# Why are goose so much more to buy than turkey? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 28, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866 "2004-12-28T02:34:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/1 "2004-12-28T02:34:37Z")
I’ve always wondered this. Goose is about $45 thereabout to purchase frozen in the freezer case. Turkey, especially during the holidays, is practically free. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/2 "2004-12-28T03:12:50Z")
I happened to look at the frozen geese at Wal\*mart. They were 98 cents a pound here in TN. 😕😕 I didn’t think that was too bad. Still, I’d say it has to do with demand, goose just isn’t that popular in America. Just a WAG. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/3 "2004-12-28T05:03:22Z")
Geese are not raised domestically like turkeys are. At least not in the same numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/4 "2004-12-28T10:00:30Z")
Boy, that must win some kind of prize for “Understatement of the Year”. 😃 Shirley, the reason for this is because there is no multi-million-dollar Goose Industry in the U.S. the way there is a multi-million-dollar Turkey Industry. You ever notice all that ground turkey, turkey sausage, turkey lunch meat in a dozen different forms, turkey hot dogs, smoked turkey drumsticks, deli sliced turkey, 99 cent-a-pound turkey breast, Jennie-O turkey loaf two-fer-$5 at Wal-Mart? You ever notice any ground goose, goose sausage, goose lunch meat in a dozen different forms, goose hot dogs, smoked goose drumsticks, deli sliced goose, 99 cent-a-pound goose breast, Jennie-O goose loaf two-fer-$5 at Wal-Mart? Turkey rules. [Your Tax Dollars At Work.](http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/002938.html) > [@](#): > > 263 million > > The preliminary estimate of the number of turkeys raised in the United States in 2004. That’s down 4 percent from 2003. The turkeys produced in 2003 weighed 7.5 billion pounds altogether and were valued at $2.7 billion. \<[http://www.usda.gov/nass/](http://www.usda.gov/nass/)\> > > 46.5 million > > The number of turkeys Minnesota expects to raise in 2004. The Gopher State is tops in turkey production. It is followed by North Carolina (39.0 million), Arkansas (28.0 million), Missouri (21.5 million), Virginia (19.0 million) and California (16.0 million). These six states together will probably account for nearly 2-in-3 U. S. turkeys produced in 2004. So it’s just capitalism, the law of supply-and-demand, and factory-farming at work. There’s not much demand for goose, so nobody thinks they could make any money off goose, so not that many people go into the goose-raising business, so goose is not mass-produced the way turkey is, so goose is relatively scarce, so goose producers charge a higher price for their relatively scarce product. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Deschain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@Roland\_Deschain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Deschain)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/5 "2004-12-28T10:11:35Z")
By goose do you mean duck? My WallMart had duck for $4.00 (and change) per pound. If it’s the same as your Goose I would say that it illustrates two important principals: 1. All most everything comes down to the Law of Supply and Demand at least to some extent. 2. Wall-Mart (it is my understanding) allows their local store managers to have significant pricing and merchandising authority. This is one of the “secrets” to their success. Thus, in markets where goose is in demand they can charge more than in those where it is less so (perhaps they are trying to cultivate a “taste” for goose in your market)… ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/6 "2004-12-28T11:23:22Z")
> [@Roland Deschain](#): > > By goose do you mean duck? My WallMart had duck for $4.00 (and change) per pound. If it’s the same as your Goose I would say that it illustrates two important principals: > > 1. All most everything comes down to the Law of Supply and Demand at least to some extent. > > 2. Wall-Mart (it is my understanding) allows their local store managers to have significant pricing and merchandising authority. This is one of the “secrets” to their success. Thus, in markets where goose is in demand they can charge more than in those where it is less so (perhaps they are trying to cultivate a “taste” for goose in your market)… That’s not really a secret to their success a lot of large chain retailers do that. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/7 "2004-12-28T12:27:24Z")
First, allow me to apologize for the apgar-3 phrasing of my OP. I was rushed as I had a bath running and wanted to post the question before I forgot it. Secondly, I would rather eat goose over turkey any day of the week. Turkey is dry, tasteless and makes everyone sleepy. The only problem I can see with cooking a goose is the fact that it really full of fat and that can be bothersome in clean up. ( Save it in a jar for future cooking.) But the meat is moist and tasty. There are some area gentlemen farmers who raise goose, but I think more for their eggs. I have always entertained the idea of raising some fowl, except geese are very territorial and quite nasty. Mr. Ujest was badly pecked by a goose when he was a kid but that was because his German grandfather caught him throwing pebbles at the geese in their goose run and then decided to _teach him a lesson_ by putting him inside the goose run. I still think it is pretty funny. But, I’m sick like that. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/8 "2004-12-28T14:44:49Z")
