What color eggs do Sebastopol Geese lay?

Large **white** eggs, like almost all domestic geese. Egg color is not a selection trait in this breed — the appeal of a Sebastopol is its curled plumage, not its eggs, and hens lay a modest roughly 25–35 eggs per year.

Are Sebastopol Geese good for showing?

Yes — they're a popular exhibition goose, shown in the APA's **Goose** class and judged mainly on the length, softness, and abundance of their curled feathering. Cleanliness and feather condition are critical, since the loose curly plumage shows dirt and damage easily.

How hard are Sebastopol Geese to hatch?

The eggs themselves incubate like other **goose** eggs — about **28–35 days** (roughly 30 for Sebastopols) with daily cooling and misting and a lockdown in the last few days; see /hatching/goose. The real difficulty is upstream: Sebastopol fertility tends to be strong early in the season and then drops off, so set eggs early.

What varieties of Sebastopol Goose are there?

**White** is the classic and most common variety, with **Buff** and **Gray** also seen. Across all colors the curled, trailing plumage is the defining feature the breed is bred and judged for.

Are Sebastopol Geese broody?

Often, yes. The Livestock Conservancy describes them as showing broody behavior and strong maternal instincts, so a Sebastopol goose will frequently sit and can raise her own goslings — handy if you'd rather not incubate artificially.

Sebastopol Goose: The Curly-Feathered Show Goose

Verified September 2026White eggs

The short version

The Sebastopol is an ornamental goose prized for its long, soft, curled (frizzled) feathers that trail from the body, wings, and tail and leave the bird effectively unable to fly. It is a medium-sized goose (ganders roughly 12–14 lb, geese 10–12 lb) that lays large white eggs, and it is a consistent show and exhibition favorite. It comes most commonly in White, with Buff and Gray varieties also seen, and it is listed as Threatened by The Livestock Conservancy.

APA class: Goose

Egg color: White

Broodiness: Frequently broody

Varieties: 3

Egg-color genetics

Like nearly all domestic geese, Sebastopols lay large white-shelled eggs — there is no blue or brown pigment gene at work here, so shell color is not a selection trait the way it is in chickens. The interest in a Sebastopol is entirely in the bird's plumage, not its egg color.

Why can't Sebastopol geese fly?

The same feathers that make the breed beautiful also ground it. In a normal goose the wing feathers have stiff, interlocking quills that form a rigid airfoil; in a curly Sebastopol the flight and body feathers are long, soft-quilled, and spiraled, so they neither lock together nor provide lift. The result is a bird that is effectively flightless and struggles to get off the ground — which is convenient for keepers with low fencing, but also means the loose plumage cannot repel water on its own.

That loose feathering is why bathing water and clean, dry housing matter more for Sebastopols than for tight-feathered geese: the birds rely on you to help them stay clean and in condition, especially in cold or wet weather.

Smooth-breasted vs curly Sebastopols

Not every Sebastopol is fully curled. The breed is seen in a curly (frizzle) form and a smooth-breasted form, where the breast feathers lie flat while the body and tail still carry the long, trailing plumage. The abundantly curled bird is the classic show type and the one most buyers picture, so breeders aiming for exhibition stock select toward heavier, more complete curl.

Breeding notes

The signature trait is the curl. Sebastopols occur in a curly (frizzled) feather type and a smoother 'smooth-breasted' type; the long, spiraling, soft-quilled feathers of the classic curly bird are what buyers and judges want, so most breeders select for abundant, well-curled plumage on the body, wings, and tail.
Fertility is the practical bottleneck, not color. Metzer Farms reports that Sebastopol fertility is adequate early in the season but drops off quickly — often with no fertile eggs in the last few weeks of spring — so plan to set eggs early and rely on natural mating rather than assuming a long fertile window.
Because the curled feathers do not lock together, water access matters for breeding stock: the birds cannot preen the plumage into a tight, waterproof sheet, so keep breeders clean and give them bathing water to stay in good feather condition.
Young birds may show a few gray feathers that molt out toward pure white by roughly 20 weeks in White-variety birds; don't cull a White gosling for juvenile gray until it has feathered in.

Showing notes

Sebastopols are exhibited in the APA's Goose class and judged largely on the quality of the curl — length, softness, and abundance of the curled feathering over the body, wings, and tail, with the classic look being feathers that nearly reach the ground.
Condition and cleanliness carry heavy weight. Because the loose, curly plumage cannot shed dirt or water the way tight feathering does, exhibition birds need clean bathing water ahead of a show and careful handling so the delicate curled feathers are not broken or matted.
In the White variety, judges want clean, pure white plumage free of stray gray or stained feathers; Buff and Gray birds are shown to their own color, but the curl remains the headline trait across all varieties.

Hatching & incubation

Sebastopols are goose eggs, not chicken eggs: goose eggs typically hatch in about 28–35 days (Sebastopols land near ~30), so set your incubation schedule for a goose, not a 21-day chicken hatch. See /hatching/goose for the full schedule.
Large waterfowl eggs generally benefit from daily cooling and light misting/spraying during incubation to mimic a wet broody goose returning from the water; follow the goose-specific humidity and cooling routine on /hatching/goose.
Move to lockdown (stop turning, raise humidity) for the last few days before the hatch, as with any goose egg — the exact day depends on your incubation length, so use the goose timeline rather than the chicken day-18 rule.
Sebastopols also make strong natural mothers: The Livestock Conservancy notes their broodiness and strong maternal instincts, so a broody Sebastopol goose can incubate and brood her own clutch if you'd rather not run a machine.

Recognized varieties

WhiteBuffGray

Frequently asked questions

What color eggs do Sebastopol Geese lay?: Large white eggs, like almost all domestic geese. Egg color is not a selection trait in this breed — the appeal of a Sebastopol is its curled plumage, not its eggs, and hens lay a modest roughly 25–35 eggs per year.
Are Sebastopol Geese good for showing?: Yes — they're a popular exhibition goose, shown in the APA's Goose class and judged mainly on the length, softness, and abundance of their curled feathering. Cleanliness and feather condition are critical, since the loose curly plumage shows dirt and damage easily.
How hard are Sebastopol Geese to hatch?: The eggs themselves incubate like other goose eggs — about 28–35 days (roughly 30 for Sebastopols) with daily cooling and misting and a lockdown in the last few days; see /hatching/goose. The real difficulty is upstream: Sebastopol fertility tends to be strong early in the season and then drops off, so set eggs early.
Why can't Sebastopol Geese fly?: Their long, soft, curled feathers don't interlock into a rigid wing surface, so the birds can't generate lift and are effectively flightless. The same trait means the plumage isn't naturally waterproof, so they need clean bathing water and dry shelter.
What varieties of Sebastopol Goose are there?: White is the classic and most common variety, with Buff and Gray also seen. Across all colors the curled, trailing plumage is the defining feature the breed is bred and judged for.
Are Sebastopol Geese broody?: Often, yes. The Livestock Conservancy describes them as showing broody behavior and strong maternal instincts, so a Sebastopol goose will frequently sit and can raise her own goslings — handy if you'd rather not incubate artificially.

Sources

Sebastopol Goose (breed profile & conservation status) — The Livestock Conservancy (Reference)
Sebastopol Geese (breed page: feathers, fertility, care) — Metzer Farms (Hatchery)
Sebastopol goose (varieties, weights, flightlessness) — Wikipedia (Reference)

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