Oie du Poitou
 | |
| Conservation status | |
|---|---|
| Other names |
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| Country of origin | France |
| Distribution | former Poitou |
| Traits | |
| Weight |
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| Classification | |
| APA | no[4] |
| EE | listed, not recognised[5] |
| PCGB | not recognised[6] |
| |
The Oie du Poitou is a French breed of goose originating in the historical province of Poitou in western France. It is always white, with orange bill and shanks, and may have common origins with other white regional breeds of west and central France.[3]: 62 [7]: 25 Like most other domestic geese, it derives from the wild species Anser anser.[8]
It is one of two goose breeds of Poitou, the other being the Grise du Marais Poitevin,[9] and so may also be known as the Blanche du Poitou or Oie Blanche du Poitou for clearer distinction therefrom.
History
The Oie du Poitou was bred in the historical region and former province of Poitou in western France, which corresponds principally to the modern départements of Deux-Sèvres, the Vendée or Bas-Poitou and the Vienne or Haut-Poitou, together with small parts of those of the Charente, the Charente-Maritime and the Haute-Vienne. It may share its origins with other white regional breeds of west and central France including the Oie de Touraine of the historic Touraine region to the east, and the Oie Blanche du Bourbonnais of the Bourbonnais, still further to the east.[3]: 62 [7]: 25
It was formerly reared in large numbers, principally for the production of skins and leather.[10]: 46 [11]: 68 [12]: 132 In 1940 there may have been 300000 of the geese; with the advent of synthetic materials, demand for the skins fell sharply, and by 1961 the total number of the birds had fallen to approximately 12000.[13][9] No population data has been reported to DAD-IS since 1994, when the total number was estimated to be between 10 and 1000 birds.[2] A census by the Conservatoire des Ressources Génétiques du Centre-Ouest Atlantique found a total of 71 birds of both sexes,[9] while a census by the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in 2014 found 89 (female) geese.[13] Its conservation status was listed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2007 as 'endangered',[1]: 48 and was listed in DAD-IS in 2026 as 'unknown'.[2]
It is recognised by the national Fédération Française des Volailles of France,[14] and is listed but not recognised by the Entente Européenne d'Aviculture et de Cuniculture.[5]
Characteristics
It is of medium or large size: body weights are variously given as 6 to 6.5 kg for both geese and ganders,[7]: 20 [8][2] or as 7 to 7.5 kg for geese and 8 to 9 kg for ganders.[13] It is pure white, with orange or orange-yellow bill and legs; the eyes are blue.[10]: 38 [7]: 20 [8]
Use
The Oie du Poitou was formerly reared principally for leather and skins (with the down left on them); these were marketed as peaux de cygne or bandes de cygne – meaning 'swan skins' – and were in high demand until synthetic materials became widely available in the second half of the twentieth century.[7]: 20 [10]: 46 Few of these skins were produced from birds of any other breed in France;[10]: 46 feathers, down and meat were also produced.[7]: 20
It is a rustic breed, and in the twenty-first century may be used for vegetation management.[9] The eggs weigh about 160 g.[7]: 20
References
- 1 2 Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 Breed Data Sheet: Oie Blanche du Poitou / France (Goose (domestic)). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2026.
- 1 2 3 Chris Ashton (2012). Keeping Geese. Ramsbury, Marlborough: The Crowood Press. ISBN 9781847973368.
- ↑ APA Recognized Breeds and Varieties: As of January 1, 2012. American Poultry Association. Archived 4 November 2017.
- 1 2 Liste des races et variétés homologuée dans les pays EE (28.04.2013). Entente Européenne d’Aviculture et de Cuniculture. Archived 16 June 2013.
- ↑ Geese. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 9 November 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Alain Fournier (2005). L'élevage des oies et des canards (in French). Paris: Artémis. ISBN 9782844163486.
- 1 2 3 Gérard Guy, Roger Buckland (editors) (2002). Annexe 1. Souches d'oies (in French); in: Production des oies, FAO Animal Production and Health Paper 154. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISSN 0254-6019, ISBN 9251048622. Archived 27 May 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 L'Oie Blanche du Poitou (in French). Coulon: Conservatoire des Ressources Génétiques du Centre-Ouest Atlantique. Accessed August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Gabriel Lissot (1946). Oies et canards (in French). Paris: Flammarion.
- ↑ Jean-Baptiste de Panafieu (2008). Des oies et des canards (in French). Gulf Stream Éditeur. ISBN 9782354880149.
- ↑ Jean-Claude Periquet (1992). Races de poules et de coqs de France (in French). Paris: Éditions Rustica. ISBN 2840380013.
- 1 2 3 Oca di Bavent: Arca del Gusto (in Italian). Bra, Cuneo: Fondazione Slow Food per la Biodiversità Onlus/Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. Accessed August 2026.
- ↑ Liste des variétés canards, oies, dindons, pintades reconnues en France, Janvier 2025 (in French). Fédération Française des Volailles. Archived 15 August 2025.