We have been lucky I guess. Up to now our flock of geese have remained in the paddock overnight, flocking to one corner for night time. No losses despite our neighbours losing chickens in daylight hours. THEN, I go to feed the geese in the morning, putting the grain in the dog kennel run to stop the goats pinching it. As I look round I notice there is only one brown head, and no big brown gander bossing everyone around. Odd, so I look around and to my horror my eyes connect with the most godawful sight ever. My brown boy lies tangled in some branches. Headless and with large chunks of flesh removed from his chest. I start sobbing, and then do a fast head count...as I do I notice the outstretched white body in the mud. His mate. Dead, but untouched, maybe the fox tried to drag her off first, and brown boy went at it...and took the full brunt. Either way I was hysterical by now, and all I could do to go to the house and tell my husband what had happened. Could not believe it...two of our geese in one go. SO MEAN...
I sat up that night, after asking my DH to sort out the spare air rifle, and practising all afternoon. It was raining, cold and a bit creepy to be honest. BUT no way was anything getting my remaining geese. Nothing came. Even when I had left what was left of brown boy out as bait (broke my heart and I never took my eyes off him all night). I could not do another night on guard, so I decided each night I would have to move the geese from the field, into the upper enclosurewhere we keep the overflow ducks/chickens from our main enclosure. Trouble is this involved opening fence panels, trying to screen off routes, and trying not to lose the poultry from the enclosure when their gate was wedged open.
First few times were a nightmare, geese everywhere, some could fly and ended up down the other end of the field. I ended up wrestling some of them, but after an hour they were finally all tucked up inside the fenceline with a bowl of grain as reward. Each day it got easier, and now they take themselves from A to B, I love them. They are such bright creatures.
The whole flock has had to rearrange itself, Brown boy was such a great leader for them. He was an amazing gander...so good with the babies we added to the flock, and the newcomers that needed a new home. Even now, the group seem odd without Brown boy coming to the fenceline and telling my dobes off! He would also pinch the goat kids bums to make them leave their food!
We are currently rebuilding a broken shed we picked up, cheap, to house the geese at night. Until we can afford some electric fencing it seems to be the best course of action. Seems MR FOX, or MRS FOX, is quite bold. 13 geese and 2 dobermann's don't put it off coming on our land.
RIP Brown boy and Mrs Brown boy.
I sat up that night, after asking my DH to sort out the spare air rifle, and practising all afternoon. It was raining, cold and a bit creepy to be honest. BUT no way was anything getting my remaining geese. Nothing came. Even when I had left what was left of brown boy out as bait (broke my heart and I never took my eyes off him all night). I could not do another night on guard, so I decided each night I would have to move the geese from the field, into the upper enclosurewhere we keep the overflow ducks/chickens from our main enclosure. Trouble is this involved opening fence panels, trying to screen off routes, and trying not to lose the poultry from the enclosure when their gate was wedged open.
First few times were a nightmare, geese everywhere, some could fly and ended up down the other end of the field. I ended up wrestling some of them, but after an hour they were finally all tucked up inside the fenceline with a bowl of grain as reward. Each day it got easier, and now they take themselves from A to B, I love them. They are such bright creatures.
The whole flock has had to rearrange itself, Brown boy was such a great leader for them. He was an amazing gander...so good with the babies we added to the flock, and the newcomers that needed a new home. Even now, the group seem odd without Brown boy coming to the fenceline and telling my dobes off! He would also pinch the goat kids bums to make them leave their food!
We are currently rebuilding a broken shed we picked up, cheap, to house the geese at night. Until we can afford some electric fencing it seems to be the best course of action. Seems MR FOX, or MRS FOX, is quite bold. 13 geese and 2 dobermann's don't put it off coming on our land.
RIP Brown boy and Mrs Brown boy.
