Goose Shenanigans

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I had goats at one time they are very similar to geese as far as finding things to get into.

The only difference I see is goats will eat wood, and knock stuff over. Geese seem to enjoy wire, strings, latches and chains.

The other good thing is geese don't try to knock me over like goats can, and do. I'm getting too old for pushy goats, so geese are a good replacement to me.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Missy chews on wood still and she'll be 8 yrs next April.

I only ever had 2 goats at one time mama and daughter. And my mama goat would rear up like she was going to head butt us but she never did. She was like a dog actually. Love to play and was always taking my dh's hat off his head.

 

[bluemerle]

My geese are chewing holes in the plywood skirting alongside our house. I've already had to patch it several times.

 

[Goosebaby]

I’ve got a few more stories, I’ll share Isabel’s story tonight.

Isabel “Izzybee” was a femal Buff goose I had a a few years ago. She was an amazingly sweet and smart little girl. She, Lavender “a female French Toulouse,” and Lavender’s gosling Pear were out and about with me one morning when a person from PG&E came by to read the meter.

She seemed like a nice girl about my age, she waved and with a smile told me she was there to read the meter, I thought this was odd because most of the time the meter readers just ignore my presence if they see me around the yard and continue about their business, I don’t really blame them...I’m usually covered in water, dirt, feathers, and/or wood shavings and accompanied by a posee of the avian variety around or on me so in one way or another I’m probably a terrifying sight to behold.
It all made sense when she told me this was her first day on the job.
I thought this was pretty cool, I was looking for a first job myself at the time so I could really relate to the joy of not being reliant on your parents and having that naive feeling of elation when you’ve attained the empowerment and freedom that you assume you’ll get with finally having just any job.

But then she saw Izzy and Lavender and that’s when things went south.

Izzy and Lavender were standing about 5 yards away at the back corner of the house...staring.

Her face turning white, the girl stumbled back, “you have geese! I don’t like geese!” She gasped in sheer horror.
“Oh they’re fine” I blurted, “it’s just the girls and they’re nice.” I said trying to calm her.
I’d just banished my hormonal gander Leo to the back pen after an incident involving a water bucket and a massive nasty bruise rapidly forming on my thigh so honestly it was just the shy goosey girls and the baby out with me. I never have fear of Leo actually attacking strangers, he only intimidates, but the girls are guaranteed not to cause trouble in comparison so I wanted her to know that they’re girls, therefore she’s safe.

“I was attacked by geese once” she told me keeping her eyes firmly on Izzy and Lavender who were firmly keeping their eyes on her “I’ve had a phobia since” she said.
“It’s fine” I said smiling, “Izzy and Lavender are completly harmless!”

Wrong words.

Izzy threw her head up, one eye flashing with an enraged defiance that could only have meant “I’LL SHOW YOU HARMLESS!” as she spread both wings and ran/flew cackling all the way up the hill at her unfortunate goose paranoid victim.

With a scream the PG&E employee fled to her truck as I simultaneously half laughing half screaming in shock at Izzy’s unexpected aggression, yelled “IZZY NOO!” while trying to intercept my tiny irate buff goose.

The girl tore out of our driveway with Izzy in hot vengeful pursuit.
I never saw that employee again.

To this day I feel some guilt over laughing, I wasn’t laughing at her, she probably firmly believes I’m some diobolical goose whisperer that sicked my fiendish little golden dragon on her.

 

[DiYMama540]

I like the description of yourself, trust me when I say you're not the only scary looking goose person out there!

That poor meter reader!! She probably went straight back to the office and quit!! Rough first day!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

That’s the funniest story I’ve heard yet! I have to agree I’m not sure who looks the scariest here me or my geese I am usually pretty rough looking too after being out with them for a while. I have to tell y’all about my gander an my son who is a grown adult actually both of them are my son came over and all my birds were in the back yard with me, Sam the gander has always been a biter and it’s usually me or the dogs he gets. Well this day after my son an I visit for a few minutes my son turns to go inside and Sam promptly bites him right on the butt. Talk about a surprise. I didn’t hurt with heavy jeans on but to this day my son is scared of my gander( of course he’d never admit it). I too had an encounter with geese at a marina when my children were young and for years I was terrified of them. But I am so glad I decided after having ducks for 3 yrs to venture into geese. They can sure be trying at times but I couldn’t imagine life without them. I look at Sam as ornery as he is and can’t hardly believe he’ll be 13 this coming April. He came via my Muscovy hatching him.

 

[DiYMama540]

That is too funny! So I'm guessing your son is not willing to bird sit Sam for you? Poor guy! They seem to pick up on who's scared of them and they take advantage. BB doesn't really bother new people in the yard, just starts screaming and making noise. Chance on the other hand, fluffs feathers, and hisses...but the moment you walk towards him he runs away screaming Not as brave as he would like to appear!

 

[Miss Lydia]

No one know how wimpy they really are though!!

 

[DiYMama540]

No kidding, lots of noise but that's about it! Chance is a big weenie at heart!

 

[bluemerle]

@Goosebaby @Miss Lydia That's hilarious!

Oddly my luck has been the opposite? Everyone who comes to the house loves to see the geese. My mail lady actually used to always come with me to say hello to the ducks when I had them, and then was even more smitten with the geese. Of course, the geese are always behind a fence, so that probably makes a difference ....