Anyone know of a good recipe for Canada Goose? If we harvested, say, 5% of the wild ones in the eastern US, it might start to rival turkey consumption. I was once told that a wild goose will not be especially tasty due to its diet of grass and weeds. The trick, apparently, is to trap a goose and fit it with corn for a week before killing it. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/9 "2004-12-28T14:45:53Z")
Er, “fit” = “feed” ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/10 "2004-12-28T19:24:03Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > There are some area gentlemen farmers who raise goose, but I think more for their eggs. That thing about golden eggs is just a story, turns out. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/11 "2004-12-28T19:30:23Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > I was once told that a wild goose will not be especially tasty due to its diet of grass and weeds. I just ate a wild Canadian yesterday and am in total agreement with that assessment. Here’s another looking for a better recipe. ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/12 "2004-12-28T19:49:57Z")
**Xema** and **lieu** That’s only true of eastern Canada Goose. In the central flyway of the midwest, they mainly eat grain, so they’re quite good to eat. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/13 "2004-12-28T23:09:49Z")
I think the OP has been answered (supply and demand), but do remember to shop around. I like cooking goose for Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners, but I’d rather not shoot my own, as I don’t like cleaning them. A shame, I suppose, since I’m watching hundreds of Canadian geese in my neighbor’s cornfield as I write this. Our local grocery store had goose for over $4.00 a pound (no, **Roland** , it’s not duck). I refuse to patronize Wal-Mart, because I’ve seen how they destroy small towns. I did, however, check several other supermarkets and found prices everywhere from $1.50 per pound up to about $4.50 per pound. And every year, they’re different! ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/14 "2004-12-28T23:55:39Z")
We cooked a goose for Xmas about seven years ago. Roasted in the oven. 1. The amount of grease at the bottom of roaster caused my ticker to skip a few beats. It filled up a quart jar! From a 10 lbs goose. :eek: I would say that’s the main reason turkey’s don’t have much to worry about. 2. A turkey can be roasted and still juicy. My brother-in-law uses a lower temperature, more time, and a roaster with a couple of cups of water. 3. We use to eat the eggs from the geese who “mowed” and “fertilized” our lawn. Green yolks were the result. Dr. Seuss would be proud. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/15 "2004-12-29T17:08:18Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > That thing about golden eggs is just a story, turns out. 😉 Well, sure, but goose eggs are still valuable. Sports coaches seek to give them to other teams. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/16 "2004-12-29T19:54:46Z")
The typical, common, everyone’s-got-'em turkeys sold in America are of the Broadbreasted White breed. This breed has been developed to have lots of breast meat and to grow it quickly. The birds cannot function wholly normally, being unable to mate naturally and unable to walk normally when full grown. As mentioned, a huge industry is built around them and they can be sold cheaply. Other breeds of turkey, collectively called Heritage Breeds, are available from small operations. Their meat is juicier with a better (in most opinions) flavor. They tend to sell for more like $3-4 per pound, as opposed to less than $1 per pound for Broadbreasted Whites. Pretty much like duck and goose, it seems. Google on _broadbreasted white_ for more info. ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Deschain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@Roland\_Deschain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Deschain)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-goose-so-much-more-to-buy-than-turkey/281866/17 "2004-12-29T20:09:58Z")
A quick clarification at Wall-Mart before Christmas they had both goose and duck in addition to many brands of turkey. The duck was around $2.50 per pound while the goose sold for around $4.50 (Turkey went from .70 cents per pound to about $1.75 depending upon the brand). The point of this is that they had both goose and duck, and that the goose was more expensive. Also, in response to the one of the above posters it is my understanding that many national (retail/grocery) chains do (or did not) give the sort of pricing and inventory control that Wall-Mart does to its store managers. This is the kind of question that someone like Neil Cavuto could probably answer in about thirty seconds (or he would at least know who to call for the answer) because it is considered a “fundamental” example of success in retail marketing.