Cotton Patch Geese

A flock of Cotton Patch Geese
Photo courtesy of Mark See

This is a now rare native American sex-linked breed. They got the name Cotton Patch Goose in the Deep South, where they were historically used to weed cotton fields. In other parts of the country they were sometimes found under other names.

Although similar to Pilgrims in their dimorphism, Cotton Patch Geese are much sleeker in body type, resembling more closely the Graylag Goose. Unlike most domestic geese they can fly fairly well, though not for long distances. They also deal with hot weather better than most geese.

Males are white with some dove gray feathers on the rump. Females are found in two color phases -- Pied or Saddleback and solid, which is much like the Pilgrim Goose but dove gray where Pilgrims are normally a darker gray. These phases may be found in the same flock. They are sexable at hatching, the females being dark with a pink and gray bicolored bill and the males being yellow.