Goslings of 2014 Hatch-a-long

[psue]

first peek

 

[8GeeseALaying]

first peek

Is that a buff bill?

 

[psue]

Is that a buff bill?

Yes

 

[8GeeseALaying]

Yes

Aww lil buffy fluffy butts

 

[KimberlyK0509]

I need some helpful advice. I have 2 3 week old Sebbies. I live in Iowa. today it is 60 degrees outside. Can I take them outside to play in the grass or is it still too cold?

 

[Iain Utah]

It won't be long now!

 

[bibkel]

I need some helpful advice. I have 2 3 week old Sebbies. I live in Iowa. today it is 60 degrees outside. Can I take them outside to play in the grass or is it still too cold?

Will they have access to water to bathe in? Too cold for that. I would bring them out, let them gnaw on some grass, pose for some. Pictures that you post here, of course. I will watch them, pick them up to check for cold pitter patters and limit it to about an hour, unless they seem chilled. Get them in RIGHT AWAY and blow dry if they get wet.

 

[psue]

I need some helpful advice. I have 2 3 week old Sebbies. I live in Iowa. today it is 60 degrees outside. Can I take them outside to play in the grass or is it still too cold?

Will they have access to water to bathe in? Too cold for that. I would bring them out, let them gnaw on some grass, pose for some. Pictures that you post here, of course. I will watch them, pick them up to check for cold pitter patters and limit it to about an hour, unless they seem chilled. Get them in RIGHT AWAY and blow dry if they get wet.

x2 as long as there is sun get them out for a little while at least. I've even been known to put up a wind block so they could stay out longer. But do keep them dry till they are somewhere warmer.

 

[tillyita]

So 2 days ago we had a freaky rain mixed with hail. It wasn't sleet, the hail stones were visible and damaged a lot of my garden plants. My chicken and geese house was soaked from the sideways rain/hail getting in the through the wire ventalaion around the pen. (in Texas, so heat was main concern building pen, we are not supposed to get snow or hail here!). So yesterday I kicked out ALL my birds from their home, 8 goslings, 7 Wyandottes, 7 Reds, 5 Barred Rocks, 6 Buff Orphintons, and 9 Black Australorps. The pen had been divided with the 7 week olds in 1 half and the 2 week olds on the other separated by wire so the big ones can't hurt the little ones. I sent my hubby and kids to watch the flock while I cleaned the pen. Omg that was a mess, a water bucket had a dent from hail stone, and the hanging feeders were wet, had to throw it all out. After a 2 hour intense clean and dry, cause there were some standing puddles in the run. We then had to get the birds back in. The 2 week old babies were easy, since we had put them in a dog playpen. The geese followed me like they always do, and thank goodness most of the chickens followed the geese. But 8 chickens decided to be stubborn. We tried to lure them with food, nope, we tried herding them, nope, i even brought the geese back out since the chickens follow them, 1 chicken followed. That left 1 option, chase and catch the chickens. So picture myself, my 6'3" hubby and 2 boys chasing 7 week old chickens around the yard, falling on our knees and such. Then my cat decides to watch the excitement, I'm sure she though dinner! So we caught her and locked her up and resumed chasing chickens. One idiot Buff Orphinton decided to make straightfor a dog pen, no one was even chasing it at that point! The dog managed to grab the chick by the wing, i herd the squak and ran over in time to rescue the chick, she only lost a few wing feathers thanks to the chainlink fence. Another chick decided to fly straight at my face when i caught the bird next to it. One of my sons nearly face planted diving for a chicken. We did manage to catch them all and no bird was harmed by it all, though the humans have minor injuries from it. My neighbors had a very good laugh about the whole thing, I'm sure.

I can't fully enclose the pen, the birds would cook in Texas heat, I just hope we don't get another freak hail. The chickens have only been allowed to free range 3 times now and Never all at once. I keep the groups to about 10 and that many chickens follow the geese back to their pen nicely. So they are being trained to go home, it just hasn't sunk in for the chicks yet.

I figured I'd give you guys a good laugh.

I can definetly picture the mayhem. I'm very, very lucky! I have herding dogs - when the chickens don't come and put themselves away when I call, I call one of the dogs! The chickens learn really quickly to go to their pen when I call (and the ducks.... and the geese). Generally I just have to take a dog with me when its time to put everyone away and they all race to their pens. I've found the easiest way to train the chickens is to let them out an hour before dark to start with, then they are easier to put away because they go into roost, this works well for me because I feed right before "bed time" so they want to be in the pen.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

Quote: I am currently feeding my chicken flock chick feed so that will be handy if I can just continue it on with my Goslings.
Ok, I have the perfect cage/ run thing for these little guys...for their first few weeks any way then they will probably get to big.
Niacin sounds very important for geese ( adults to? ) how come ducks don't need it? or I have never been told they do.

I have just checked out Vegemite and it contains Vitamins B1, B2 AND B3 so this should be fine? It also has Folate which is B9.
It also says that Niacin is 25% of every 5g serving, at 2.5mg. So that brings me to another question....How much Vegemite should I put in their water each day???

Quote: Thank you and that's exactly what I am hoping to do, avoid all unnecessary problems.
I most certainly will. In fact I will probably overload you all and then you'll wish you never asked

.

I have been talking to some people about acquiring some eggs off of them and they say that they won't have egg until Spring, which is SEPTEMBER for us down here. That is ages away!!!
Did you not say breeding/ hatching occurs in Winter? Which for us is right about now!!!