How about a Thread for Embdens?

[Miss Lydia]

Its a nice relief to know I'm not the only one who takes my geese for walks lol. That's too funny. Fingers crossed that you find them

I'd love to see the pics. Mine tap at the door too and sometimes my dogs bark thinking that someone is here lol.

Here's Sam at the back door.

 

[Haunted55]

Here's Sam at the back door.

Awww...

 

[ducklover87]

Here's Sam at the back door.

Awww how cute

 

[Miss Lydia]

Awww how cute

Thanks, he can't do this anymore because one day I was on the computer and I heard a knocking on the door before I could get there my mixed breed dog had stuck her head out the dog door and grabbed Sam [by his chest feathers thank goodness] no skin involved at all. but It scared me enough to know this wasn't a good idea. I think he had bullies her too much and she had the chance and took it. So some attitudes had to be changed between my dog and the geese who thought it was their right to bully. It has been worked out now but when I walked into the room and saw all those feathers. I wasn't sure if Sam was mortally wounded or not. Not a good feeling.

 

[ducklover87]

Thanks, he can't do this anymore because one day I was on the computer and I heard a knocking on the door before I could get there my mixed breed dog had stuck her head out the dog door and grabbed Sam [by his chest feathers thank goodness] no skin involved at all. but It scared me enough to know this wasn't a good idea. I think he had bullies her too much and she had the chance and took it. So some attitudes had to be changed between my dog and the geese who thought it was their right to bully. It has been worked out now but when I walked into the room and saw all those feathers. I wasn't sure if Sam was mortally wounded or not. Not a good feeling.

Oh my goodness I would of been mortified! Thank god he was alright. I couldn't even imagine what that must of felt like.

 

[RURU]

Thanks, he can't do this anymore because one day I was on the computer and I heard a knocking on the door before I could get there my mixed breed dog had stuck her head out the dog door and grabbed Sam [by his chest feathers thank goodness] no skin involved at all. but It scared me enough to know this wasn't a good idea. I think he had bullies her too much and she had the chance and took it. So some attitudes had to be changed between my dog and the geese who thought it was their right to bully. It has been worked out now but when I walked into the room and saw all those feathers. I wasn't sure if Sam was mortally wounded or not. Not a good feeling.

Miss Lydia my geese also knock on the front of the house or door and the dog we have starts barking all the time and mind you this is a Great Dane and about scares the pants off me!!!
I know the feeling of what your heart does when you see things like what the dog did to your Sam.

 

[ducklover87]

So I'm always full of questions it seems. So I have complied a small list of questions for what's important now. I'll number them so its easier to keep track of them and respond. 1. The things that hang down by a goose's legs are they called lobes or keels? 2. It seems mine have recently started developing them and they look crooked. They are different sizes and they aren't perfectly centered. Will this change over time? 3. In relations to number 2 is having perfectly aligned and similar (keels?) An important trait to breed for? Or does it not really matter? 4. I have a broody Pekin in my only pen (don't worry totally predator safe) but during the day I leave the door open so that she can visit with her flock or just get out and stretch her legs. Well a couple of times I've caught my geese chase her off the nest and start messing with it. I'm not sure what they are doing to it as I always catch them and tell them no and herd them out of there. Is this normal? I'm afraid they might try to break her eggs. I found 2 egg shells outside her nest today when I chased them away but they were only there for a second and in came angry goose momma. I'm not sure if my Pekin did it or if they did it. Will they destroy her nest? 5. And lastly winter is coming and I'm unsure of what to feed them. Right now ducks and geese are on a crumble grower from the feed mill. I think its 15% protein I could be wrong. The tag comes off when I open the bag so I can't just go look at it. I have oyster shell out for my layers but it doesn't get eaten as much as I thought it would. I normally add cracked corn to their diet as we have harsh winters and I heard corn helps them make body heat? Please correct me if I'm wrong on that. Would they be OK with the added cracked corn? Also should I try them with hay? I think it is some people feed them? I'm really not sure on this winter feeding thing. Thanks for reading and I'm excited to hear what you guys have to say

 

[Miss Lydia]

