sebastopol are probably our most unique appearing goose. You would think that a bird such as this would have been bred fairly recently but actually they have been around for hundreds of years. Their origin is thought to be from the countries surrounding the Black Sea, Hungary and the Balkans. They were known early on in England and Ireland as Danubian. How they got the name Sebastopol is a mystery other than some of the first birds may have been imported from the port of Sebastopol.
Sebastopols are hardy birds and are being raised successfully in both cold climates and warm climates. Clean water for swimming and bathing should always be made available and shelter or protection provided during wet, cold, and windy weather. Their loose fitting feathers do not provide as much warmth, nor do they shed water as well as other domestic breeds of geese. Sebastapols can live to 20 years of age when well cared for.
Unfortunately, Sebastopol geese lay about 13 to 20 eggs per year, have a fertility rate of about 45%- 60%, and not all will be good broody mothers compared to other waterfowl. All of these factors make it to where you get an average of 7-12 hatchlings each year per female. This difficulty in production is one of the reasons why the Sebastopol is considered a threatened species and is a lot more expensive to produce.
Unfortunately, Sebastopol geese lay about 13 to 20 eggs per year, have a fertility rate of about 45%- 60%, and not all will be good broody mothers compared to other waterfowl. All of these factors make it to where you get an average of 7-12 hatchlings each year per female. This difficulty in production is one of the reasons why the Sebastopol is considered a threatened species and is a lot more expensive to produce.
