American Buff Geese ?

[Jared]

Is there anyone out there with experience raising American Buff Geese in a permaculture type setting? About 25 years ago we raised White Chinese Geese and were very happy with them. Now we are in a position to raise geese again and are intrigued buy the American Buff. If the hatchery's information is correct American Buff should perform at the same level as White Chinese but yield a larger bird.
The points we liked about the White Chinese was the eggs they produced (between 45-60 per year), there mothering ability (they raised every baby hatched and every one we incubated and turned out) they had no problems accepting incubator hatched day olds. All they ate was grass as adults but we did set up some creep style feeders for the little ones any time we had babys less than a week old.
Just wondering if anyone is having this kind of results with American Buff Geese.

[dissimulo]

I haven't had Chinese geese, so I can't compare, but we have buffs and love them. I'd say we get about two dozen eggs out of them in the spring, although I haven't kept count. They are good mothers and fathers, about the same as the tolouse we also have. Ours are a fleet of lawnmowers. We only feed them in the winter and they take care of themselves the rest of the year. The buffs have a nice clean carcass without the dark pinfeathers of the tolouse. I really don't like eating them though; they have too much personality. It's kind of like eating a dog.

[Jared]

Do you let them set there eggs or gather them? The Chinese we had would only lay one batch of eggs if left to set on there own. I found making a nice goose pot pie out of them works wonders (the kids dont even have a clue).