Are Toulouse Geese good for showing?

Yes — the exhibition **'Dewlap' Toulouse** is a classic show goose, judged in the APA Goose class on its massive size, throat dewlap, deep keel, and full paunch. The lighter production type is bred more for the farm than the show bench.

How hard are Toulouse Geese to hatch?

They incubate like other geese — about a **30-day** hatch with daily cooling and misting and raised humidity at lockdown (see /hatching/goose). The catch is fertility: heavy Dewlap Toulouse have lower fertility and viability and can crush their own eggs, so an incubator or broody surrogate is often recommended.

What's the difference between a Dewlap Toulouse and a production Toulouse?

The **Dewlap (exhibition) Toulouse** is a giant, blocky goose bred for a large throat dewlap, deep keel, and full paunch, and is slow to mature. The **production/utility Toulouse** is lighter, faster-maturing, more fertile, and better suited to a home flock.

How big do Toulouse Geese get?

Big. Production birds run around **18–20 lb**, while mature Dewlap ganders reach roughly **20–26 lb** and sometimes over 30 lb. Dewlap birds keep developing and don't hit peak size until three or more years of age.

Are Toulouse Geese broody?

Somewhat — Toulouse can go broody and set, but the very heavy exhibition birds are unreliable brooders that may break their own eggs, so many breeders hatch with an incubator or a broody surrogate for the best results.

Toulouse Goose: The Gray French Giant

Q: What color eggs do Toulouse Geese lay?

Large **white** eggs — all geese lay white. Toulouse are seasonal layers producing roughly **20–35 eggs per year**, with the heavy exhibition Dewlap type usually toward the lower end.

Verified September 2026White eggs

The short version

The Toulouse is a large, gray French goose (a Buff variety also exists) that comes in two very different forms. The exhibition "Dewlap" Toulouse is a massive, blocky bird bred for a huge throat dewlap, a deep keel, and a full double-lobed paunch; the lighter production/utility Toulouse is a smaller, more fertile farm goose without the extreme furnishings. Both are calm, heavy, slow-maturing birds that lay large white eggs and are listed as a heritage breed by the Livestock Conservancy.

APA class: Goose

Egg color: White

Broodiness: Occasionally broody

Varieties: 2

Egg-color genetics

Like all geese, Toulouse lay large white eggs; there is no shell-color variation to breed for, so exhibition selection is entirely about body type rather than egg color.

Dewlap Toulouse vs Production Toulouse

The name 'Toulouse' covers two birds that look and perform very differently. The exhibition or 'Dewlap' Toulouse is the giant — a heavy, blocky goose bred for a pronounced fold of skin (the dewlap) under the bill, a deep keel, and a full paunch. Mature ganders are very large and can exceed 20 lb. This is the bird you see on the show bench and, historically, the type raised for foie gras in France.

The production or utility Toulouse is a lighter, more moderate farm goose without the extreme dewlap and keel. It matures a little faster, tends to be more fertile, and is the better choice for a home or small-farm flock that wants a calm gray goose and a few eggs rather than a competitive exhibition bird.

What color eggs do Toulouse Geese lay?

Large white eggs, like every domestic goose breed. Toulouse are seasonal, fairly modest layers — the Livestock Conservancy reports roughly 20–35 eggs per year, and heavy Dewlap birds are on the lower end. There is no colored-egg genetics to select for in geese, so shell color is never a breeding or show consideration.

Breeding notes

Decide which Toulouse you are breeding first: the heavy exhibition 'Dewlap' Toulouse and the lighter 'production' (utility) Toulouse are managed as two distinct lines. Crossing them muddies both — dewlap type in show pens, and hardier fertility in the production line.
Exhibition type is built on three developing features: the throat dewlap, a deep keel hanging from the breast, and a full two-lobed paunch. Per Metzer Farms, these birds keep developing for years and do not reach peak size until three or more years of age, so select breeders on mature type, not on how a yearling looks.
Keep breeding birds trim and fit during the season. Metzer Farms notes fertility and egg production in geese are much better when birds are not carrying excess fat — the opposite of the heavy conditioning used for the show bench, so exhibition and breeding condition pull against each other.
These are slow-maturing, heavy geese. Give them room, clean water for mating (heavy birds mate more successfully with access to swimming water), and plan on a multi-year timeline before a Dewlap line reaches its best.

Showing notes

Toulouse are shown in the APA's Goose class, entered by variety (e.g. 'Gray Toulouse'). Judges of the exhibition type look for massive size and the signature furnishings — a large throat dewlap, a deep keel, and a full, balanced double paunch — carried on a broad, horizontal station.
Condition exhibition birds to maximum size and smoothness of keel and paunch for the show, but remember that this heavy condition is not the trim shape you want for the breeding season.
The Toulouse is a Livestock Conservancy heritage breed (listed as needing monitoring), so well-typed exhibition and production stock has real conservation relevance, not just show placings.

Hatching & incubation

Toulouse are geese: expect a ~30-day incubation, not the 21 days of a chicken. Cross-reference the full goose schedule at /hatching/goose before you set eggs.
Goose eggs benefit from daily cooling and misting/spraying during incubation to mimic a wet broody returning from water; increase humidity for the last few days of lockdown before hatch.
Heavy exhibition Dewlap Toulouse can have real fertility problems: the Livestock Conservancy and Metzer Farms both note lower fertility and viability than lighter breeds, and large birds may crush their own eggs — so an incubator or a broody surrogate often gives the best hatch. The lighter production type is generally the more reliable layer and breeder.

Recognized varieties

GrayBuff

Frequently asked questions

What color eggs do Toulouse Geese lay?: Large white eggs — all geese lay white. Toulouse are seasonal layers producing roughly 20–35 eggs per year, with the heavy exhibition Dewlap type usually toward the lower end.
Are Toulouse Geese good for showing?: Yes — the exhibition 'Dewlap' Toulouse is a classic show goose, judged in the APA Goose class on its massive size, throat dewlap, deep keel, and full paunch. The lighter production type is bred more for the farm than the show bench.
How hard are Toulouse Geese to hatch?: They incubate like other geese — about a 30-day hatch with daily cooling and misting and raised humidity at lockdown (see /hatching/goose). The catch is fertility: heavy Dewlap Toulouse have lower fertility and viability and can crush their own eggs, so an incubator or broody surrogate is often recommended.
What's the difference between a Dewlap Toulouse and a production Toulouse?: The Dewlap (exhibition) Toulouse is a giant, blocky goose bred for a large throat dewlap, deep keel, and full paunch, and is slow to mature. The production/utility Toulouse is lighter, faster-maturing, more fertile, and better suited to a home flock.
How big do Toulouse Geese get?: Big. Production birds run around 18–20 lb, while mature Dewlap ganders reach roughly 20–26 lb and sometimes over 30 lb. Dewlap birds keep developing and don't hit peak size until three or more years of age.
Are Toulouse Geese broody?: Somewhat — Toulouse can go broody and set, but the very heavy exhibition birds are unreliable brooders that may break their own eggs, so many breeders hatch with an incubator or a broody surrogate for the best results.

Sources

Toulouse (Dewlap) Goose — breed overview, types, eggs & conservation status — The Livestock Conservancy (Reference)
Large Dewlap Toulouse Geese (exhibition type, dewlap/keel/paunch, fertility & breeding condition) — Metzer Farms (Hatchery)

More breeds & tools

Browse all Goose breeds.