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...
Read MoreTag: goose
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...
Read MoreBeware 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...
Read MoreA 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...
Read MoreAnother 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...
Read MoreDon’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...
Read MoreMating 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...
Read MoreDuck, 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...
Read MoreSilly 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...
Read MoreJewelry 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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