Baby Geese! (Photos added ... they are large though)

[championny]

I am so jealous. I have three Toulouse (not the dewlap) in my incubator right now but they are only on day 4!

I also have to agree about the White Chinese. That little guy is going to be noisy! But they make good watch dogs. Keep us posted as soon as he gets bigger and starts to feather!

 

[greyfields]

My had some "foster" White Chinese last year and they were my wife's favorite. It's jsut their long skinny necks and shouting had her in stitches. If we ever find someone moving trying to get rid of geese, I would bring a pair in just to make her happy. Their 'honk' is so distinct that we could tell them apart without seeing them.

 

[GoodEgg]

My neighbors are going to LOVE me.

I already have a runner duck that WAACCKK-WAAACCKKKs loudly most of the day.

Funny, the roos crowing aren't a problem for anyone (probably because my roos are all banties) ... then again those light brahmas in the brooder are straight run, and one of my buff orp pullets is developing a suspiciously reddish ridge on the head ...

All I need is to add a honking goose to the mix ...

I hope my neighbors like eggs. I'm going to have to visit them again.

Soon.

trish

 

[championny]

You know, I have a Silkie rooster that doesn't seem to bother my neighbors. He croaks a few times, but living with a busy road on one side, forest with all kinds of noises in the back and airplanes overhead all day long, I think his little attempt at a crow doesn't seem trivial.

How big are they now? I can only imagine as these little guys grow like children; too fast.

 

[DuckyBoys]

Quote:
Some of our neighbors have roosters and they crow all the day long!

I don't care though, we live in the country - that's what the country is for. I am new to this whole duck duck goose thing but I can't see anyone getting too bent out of shape about the noise really - I mean legally I think we are allowed to have like 30 birds per acre or something like that. We too are in the the flight path of a major international airport - when the weather is bad and they change up the flight patterns I'm sure there are thousands of people gazing down into my little homestead! What's a little cock-a-doodle-doo and honking in the big scheme of things!

Good Egg - post more pics!

 

[championny]

I love the sound of a rooster crow. I am a country boy in suburbia. Somehow I lost my way, but its only a detour. I'll need to send a pic of my set up because you would not believe how I am able to keep my birds on such a small lot. There are no foul smells or overcrowding and I still have plenty of room.

My neighbors would not appreciate a standard roosters crow, but someday I will be able to have one, or two, or maybe a few more.

 

[GoodEgg]

I'm waiting to finish the next roll of film and get it developed. I really wish I could get a good digital camera. The animals (and life in general) have kept me too busy to get online here.

They are getting HUGE. I don't notice it much, day by day, but I used to put them all into a largish shoe-box sized box and carry them. Hehe, I couldn't STUFF two of them into a box that size now.

They are much MUCH larger than my chicks, who are several weeks older. To tell you the truth, they don't look tiny beside the ducks, though they are smaller of course.

We have lots of animals around too. Two houses over there is a horse, some cows down the hill, roosters scattered around, and I hear a very upset donkey from time to time. There are lots of others around too, but those are the ones I hear. I'm just afraid Baka (my runner duck) is the most annoying of all ... I know she drives US crazy!

Geese are in an outside pen now during the day. They are too big to stay in a brooder, and they get too bored there. Everyone free-ranges around them, and they are used to the ducks and chickens coming by. They have almost stopped eating feed, at least during the day. The weeds and grass interest them MUCH more. I think I'm going to have to keep moving their pen around to keep them with fresh weeds, much faster than I had to move the chickens' baby pen.

They have such personalities. The black marked ones are sweet, and make the cutest noises and want to rub their heads on my arms. One of them eats my hair every chance he gets.

The yellow one ... well, he likes attention. But he can be MEAN to the other babies! I have to separate him into another brooder, because if he wakes up at night and there is no water, he started ripping tufts of feather-fuzz from the dark ones, making the poor things scream. And if I pay attention to the dark marked ones, he will sometimes try to bite them and get to me. I think he'd be fine as a single goose, but as part of a group he's a bit of a challenge. They seem to get along fine if they are out in the pen though.

Oh, and they are like the ducks were. The chicks put on adult feathers so quickly, but goslings keep the baby fuzz. No sign of adult feathers at all. But those stubby little wings are getting a little longer. They hop and flap their wings sometimes ... like they want exercise. I wonder if it's "practice" for those muscles for flying.

They are something else, and really very quickly becoming my favorites. I think Raiden (the kitten we found last year) is still my favorite (which is weird because I'm not a cat person really, but this little guy acts like a dog and makes the rounds with me while I do my chores, and pops out running on two legs to "attack" me sometimes) ... but the geese are catching up -- quickly! I even like them better than the dog, LOL.

(Geese / gooses ... I'm with you, greyfields, I call them "gooses" too. "Geese" just doesn't sound right, but I guess I can't overcome the habit in writing. But you're right. They're gooses! They know it too, LOL)

trish

 

[Frosty]

I have 6 Africans from Privett, 2 years old now and they don't have dewlaps. They kind of remind me of swans... I didn't handle them much when they were babies so most of them aren't really tame, but they aren't aggressive. One is sitting on eggs and did hiss at me when I was getting her off the nest to candle her eggs but she was all show and no action. I really do like these guys!

So if your little ones are African, you may not have to worry about dewlaps...

 

[Frosty]

One of my Africans from Privett... think she was molting at the time

 

[Flufnstuffs~FluffySilkies]

How cute - I have aweakness for geese.

Congratulations