Shetland

The Shetland is a small domestic goose from the Shetland Islands in the north of Scotland. It is one of the lightest goose breeds, and birds rarely exceed the weight of a medium farmyard duck breed by very much. Centuries of life on exposed, low-input crofts shaped a thrifty bird that finds most of its own food from grass and rough grazing.

The breed is auto-sexing, which means the sexes can be told apart by feather colour from the time the goslings are well feathered. Adult ganders are white, while geese carry grey-and-white markings on the head, neck, back, and flanks. This trait makes the Shetland unusual among geese and is one reason small keepers value it.

Shetlands are alert and watchful. They notice movement around the holding and call out, which has long made them useful as low-cost watch birds in addition to their grazing and breeding roles. They are independent and self-reliant rather than clingy, and they cope with cold, wind, and wet better than many larger breeds.

Who it suits

The Shetland fits keepers who have grass to spare and want a goose that mostly feeds itself. Its small size means it eats less and is easier to handle than heavy breeds, which suits smallholders, conservation grazing projects, and people new to geese. It is a poor choice for anyone who cannot provide daytime grazing, since the breed is built around foraging rather than bag feed.

The breed takes its name from the Shetland Islands, the northernmost part of Scotland, where it has been kept on crofts for a very long time. Conditions there are demanding: thin soils, strong winds, long winters, and little spare grain. A goose that could survive on grass and wild forage with minimal extra feed had clear value to island households.

Unlike many modern poultry breeds, the Shetland was not created to a written standard by improvers. It was shaped by use and by the local environment. Birds that wintered well, foraged hard, and raised goslings without much help were kept on, and over generations this produced a small, tough, thrifty type rather than a large meat goose.

The auto-sexing colour pattern, white ganders and grey-and-white geese, is a long-standing feature of the breed. For crofters this was practical, since it allowed the sexes to be sorted by eye without handling each bird, which mattered when managing breeding groups for the next season.

Numbers fell as island farming changed and larger commercial breeds spread, and the Shetland came to be regarded as a rare traditional breed. Conservation-minded keepers in Scotland and beyond have since worked to maintain it, valuing both its history and its usefulness for grazing rough ground.

The Shetland is a small, neat goose with a compact body and an upright, alert carriage. It is built for hardiness rather than size, with a rounded breast, a fairly short neck for a goose, and tight feathering that sheds wind and rain. The overall impression is of a tidy, active bird rather than a heavy table goose.

Colour is the clearest feature. Ganders are white. Geese are grey and white, with grey on the crown, neck, back, and flanks broken by white, so the two sexes can be separated by sight.

Plumage and colour

The defining point is the sex-linked colour split. Adult ganders are clear white, while geese show grey markings over a white ground on the head, neck, saddle, and sides. Goslings can be sorted by down and early feather colour, which is the practical basis of the breed's auto-sexing reputation. Blue eyes and orange-pink bill and legs are typical of both sexes and add to the breed's distinct look.

The Shetland is an independent, self-reliant goose. It spends the day grazing and ranging on its own and does not depend on close human attention. With its keepers it is generally calm and used to routine, though it is not a lap bird and prefers to keep some distance.

The breed is alert and watchful. Shetlands notice strangers, vehicles, and predators and call loudly, which is why they have long been kept as inexpensive watch birds. Towards unfamiliar people they can be cautious and noisy rather than aggressive, and a settled flock usually calms once it sees there is no threat.

With other poultry the small Shetland is rarely a bully and can share grazing with ducks and chickens, though ganders defend nesting geese in the breeding season and need space then. Within the flock the birds are sociable and pair-bond strongly. They are hardworking foragers, content when they have grass to work, and prone to noise and restlessness when confined without it.

The Shetland is one of the easier geese to keep because it is small, hardy, and built to look after itself. Most care is about giving it the conditions to forage and keeping it safe from predators rather than intensive daily handling.

Grooming

• Geese groom themselves and need no clipping or trimming under normal conditions.
• Provide water deep enough to submerge the head and bill so the bird can clean its eyes and nostrils.
• Check feet and legs for cuts and signs of bumblefoot, especially on hard or wet ground.
• Expect a heavy annual moult; keep the area clean and let new feathers grow in undisturbed.

Exercise

• Daily access to grass for grazing and walking, which is the breed's main form of activity.
• Open ground to range over; Shetlands cover distance and dislike close confinement.
• Access to water for bathing, which keeps plumage in good condition.

Environment

Shetlands tolerate cold, wind, and rain well thanks to tight feathering, so a simple dry, draught-free, predator-proof house is enough. The priority is secure shelter at night, since foxes and other predators are the main threat to a small goose. Provide shade and fresh water in hot weather, and ensure fencing keeps the flock in and ground predators out.

Grass is the foundation of the Shetland's diet. The breed is one of the best foragers among geese and on good pasture in the growing season it can meet most of its needs from grazing alone. Supplementary feed becomes important in winter, during laying and breeding, and wherever grass is short or poor. Use a poultry or waterfowl ration; medicated chick feed is not suitable for geese and feed containing certain coccidiostats can be harmful to them. Grit must be available to help birds break down grass and grain.

Treats and supplements

Leafy greens, lettuce, and chopped vegetables are safe treats in moderation. Provide insoluble grit at all times so birds can grind fibrous grass, and offer oyster shell or a soluble calcium source to laying geese to support eggshell quality. Treats should stay a small part of the diet so the birds keep grazing as their main food source.

The Shetland is a hardy, healthy breed with a long lifespan for poultry, commonly 12 to 20 years and sometimes more with good care. Its self-feeding, weatherproof nature means it suffers fewer of the conditions linked to overfeeding and confinement. Most health problems are the general ones that affect grazing waterfowl rather than faults specific to the breed.

Preventive care

• Provide clean drinking and bathing water and refresh it regularly to reduce disease risk.
• Rotate grazing and keep a worming and parasite-check routine.
• Feed a balanced ration so goslings grow steadily and laying geese get enough calcium.
• Keep housing dry and well bedded to protect feet and joints.
• Observe the flock daily so problems are caught early.

The Shetland is built for an outdoor, free-ranging life on grass. The core needs are pasture to graze by day, a predator-proof house for the night, and access to clean water. Because the breed copes so well with cold and wet, housing can be simple as long as it is dry, ventilated, and secure. The real design priority is keeping foxes and other predators out, since a small goose is an easy target after dark.

Setup checklist

• A locking, predator-proof house large enough for the flock.
• Fenced grazing with rotation between areas where possible.
• Clean drinking water and a pond, trough, or tub for bathing.
• Shade for hot days and shelter from driving wind and rain.
• A dry, sheltered corner for geese to nest in the breeding season.

Shetland geese are good natural mothers, and many keepers let a broody goose sit and raise the goslings, which suits the breed's self-reliant nature. Eggs can also be incubated artificially. Goose eggs are large and benefit from extra humidity and, in some setups, light misting and cooling to mimic a sitting goose returning from the water. Incubation runs about 28 to 30 days, slightly longer than chicken eggs.

Hatching steps

1. Set clean, fertile eggs and label them with the date.
2. Hold temperature and humidity steady and turn the eggs several times a day.
3. Candle around the first and second week to check development and remove clear or dead eggs.
4. Stop turning a few days before the due date and raise the humidity for hatching.
5. Leave goslings in the incubator until dry and fluffed, then move them to a warm, dry brooder with water and unmedicated starter feed.