The Emden or Embden is a German breed of

domestic goose A domestic goose is a goose that humans have domesticated and kept for their meat, eggs, or down feathers. Domestic geese have been derived through selective breeding from the wild greylag goose (''Anser anser domesticus'') and swan goose (''Ans ...

. It is named for the town of Emden in north-westernmost Germany.

History

The Emden is the oldest goose breed of the area that is now Germany, with origins believed to go back to the thirteenth century. It derives from the traditional large white geese of the East Frisia region of north-western Germany; these had a long curved neck and so were sometimes known as ''Schwanengans'' or "swan geese". The modern breed was established in the late nineteenth century. In 2016 the breeding population in Germany consisted of 238 female and 132 male birds. In 2020 the

conservation status The conservation status of a group of organisms (for instance, a species) indicates whether the group still exists and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing conservatio ...

of the Emdener was listed in the

Rote Liste The , full name , is a red list of threatened breeds of domestic animal published annually by the Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen, the German national association for the conservation of historic and endangere ...

of the

Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen The or GEH is a German national association for the conservation of historic and endangered domestic animal breeds. History The GEH was founded on 5 December 1981 in the Rottal, in Lower Bavaria in southern Germany. It has about 2100 mem ...

in its Category II, ''stark gefährdet'' ("seriously endangered").

Characteristics

The Emden is the heaviest goose breed of Germany: ganders may weigh up to , and reach a height of a metre.

Use

The Emdener may be kept for meat or for eggs; the meat is of good quality. Geese may lay some 50–60 eggs per year, with an average weight of about

History

Characteristics

Use

References

Further reading