Now that they’re big enough to keep up, the goslings spend their days wandering outdoors with the flock. The flock has, of course, slowed its pace to accommodate the little ones, and they rest frequently. The goslings are...
Read MoreWe had a little flooding problem here at the farm — not the kind that washes away houses and highways. The driveway and some fences are a bit worse for wear, though. This dirt path to the little creek is now a gravel...
Read MoreFinally, after weeks of being penned, the geese and their goslings have earned a few hours of limited yard duty. They didn’t exactly go running out when the barn door swung open though. Nope, Queen Ingrid stretched out...
Read MoreThe 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...
Read MoreAfter 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...
Read MoreAmerican 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...
Read MoreTheir house still stands, though it and the rest of the property is neglected and unused now. The county long ago abandoned the road that once bordered the north side of the yard. My youngest daughter and I visited there a few years ago on a long road trip we took for the primary purpose of her gaining a lot more real-world driving experience before taking the exam for her driver’s license. The old farm place seemed a fitting destination for that coming-of-age experience, and I bored her for days with stories of my childhood adventures with my cousins there. Hot summer days picking blackberries . . .
Lamb Chops and the rest of the herd are celebrating with a day of grazing out in the orchard . . . as soon as I take them out to the orchard. Ingrid, the American Buff goose, and her snowy white Embden companions heard the...
Read MoreEven the chickens huddle up close to the fireplace when the temperature drops and the snow flies. Really, there’s a fireplace in this picture with the chickens — the back of one, at least. The wide base of the...
Read MoreMeet 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...
Read MoreWinifred Goose & her best buddy rooster, out for an afternoon stroll through the woods. The rooster is one of a half-dozen look-alikes that hatched out year before last. He was destined for the soup pot until Winifred picked...
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