What color eggs do Embden Geese lay?

**White**, and very large. Embden geese lay a plain white shell like almost all domestic geese; the eggs are simply much bigger than a chicken egg, which makes them popular for the table and for decorating.

Are Embden Geese good for showing?

Yes. The Embden is a classic exhibition goose shown in the APA's **Heavy** class, judged on size, breed type, and clean bright-white plumage set off by an orange bill and blue eyes.

How hard are Embden Geese to hatch?

They incubate about **30 days** rather than a chicken's 21, and the large, thick-shelled eggs usually do best with daily cooling and misting plus a lockdown in the last few days. See our goose incubation guide for the full schedule.

Can you tell male from female Embden goslings?

Often, yes, at hatch: in many strains gander goslings show a lighter gray/yellow down than the darker goose goslings. It is a helpful guide but not foolproof — adults are identically white and are sexed by size, carriage, and voice.

How big do Embden Geese get?

They are a heavy breed — mature ganders commonly reach roughly 20–26 lb and grow quickly, which is why the Embden is valued for both meat and exhibition.

Are Embden ganders aggressive?

Ganders can be assertive and protective, particularly around a sitting goose or goslings. Many are calm and tame with regular handling, but respect their size and guard them accordingly.

Embden Goose: The Big White Commercial & Show Goose

Verified September 2026White eggs

The short version

The Embden is a large, pure-white goose with an orange bill, orange feet, and bright blue eyes — one of the classic heavy commercial and exhibition breeds. It grows fast and finishes heavy (ganders commonly around 20–26 lb), which makes it a mainstay for meat, weeding, and the show bench. In some strains the goslings can be sexed at hatch by down shade — males hatch a lighter gray/yellow than the darker females — though as adults both sexes are identically white.

APA class: Goose

Egg color: White

Broodiness: Occasionally broody

Varieties: 1

Egg-color genetics

Like nearly all domestic geese, the Embden lays a plain white shell — the egg is simply very large. A goose egg from a mature Embden dwarfs even a jumbo chicken egg, which is part of why the breed is prized for both the table and for decorating (blown-and-painted 'goose eggs').

Breeding notes

Breed for size and correct type: the Embden is a heavy breed, so select the largest, longest-bodied, well-carried birds as your breeders. On the show table it is size and true Embden shape (a long, upright, big-framed goose) that separate winners from culls.
Use day-old down color as an early sexing aid: in many Embden lines the gander goslings hatch a lighter gray-and-yellow down while the goose goslings are a darker gray. It is a useful head start for pairing up breeders, but it is not a guaranteed auto-sexing breed the way the Pilgrim goose is — confirm sex later by size, carriage, and voice.
Plan for assertive ganders. Embden ganders are large and become protective, especially over a sitting goose or goslings; house and handle them with that in mind, and keep gentle-but-firm birds if you want a manageable breeding pen.
Cull hard against off-color feathering. Gray or 'dirty' feathers, and bills or eyes off the ideal (a stained bill, an eye that is not clean blue), all count against a white breed — keep breeders that hold clean white plumage.

Showing notes

The Embden is exhibited in the APA's Heavy goose class, judged largely on size, breed type, and condition — a big, correctly shaped bird in hard, clean feather.
Whiteness matters: judges want dense, bright-white plumage with no gray feathers or brassy/grass staining, backed by a clean orange bill and feet and clear blue eyes. Wash and settle show birds well ahead of time so the feather is spotless.
Because both sexes are pure white as adults, ganders and geese are told apart by size and carriage rather than color — present a bird that is large, upstanding, and in show condition.

Hatching & incubation

Goose eggs, not chicken eggs: Embden eggs incubate about **30 days**, not 21 — see /hatching/goose for the full schedule.
The eggs are large with a thick shell and membrane, so many hatchers add daily cooling and misting/spraying through incubation to mimic a wet goose returning from the water, which helps moisture loss and hatchability.
Move to lockdown (stop turning, raise humidity) for roughly the last few days before hatch; big goslings can take a while to pip and zip, so be patient rather than intervening early.

Recognized varieties

White

Frequently asked questions

What color eggs do Embden Geese lay?: White, and very large. Embden geese lay a plain white shell like almost all domestic geese; the eggs are simply much bigger than a chicken egg, which makes them popular for the table and for decorating.
Are Embden Geese good for showing?: Yes. The Embden is a classic exhibition goose shown in the APA's Heavy class, judged on size, breed type, and clean bright-white plumage set off by an orange bill and blue eyes.
How hard are Embden Geese to hatch?: They incubate about 30 days rather than a chicken's 21, and the large, thick-shelled eggs usually do best with daily cooling and misting plus a lockdown in the last few days. See our goose incubation guide for the full schedule.
Can you tell male from female Embden goslings?: Often, yes, at hatch: in many strains gander goslings show a lighter gray/yellow down than the darker goose goslings. It is a helpful guide but not foolproof — adults are identically white and are sexed by size, carriage, and voice.
How big do Embden Geese get?: They are a heavy breed — mature ganders commonly reach roughly 20–26 lb and grow quickly, which is why the Embden is valued for both meat and exhibition.
Are Embden ganders aggressive?: Ganders can be assertive and protective, particularly around a sitting goose or goslings. Many are calm and tame with regular handling, but respect their size and guard them accordingly.

Sources

Heritage Geese: Quick Reference Guide (breed chart) — The Livestock Conservancy (Reference)
Embden Goose (breed overview: origin, weight, plumage, eggs) — The Poultry Site (Reference)
Embden Geese (plumage, blue eyes, day-old down sexing, size) — Metzer Farms (Hatchery)

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