Genetics and Breeding

Tufted Buff

The Tufted Buff goose were created by crossing a Tufted Roman goose with a Buff goose. The initial goslings were white and tan and some with tufts. It took many years of crossing those with a lot of tan with those that have good tufts to get a Tufted Buff as we know it now. This hard work was done by Ruth Book of Book Farms in Granby, Missouri. The result is a Tufted Buff with a distinct helmet-like tuft of fluff on its head, but with the beautiful buff color of the American Buff.

Every now and again we do get a Tufted Buff that hatches with patches of yellow that turns white as it grows. We do not sell these as Tufted Buff, but instead include them in our Mixed Geese. This means if you purchase Mixed Geese, you might get an off-color Tufted Buff!

Since we purchased all of Mrs. Book’s breeders, we are one of the only commercial breeders of the Tufted Buff. They are not currently recognized by the American Poultry Association, but we hope that this will change as more people purchase them and begin to show them at exhibitions.

Several years ago, we sold some American Buff and Tufted Buff breeders to Andrea Heesters from the Netherlands. We encourage you to check out her website for pictures and more information.

The Tufted Buff can lay about 20-30 eggs a year and averages in size around 13-15 pounds full grown. The Tufted Buff is an easy-going bird in general and is a great addition to any flock. Or, if you just want one as a pet, they make for excellent companions.