How Do You Tell A Male African Goose From A Female?
Gender identification in geese is difficult when the goose is young, and may only be achieved through vent examination. However, adult African geese demonstrate appearance, behavior and voice differences that can help with gender identification. Hold the gosling under a strong light and turn the gosling upside down so that the vent (anal opening) is exposed. Place the thumb and first finger over the vent and press down lightly. Part the fingers slowly so that the vent is fully extended. Look for a small penis sticking out of the vent. The penis will be spiral shaped and white. If a penis can be seen the bird is male. If a penis cannot be seen, the bird may be female, or the bird may be too young for the penis to be seen. Female birds have a genital eminence, folds of tissue that meet in a straight line in the middle of the vent, but this can be very difficult to identify in young birds. Examine the appearance and size of your geese. Adult African ganders weigh about 20 lb. A gander wil
