Advert Description
*Feb 24 Stock availability.
2023 male/female RBST leg rung as pairs.
Only sold as pairs unless I have odd numbers.
I do NOT sell hatching eggs or young goslings.
I assess/monitor all goslings before being leg rung as part of a Pilgrim breeding project.
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Pilgrim are a rare auto sexing breed. The female and male are different colours from hatch. Females are a darker down colour to the males growing into grey females and mainly white males. Pure bred Pilgrims are hard to find because the UK Pilgrim gene pool has been badly affected by cross breeding. The spot gene is evident in many breeding groups- which has a long term effect on the gene pool. In worst cases resulting in the auto-sexing trait being lost completely.
If you want to preserve this beautiful gentle breed, then don't be afraid to ask questions of the breeders. Ask about spot gene, do they know what it is and do they have it in the flock? Make sure you know what to expect a pure Pilgrim to look like. Ask to see the parent birds or pictures/videos of them.
I have seen some terrible examples passed off as pure breed... white females, splash coloured birds with crests!
If you want to know more there is a facebook group, or message me for more information.
RBST Pilgrim breeding project. To preserve the breed in its truest form a project was set up under the umbrella of Rare Breed Survival Trust.
Pilgrim goslings are assessed at key stages by breeders, and evidence shared within the breeding Project hub. If the bird continues to meet the required quality level the breeder is given approval by the Pilgrim project to fit a unique ID Project closed leg ring before the bird grows too big!
The Project team maintain quality control and oversight of all the Project birds. Birds that fail to meet the requirements are not leg rung, or the leg ring is subsequently removed.