Tag: goose

The great gosling escape

The three goslings escaped through the gap under the barn stall door.  That shouldn’t have been a surprise.  They are, essentially, toddlers.  I’ve yet to meet a toddler that doesn’t delight in slipping free of...

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A gosling update

After a couple days in the nest, the adult geese finally decided that the three goslings were strong for a short stroll in the sunshine.   It apparently was a momentous occasion.  The entire flock participated, except for the...

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Goslings!

Boot Biter Goose and her nesting partner announce the hatching of three goslings. They’re hiding under the parent geese right now.  We actually don’t know which goose is the mama.  These two have nested together for...

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Beware the Nesting Goose

American Buff geese deserve their reputation as calm, gentle birds — except during nesting.   A Buff defending her nest can be ferocious.  With five Buffs on separate nests around the barn, there’s a lot of...

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A goose tale

A few weeks ago, the sweetest of the young geese turned up lame.  She stumbled around and made pitiful sounds, so we prepared the big cage in the ‘hospital room’ and brought her in for rest and observation.   I...

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Another goose bucket

Meet Spraddles. This American Buff gosling is about a week old now and having trouble with its legs. Spraddle-legs or splay-legs is a condition often caused when a new hatchling can’t get good footing to stand up well. No...

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Don’t mess with Ingrid!

This is Ingrid’s first season as a nesting mother, and she’s taking her job seriously. Thirty days, on the nest, incubating and protecting those eggs . . . err . . . those egg-shaped gourds that look a lot like the...

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Mating Rituals

Lately, everywhere I turn, everything I do, I see pairings. Nature all around me is courting and matching up. Maybe it’s just the season, spring springing and all that. Maybe it’s because I’ve written a few romances and my mind...

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Duck, goose, duck

Sure, they’re friendly now. A few hours ago, when I added the gosling to the brooder, the 3 ducklings freaked. Eeek! Gigantor! It took them half an hour to work up the nerve to check him (her?) out – aka peck his...

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Egg sizes

Here’s a comparison of various egg types, just to give you an idea of the size differences. Eggs from left to right: goose, 6.5 oz.; duck, 2.6 oz.; chicken 1.8 oz; chicken 2 oz. I put the goose and duck eggs into the...

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Silly goose

Our American Buff geese seem to laugh at the cold. They’ll even bust the ice on their wading pool so they can bathe and play in the frigid water. They’ll come into the barn during the dark of night, but otherwise...

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Jewelry for geese?

I must be more careful what I toss onto the compost pile. The poultry dig through for snacks there . . . and apparently neckwear. I found this goose sporting an old peat pot one afternoon last week. She (he?) didn’t seem...

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