Goslings of 2014 Hatch-a-long

[livininbrazil]

She is flapping a lot now. it seems more like she is stretching her wings like the ducks do when i let them out of their night time coop in the mornings. Saireth (my son) and I got punched my each wing the other day!! OMG!! We both felt like crying. Its the first time she did it. I cant believe her wing span is soo soo big. she isnt more than ? 3 lbs? I didnt realize she had the strength she had in her wings. im not sure about cutting her wings yet. the few inches of lift that she is getting is helping her get around the yard when we are outside. she flaps and it makes it so she isnt tripping every other step. i think i will wait a little longer.

she is such a sissy. i keep reading everyone's posts about how their geese fight and protect the ducks and "rule the yard" . when we are close enough to the ducks, there is one female duck close to Forest's age that picks on her. The duck tries to yank out Forest's feathers right behind her neck. Forest screams but doesnt defend herself. I always grab the duck and hold her down for correction. (dont know if this is right)
I took these pics yesterday. It is so hard to capture feathers with my phone. i will take better pics later with my good camera.

She´s really lovely, and what a stonking great bill she has! You won´t need to clip her wing just yet, she has a little way to go yet. You´ll know when.
I´ve had mine fly over my head before and clip me with their wings, it hurts! Nearly happened today, but I ducked when I heard him coming!
If she´s a Pilgrim female, and she looks to be that, she´ll be mild-natured. A lot of the posts on here about ruling the yard are to do with ganders mostly, and they´re normally chinese, Embden, etc. I don´t remember reading anything on here about Pilgrims giving trouble. Mine are really mild. even the silly ganders.
Here´s a pic of a young pied female cottonpatch:
And a young Pilgrim pair:
Pilgrims and cottonpatches are very similar, they both have the dilute gene that makes for light grey females and white males.

 

[livininbrazil]

Been a long time to have gosling this age serv I had forgot how often they molt. Looking forward to what they all look like when finished. And the voice changing is dramatic right now too.

Just imagine when I had the 20 youngsters... looked like some bird had been killed down there!

OH!! This is what I think is going to happen to forest's face!! the way her white feathers are coming in reminds me of this color pattern. i didnt know that there were geese smaller than pilgrims.

Pilgrims are smallish, but there are smaller breeds.. Normandy, Shetland, and there are some breeding 'mini-geese' now!

 

[livininbrazil]

Livin i am starting to build more breeding pens and he will breed with a crossed female or females .
I need lavender females!

And we need to see them!

importantly more steinbachers!

Absolutely. You seem to be well on your way with that gander, next year will be exciting

My Muscovy's are starting to molt. the pool today looked like a Muscovy lost all it's feathers.
Ii expected to see a naked Scovy running around.

Okay guys. My husband is going to build me an inside/night time coop for forest. It will be similar to a dog crate but made for a goose. (you all know our situation =) I would like to build to to the specs of her being an adult just incase she stays an inside bird for her entire life. can anyone give me a suggestion on dimensions?

also, I discovered something today when we were out feeding the geese. she stands up to the drakes and screams when the girls pick on her?????


i saw something else interesting today. one of the mean drakes was preening harry, another young drake?? he has always been mean to harry... why would he be preening him?

Getting a taste? Whetting the appetite???
A crate for her just at night could be a yard square, but if she´ll be in it a lot during the day, then it´d need to be at the very least 3 yds x 3 yds.
The ducks won´t be too much of a problem for her once she grows, but the drakes may be a nuisance, you´ll need to keep an eye on them.

 

[Starfire669]

Well I got my second goose egg today. I am pretty sure this egg is also from Snow.

Can I still check for fertility if the eggs have been refridgerated? I'm curious to see if Noel is getting the job done.

 

[servpolice]

Livin. we should really have the steinbacher convo. in that other thrend!
And how many of you're females are brooding?!

 

[Starfire669]

So this morning as I am letting my geese, ducks, and chickens out for the day, I find 2 goose eggs next to the chicken coop. That means that I have 3 geese laying, as 1 goose egg was found in the duck nest yesterday. I saw Snow and Peaches in the nest again, so I am fairly sure those 2 are laying. But I don't know who my 3rd layer is. I would assume my 3rd layer is Jasmine or Cream. Jasmine is the same age as Snow, and they are my eldest geese, and Peaches and Cream are the nest oldest pair. but, knowing how my geese like to surprise me it could be 1 of the younger females as well.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So this morning as I am letting my geese, ducks, and chickens out for the day, I find 2 goose eggs next to the chicken coop. That means that I have 3 geese laying, as 1 goose egg was found in the duck nest yesterday. I saw Snow and Peaches in the nest again, so I am fairly sure those 2 are laying. But I don't know who my 3rd layer is. I would assume my 3rd layer is Jasmine or Cream. Jasmine is the same age as Snow, and they are my eldest geese, and Peaches and Cream are the nest oldest pair. but, knowing how my geese like to surprise me it could be 1 of the younger females as well.

Wow, I have heard of Chinese laying in the fall of the year but this isn't even fall. They make awesome omelets.

 

[andreacroyle]

She´s really lovely, and what a stonking great bill she has! You won´t need to clip her wing just yet, she has a little way to go yet. You´ll know when.
I´ve had mine fly over my head before and clip me with their wings, it hurts! Nearly happened today, but I ducked when I heard him coming!
If she´s a Pilgrim female, and she looks to be that, she´ll be mild-natured. A lot of the posts on here about ruling the yard are to do with ganders mostly, and they´re normally chinese, Embden, etc. I don´t remember reading anything on here about Pilgrims giving trouble. Mine are really mild. even the silly ganders.
Here´s a pic of a young pied female cottonpatch:
And a young Pilgrim pair:
Pilgrims and cottonpatches are very similar, they both have the dilute gene that makes for light grey females and white males.

she does look a lot like a cotton patch. this cotton patch looks identical to her. i wonder if the farmer has cotton patch and thinks they are pilgrims. they look so close. she has started flapping and punching us. she got my son and me in the face yesterday. left a huge mark on his cheek. i never thought she would be afraid of the girl ducks and not the boys... very excited to see what she is going to look like as an adult.

 

[andreacroyle]

Just imagine when I had the 20 youngsters... looked like some bird had been killed down there!
Pilgrims are smallish, but there are smaller breeds.. Normandy, Shetland, and there are some breeding 'mini-geese' now!

Mini Geese!!!! OMG!!!! I WANT one!!!! would i goole "mini geese" or is there a breed name?

 

[8GeeseALaying]

So this morning as I am letting my geese, ducks, and chickens out for the day, I find 2 goose eggs next to the chicken coop. That means that I have 3 geese laying, as 1 goose egg was found in the duck nest yesterday. I saw Snow and Peaches in the nest again, so I am fairly sure those 2 are laying. But I don't know who my 3rd layer is. I would assume my 3rd layer is Jasmine or Cream. Jasmine is the same age as Snow, and they are my eldest geese, and Peaches and Cream are the nest oldest pair. but, knowing how my geese like to surprise me it could be 1 of the younger females as well.

You could do the same thing i did this spring, when i didnt know who was laying. Paint their vents with food coloring and wait, then match colored egg with colored bottom.