▁Sh et land ▁go ose ▁is ▁small ▁in ▁stat ure , ▁generally ▁we igh ing ▁between ▁ 1 2 ▁and ▁ 1 4 ▁pounds ▁( 5 ▁and ▁ 6 ▁kil os ). ▁They ▁are ▁very ▁hard y ▁and ▁exception ally ▁good ▁for agers , ▁and ▁are ▁able ▁to ▁largely ▁sust ain ▁themselves ▁through ▁gra zing . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁Sh et land ▁go ose ▁has ▁been ▁used ▁by ▁cro fter s ▁to ▁gra ze ▁past ures . ▁This ▁was ▁to ▁rid ▁the ▁grass ▁of ▁par as ites , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁li ver ▁flu ke , ▁to ▁prepare ▁it ▁for ▁gra zing ▁by ▁sheep . ▁ ▁Character istics ▁ ▁Like ▁a ▁few ▁other ▁go ose ▁bre eds , ▁including ▁the ▁Pil gr im ▁and ▁Cot ton ▁P atch , ▁Sh et lands ▁are ▁sex ually ▁dim orph ic ▁at ▁h atch ▁( called ▁auto - sex ing ▁in ▁p oul try ▁nom en cl ature ), ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁differenti ated ▁on ▁appearance ▁alone . ▁Gand ers ▁have ▁entirely ▁white ▁pl um age , ▁while ▁ge ese ▁have ▁a ▁head , ▁neck , ▁and ▁upper ▁body ▁with ▁gray ▁highlight s ▁and ▁a ▁white ▁under body . ▁They ▁generally ▁mate ▁for ▁life , ▁and ▁are ▁good ▁parents . ▁Sh et land ▁ge ese ▁lay ▁around ▁ 3 0 ▁eggs ▁a ▁year , ▁that ▁are ▁white ▁in ▁colour . ▁The ▁Sh et land ▁go ose ▁has ▁a ▁shorter ▁bill , ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁natural ▁ability ▁to ▁for age . ▁▁ ▁Sh et lands ▁were