If Gooses were children they'd be on Ritalin!

[DuckyBoys]

I just spent a good 20 minutes in the brooder room watching these guys.

Boy are they busy! While the ducks are happy splashin around in a puddle getting as dirty as possible all the geese had to come "chat" with me. My oh my - did they ever have a lot to say. Not only that - they had a really hard tme keeping their beaks to themselves. I find it difficult to believe that they'd last 10 minutes sitting Indian style on the kindergarten carpet. The child psychologist would be called in and every last one given a prescription.

they had to taste the fence wire - the cardboard on the floor - the shavings, two actually JUMPED up to try and get a feel for a ring hanging off the wire.

All the while those pink little beaks never stopped - they'd be tagged "Overly-social" (just like my daughter was

)- yessir - I'd be in the principal's office every day if gooses were children.

 

[greyfields]

I could watch geese and goslings all day. At that age, I love how their 'chatter' still is more whistling than honking. Peep peep peep peep back at you, little guys.

If you get very good at whistling, they sometimes will start giving you an education in goose language.

 

[cgjsmith]

I agree I don't know when puberty hits and they become sulky teens but I hope it is a long time from now!! My geese know as soon as I come in and start talking to be let out to forage. they stop and talk to me for a min then head out for the grass. If I sit outside to watch them graze they will come by every so often and chat with me

Crystal

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

We just got some goslings this morning and I love them. I had a pair of romans before, but they drowned a duck, so they had to go. I picked one up and said "you are so adorable" and it was like "bwee wee we weep". They talk for sure, it seemed that I got many short responses to some things I said, but when I mentioned keeping one, it went on forever. I agree about them being hyper. As soon as all the ducklings were down and had water they all went under the heat lamp. Once I put the goslings in, they started trying to eat the plate that the food was on, then they nibbled the shavings, and when they found the food they were having a chat fest. While all of this was happening, the ducklings just sat there. I think I might try to keep one, there are 2 brown chinese, 2 tufted romans, and one yellow gosling. Mom wants sebastapols, and Metzers has sebs and embdens that are yellow as babies, so there is a 50/50 chance that it could be a seb. I love the tufted romans, but mom wont let me have them because of past experiences.

 

[snowydiamonds]

Only a week or two to go to see if my Pilgrim pair have something to show for their dedication and hard work...hoping they and I get some or at least one of those little chatterboxes...(they sound like weimaraners LOL)

 

[dogzrule5]

I'm enjoying my two little goslings as well. And chatter they do - especially the little (female?) one! Every evening I hold them on my lap and talk to them and they constantly tell me what they did all day while I was at work!! Then they yawn a couple of times and I tell them I need to go to bed too!

 

[greyfields]

Quote:
You know, mine hatched 6, 3 of which did not survive the first 24 hours. There were probably 6 more eggs in the nest when I moved them all to a safer place (with all the other goslings/ducklings and guardian Supermom's).

Just for a giggle I put the 6 last eggs into my incubator hatching tray. A full week later, 3 more had hatched. So, as far as %'s go, my geese do a better job than my Sportsman (or the person operating it more likely).

 

[snowydiamonds]

Greyfields, The bedding near the nest is wet, I have been adding dry bedding on top but am wondering if I should remove that and place all dry bedding now? Or, would it interrupt their nesting? Its wet from the adults bathing all winter. Almost did the bedding last night but thought I'd ask you 1st as I've interrupted my cockatiels in the past and they wouldn't sit on the egg afterward...Cheryl

 

[greyfields]

I wouldn't worry about moisture near the nest. I occassionally put additional hay down in a pile near them. The girls seem drag more to the nest if they think they need it, or ignore it. Either way, waterfowl eggs are designed to be moist.