Best goose breeds for eggs

Choose Chinese geese (white or brown varieties) for the highest egg output among goose breeds. They lay 40 to 100 eggs per year, far outpacing most other breeds. They are active foragers and their loud calls double as an effective alarm system against intruders.

Raise Pilgrim geese for a dual-purpose breed that delivers 35 to 50 eggs per year with a calm, easy-to-handle temperament. At 5-6 kg mature weight, they also provide a worthwhile meat yield when culling surplus birds.

Raise Roman Tufted geese for a calm-tempered breed that produces 25 to 35 eggs per year. Recognizable by the distinctive tuft of feathers on their heads, they are a smaller ornamental breed that adapts well to backyard settings with limited space.

Select Shetland geese, a hardy heritage breed that lays 20 to 40 eggs per year. Originating from Scotland's Shetland Islands, they thrive in cold, wet climates and are excellent foragers that require minimal supplemental feed on good pasture.

Purchase hybrid geese from hatcheries that cross high-laying breeds like Chinese geese with heavier or hardier breeds. These crosses typically produce 40 to 60+ eggs per year while gaining benefits from hybrid vigor, such as improved disease resistance and feed efficiency.