| Date：2026-6-12 |
| Place：Room 407 |
| Advisor：Dr. Chih-Feng Chen, Dr. Fa-Jui Tan |
| Student：Ting-Wen Chuang |
| 摘要 |
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In recent years, the goose meat industry has shifted from focusing mainly on production efficiency to emphasizing meat quality, nutritional value, sustainable production, and animal welfare as common development priorities. Taiwan’s goose industry has long relied on the White Roman goose as the main commercial production breed, primarily because of its rapid growth and superior reproductive performance. In comparison, Chinese geese possess favorable traits such as thinner subcutaneous fat, desirable meat flavor, and valuable genetic resources. This study aimed to establish basic data on the growth, reproduction, and genetic parameters of Chinese geese, and to compare White Chinese geese with White Roman geese in growth performance, carcass composition, and meat quality traits, in order to evaluate the production potential and industrial application value of Chinese geese as a local meat breed. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate reproductive performance, growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality, providing a reference for future breeding planning and industrial application. In Experiment 1, White Chinese geese and Brown Chinese geese raised at the Northern Region Branch, Taiwan Livestock Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, were used. Body weight and reproductive trait data collected from 2021 to 2024 were analyzed to evaluate growth performance, reproductive traits, growth curve characteristics, and genetic parameters of body weight traits in the two breeds. Growth curve parameters were estimated using the Gompertz nonlinear model, whereas genetic parameters were estimated using an animal model combined with multi-trait average-information restricted maximum likelihood (AI-REML) to assess selection potential at different growth stages. In Experiment 2, White Chinese geese and White Roman geese were compared in terms of growth performance, feed utilization, carcass composition, abdominal fat, physicochemical properties of breast meat, proximate composition, and sensory evaluation to assess the production potential and utilization value of White Chinese geese as a local meat breed. The results of Experiment 1 showed that the Gompertz growth curves of both breeds exhibited typical S-shaped patterns. The mature body weights of male and female White Chinese geese were 5,338.6 and 4,347.7 g, respectively, higher than those of male and female Brown Chinese geese, which were 4,386.6 and 3,832.7 g, respectively. The growth rates of male and female White Chinese geese were 1.77 and 1.72, respectively, also higher than those of male and female Brown Chinese geese, which were 1.33 and 1.40, indicating better early weight gain capacity in White Chinese geese. The maturation rates of male and female White Chinese geese were 0.37 and 0.38, respectively, slightly higher than those of male and female Brown Chinese geese, which were 0.33 and 0.35, indicating that White Chinese geese approached mature body weight more rapidly. The inflection point ranged from approximately 3.96 to 4.22 weeks of age, suggesting that around 4 weeks of age was a critical turning point in growth rate. Body weight heritability varied with age. In Brown Chinese geese, the heritability estimates for birth weight and body weight at 4 weeks of age were 0.88 and 0.54, respectively, indicating higher selection potential for early body weight. In White Chinese geese, the heritability estimates for body weight at 12 and 16 weeks of age were 0.59 and 0.65, respectively, suggesting that mid- to late-age body weight may be a more suitable selection criterion. Reproductive traits were similar between the two breeds on average, although marked individual variation was observed. The results of Experiment 2 showed that White Roman geese exhibited faster weight gain before 10 weeks of age, whereas White Chinese geese showed more stable and continuous weight gain. Body weights of male and female White Roman geese from 0 to 10 weeks of age were mostly significantly higher than those of White Chinese geese (P < 0.05); however, no significant difference was observed between the two breeds in males at 12 weeks of age, and overall feed utilization did not differ greatly between the two breeds. For carcass traits, the dressing percentage and breast meat ratio of male and female White Chinese geese were significantly higher than those of White Roman geese (P < 0.05), while the abdominal fat percentage of female White Chinese geese was significantly lower than that of female White Roman geese (P < 0.05), indicating higher meat yield and lower fat deposition in White Chinese geese. In terms of meat quality traits, White Roman geese showed better breast meat water-holding capacity, processing characteristics, and sensory acceptability. In summary, this study established basic data on the growth, reproduction, and genetic parameters of Chinese geese, and further clarified the differences between White Chinese geese and White Roman geese in growth performance, carcass composition, and meat quality traits. White Chinese geese were characterized by a higher dressing percentage, higher breast meat ratio, and lower fat deposition, indicating that they may serve as an important breed resource for developing local specialty, low-fat, or high-breast-yield goose meat products, and may also provide a reference for future Chinese goose breeding planning and industrial application. |
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