Clever Embden's

First I have to talk about my hens - I was losing quite a lot of feed due to rooks and magpies taking it, so I bought a treadle feeder. After the hens got used to the "clang" they happily ate from it, and I saved so much food, it was so good.

Now, about 6 weeks ago, I was given 2 adult Embden's with their 3 goslings as the farmer owner was worried about their 2 daughters (1 year and 2 years old) straying and getting attacked by the "on guard" gander. So now I have them and they are grand - I have had no problems with Mr, as long as you respect their signals all is fine and I even think they are beginning to trust me a little, as they now come running if I call them when putting fresh salad and apples into their water bucket, they come to about 2 feet from me without hissing!

BUT - now the pesky critters have worked out how the treadle feeder works! I was under the impression that the geese would graze away, and I have about 3 acres of natural land surrounded by about 70 acres of private forest which then impedes into the wild forest and mountains, so I have plenty of good and wild grasses. But they also take from the treadle feeder, and now, instead of saving food (from the magpie's and rooks) I am using twice as much!!

I guess they need to eat it, and at €10 for 20kg it is not the end of the world - I just wish they did not do this.

First pic, shortly after I first had them; 2nd pic, about 4 weeks later (present day, in fact).

Hi and thanks for your reply. Yes it did not take them too long to work out the treadle feeder. Had to laugh when the goslings were smaller and they would just flop down (as they do) on their bellies and munch away! The adults can actually just lean in and push open the feeder door without standing on the treadle part - very clever.