Poultry
Pilgrim
B tier
Pilgrim is an American autosexing goose—ganders white, geese grey—developed as a medium farm bird for meat and moderate fat. Table quality is friendly and approachable: less overwhelming than giant Toulouse, still properly goosey for holiday roasts of manageable size. Ideal for smaller households wanting real goose without a twenty-pound project. Roast with apples and sage; save fat for weekday potatoes. A practical heritage choice for pasture farms.
Also known as: Pilgrim, Pilgrim goose
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Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Oscar Grow and others developed Pilgrim geese as autosexing utility birds in the Midwest.
Pilgrim type gained recognition among American goose breeders.
Rare-breed status followed declines in small-farm goose keeping.
Homestead revival returned Pilgrims to seasonal meat production.