The Roman goose descends from the white geese of ancient Italy — the sacred geese of Juno whose honking, by legend, woke the defenders of the Capitol. It is a small, fine-boned, pure white bird, and the tufted form — sold as the Tufted Roman or Crested goose — carries a short tuft of upright feathers perched on the crown like a helmet; it entered the APA Standard in 1977. Romans are calm and attach to their keepers, though some ganders turn aggressive in the breeding season. They are loud and make good watch geese, which suits a farm better than a suburb.
Cold hardy
Heat tolerant
Broody
Egg colorWhite
Egg production25–35 / year
TemperamentSome Ganders Aggressive
BroodinessFrequent
ClimateCold hardy, Heat tolerant
PurposeMeat And Guarding
Weight
Goose10 lb
Gander12 lb
How to spot it
Head
Tufted birds carry a small upright crest on the crown; blue eyes
Plumage
Pure white
Look for
A compact white goose with a tiny helmet of feathers
