[1] Like the other breeds of livestock native to the islands, the Shetland goose is small in stature, generally weighing between 12 and 14 pounds (5 and 6 kilos).
This was done to rid the grass of parasites, such as the liver fluke, which would prepare it for grazing by sheep.
[3] Like a few other goose breeds, including the Pilgrim and Cotton Patch, Shetlands are sexually dimorphic at hatch (called auto-sexing in poultry nomenclature), and can be differentiated on appearance alone.
[2] The Shetland goose has a shorter bill, due to its natural ability to forage.
[4] The breed is currently being studied by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, which considers populations in North America to potentially be too low to maintain sufficient genetic diversity (in North America).