Öland Goose
The Öland goose, or Ölandsgås, is a Swedish landrace goose from the Baltic island of Öland. It is one of Sweden's old farm goose populations and is typically smaller and more traditional in type than heavy commercial meat geese. Plumage is commonly variegated in gray, brown, and white patterns, though landrace appearance is not as rigid as a show standard. The breed developed in small farm settings where grazing ability, alertness, and seasonal self-reliance mattered.
Today Öland geese are often discussed in the context of Swedish native-breed conservation and gene-bank style breeding. Keepers value them for hardy pasture use, but they still require predator-proof night housing, clean water, and careful gosling rearing in cold or wet weather. Breeding should preserve the landrace character rather than selecting only for size or unusual color. Buyers may need to work through specialist breeders and should check whether birds are recorded as Öland stock or simply resemble the pattern.
Colors: Blue, Brown, Brown and White, Buff, Buff and White, Gray, Gray and White, Grey, Lavender, Pied, Saddleback, Splash, Tufted, White