So I'm always full of questions it seems. So I have complied a small list of questions for what's important now. I'll number them so its easier to keep track of them and respond. 1. The things that hang down by a goose's legs are they called lobes or keels? 2. It seems mine have recently started developing them and they look crooked. They are different sizes and they aren't perfectly centered. Will this change over time? 3. In relations to number 2 is having perfectly aligned and similar (keels?) An important trait to breed for? Or does it not really matter? 4. I have a broody Pekin in my only pen (don't worry totally predator safe) but during the day I leave the door open so that she can visit with her flock or just get out and stretch her legs. Well a couple of times I've caught my geese chase her off the nest and start messing with it. I'm not sure what they are doing to it as I always catch them and tell them no and herd them out of there. Is this normal? I'm afraid they might try to break her eggs. I found 2 egg shells outside her nest today when I chased them away but they were only there for a second and in came angry goose momma. I'm not sure if my Pekin did it or if they did it. Will they destroy her nest? 5. And lastly winter is coming and I'm unsure of what to feed them. Right now ducks and geese are on a crumble grower from the feed mill. I think its 15% protein I could be wrong. The tag comes off when I open the bag so I can't just go look at it. I have oyster shell out for my layers but it doesn't get eaten as much as I thought it would. I normally add cracked corn to their diet as we have harsh winters and I heard corn helps them make body heat? Please correct me if I'm wrong on that. Would they be OK with the added cracked corn? Also should I try them with hay? I think it is some people feed them? I'm really not sure on this winter feeding thing. Thanks for reading and I'm excited to hear what you guys have to say

Here's is talk on lobes https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/808721/what-kind-of-geese/20 They can explain it a lot better than me.

As for your geese messing with your Pekins nest, I would keep them out, for one thing geese a nosey and just getting in there standing in the nest can break the eggs and they may keep her from getting on the nest and brooding also.

During winter I give my flock whole corn in the afternoon, actually I give them whole corn all year around mixed with dried meal worms, the whole flock gets this mix and they are not over weight as I don't over due for 37 flock members they get 22oz of whole corn mixed with 22ozs of dried mealworms tossed out on the ground. I bought timothy hay for mine last fall and the whole flock munched on it but their favorite stuff was the greens I brought home from the grocery store, kale, Romaine lettuce, and collards. But I will still get hay again this year too. I also mix in some 7way scratch grains into my fermented feed. and whole oats too.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

here is a good reference on external anatomy. Keels are not lobes and lobes are not keels

 

[ducklover87]

Here's is talk on lobes   https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/808721/what-kind-of-geese/20   They can explain it a lot better than me.

As for your geese messing with your Pekins nest, I would keep them out, for one thing geese a nosey and just getting in there standing in the nest can break the eggs and they may keep her from getting on the nest and brooding also.

During winter I give my flock whole corn in the afternoon, actually I give them whole corn all year around mixed with dried meal worms, the whole flock gets this mix and they are not over weight as I don't over due for 37 flock members they get 22oz of whole corn mixed with 22ozs of dried mealworms tossed out on the ground. I bought timothy hay for mine last fall and the whole flock munched on it but their favorite stuff was the greens I brought home from the grocery store, kale, Romaine lettuce, and collards. But I will still get hay again this year too. I also mix in some 7way scratch grains into my fermented feed. and whole oats too.

Thanks for that link it was really informative. So I guess I was talking about lobes not keels. OK then I'll close the door and put her own food and water in there. Along with something to bath in. I'll only keep the door open when I'm outside to watch that way she can come out if she wants. My Rouen drake seems to like to check up on her and make sure she's o.k. I've caught him laying next to her during the day or even outside the pen at night. He's a real sweet heart that one. I thought maybe it was timothy hay that was fed as its a softer hay. My sister has a rabbit and will eat the timothy hay but not the alfalfa hay I gave her when I realized it wasn't as good for bedding as shavings are. She looked it up online and it stated that it was a softer hay. Where do you get your timothy hay? I always see farmers selling hay or alfalfa hay but never timothy. What's 7 way scratch grains? I've never heard of it.