"Land Geese"

[Silver Spring Waterfowl]

quote=goosedragon]Their other trick for dealing with the heat was laying on their backs in the shade with their wings outspread. The first time I came home from work and found them that way I thought they were all dead! ~gd[/i] /]

Boy, I'm glad you related that observation! I have never seen it, but it's good to know about! I'd be thinking they'd had a heart attack or heat stroke. I'd probably have a heart attack of my own if I were to look out and see that. It gets so hot for so long here that I'm surprised I haven't seen it before!
My geese don't do "new" or "unfamiliar" very well. It always takes time, but this was The Worst:

Last year I put one of those barley straw sacks in their tank that retard the growth of algae, and they were terrified, wouldn't get in it, get close to it, nothing -for over a week! They'd check to see if it was still lurking there, avert their eyes, and beat feet! So I took it out so they could look at it in the hope that it would lose its menace on dry land. 85 geese ran like mad in an ever-smaller circle around the Alien Sack (all 4"x6" of it!), hissing and staring it down with one eye, all leaning as far over toward it as they could to give it a good look and a piece of their minds while maintaining maximum physical distance!

It was hysterical! Never went closer than 8 ft to it. They looked like the Indians circling the wagon train in the old cowboy movies. I finally had to take it up and hide it once I could finally move again. I just couldn't stop laughing! I cried (and that just made matters worse, but I just couldn't help it)!
I don't use those any more.
You know? They are not the least bit put off by poly sandbags, but they are just phobic about burlap! Talk about personalities! In retrospect, they probably have an innate fear of things like snapping turtles or alligators. But it was a priceless moment. (About as priceless as watching me keel over seeing all my geese laid on their backs!)​

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Boy, I'm glad you related that observation! I have never seen it, but it's good to know about! I'd be thinking they'd had a heart attack or heat stroke. I'd probably have a heart attack of my own if I were to look out and see that. It gets so hot for so long here that I'm surprised I haven't seen it before!
My geese don't do "new" or "unfamiliar" very well. It always takes time, but this was The Worst:

Last year I put one of those barley straw sacks in their tank that retard the growth of algae, and they were terrified, wouldn't get in it, get close to it, nothing -for over a week! They'd check to see if it was still lurking there, avert their eyes, and beat feet! So I took it out so they could look at it in the hope that it would lose its menace on dry land. 85 geese ran like mad in an ever-smaller circle around the Alien Sack (all 4"x6" of it!), hissing and staring it down with one eye, all leaning as far over toward it as they could to give it a good look and a piece of their minds while maintaining maximum physical distance!

It was hysterical! Never went closer than 8 ft to it. They looked like the Indians circling the wagon train in the old cowboy movies. I finally had to take it up and hide it once I could finally move again. I just couldn't stop laughing! I cried (and that just made matters worse, but I just couldn't help it)!
I don't use those any more.
You know? They are not the least bit put off by poly sandbags, but they are just phobic about burlap! Talk about personalities! In retrospect, they probably have an innate fear of things like snapping turtles or alligators. But it was a priceless moment. (About as priceless as watching me keel over seeing all my geese laid on their backs!)

Well I admit that once I realized that they were still alive and unhurt I got out the hose and sprayed them down which they loved. We had several days over 100F and geese don't do well in the heat (that down coat holds in the heat)~gd

 

[Silver Spring Waterfowl]

Was it a "Kodak moment", gd? Unfortunately, we have loooong periods of 100+ and no respite. We have a grand array of wading pools, poly tanks and just about anything a gosse can get in comfortably filled with water all summer. And they love the sprinkler! We also put 200' of misting system in for them just as the heat broke last year. They didn't have time to figure out what it was for. We have 2 very short growing seasons here. Everything dries up and goes dormant here in the heat of the summer and it's worse than winter. Pasture has to be monitored and supervised or they'll kill it. They're demons! If only they'd eat poison oak and poison ivy! It's already pushing 90 here. Bet this summer's a doozy!

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Yes it was and I haven't owned a camera since I worked for Kodak in the '60s. 100+ days are rare, but a kiddy pool will feel like a dishpan by 5 PM. Nights cool to the dew point 75-86. Around sundown we often get downpours that will send the ducks and geese under cover because of Hail. Tried a misting system for myself the humidity is too high for it to really work well. That deep well water feels great through a sprinkler, the birds will tear over to cool down and start feeding again. it must flush out insects since the ducks go into feeding frenzy (sp)
I dig the no GPS thing but give us a hint like your state? THEY will find you if they want to. back before the 2010 Census I got a 18 page survey from the census people who were running a study on "highly educated"people. The front cover had the usual half truths about how census compliance was reguired by law etc. On the bottom of the 2nd page someone admitted that this suvey was only run by the census and it was not required by law (I guess they figured us highly educated couldn't read fine print anyways I tossed it. 3 weeks later there it was again suggesting that I had forgot it. well I moved but kept my phone number and they tracked me down by that, about every 2 months I would get a call in the evening. well last month they caught me after spending all afternoon in the American Legion bar trading "war stories" with other vets and I broke and answered some of the questions (9th call after I started keeping track of them. Then they told me that it was a "lifetime" study and I woulld be contacted every 2 years until (and probably after) I had died! I have to quit drinking in the afternoon....

 

[cindyschicks]

Besides my geese who feel the pond is unsafe, I have three young (1 year old) ducklings, 2 Rouens and 1 Pekin, who apparently feel the kiddie pools are unsafe.

As much as I love my ducks and geese, I never guessed I was going to have to give them swimming lessons!

I guess I won't be getting any of those bags for their pools this year, hubby and I were just looking at them too!

 

[RockwaterFarm]

My ducks and one goose have to go through m dogs and about 100 yards of field to get to my neighbors pond. I didnt even show them either. I was coming up the road on day and saw all my ducks sitting in the water.

 

[skurfa]

They will probably find it on their own eventually. I live on a large creek and our land is about 10 feet above the creek level. Last year I raised 8 Mallard ducks, Once the ducks were full grown I figured they would love the creek, so I would catch one or two and carry them down there and put them in the water, before I could turn my back they would take flight and fly right back into the little fenced area they grew up in (with the chickens). After a couple weeks of this, I just gave up and figured I had myself a flock of yard ducks. Well, one day I came home and there they were, swimming around the pier having a grand time, from then on they rarely visited they chickens, they stay in the creek now, coming to the pier every morning and evening for their treat of corn. Every once in a while though, I come home to find them hanging out with the chickens in the run. I have a another set of 8 Mallards and 7 Khaki Campbells I am raising now (along with a dozen mixed exotic laying chickens), should be a fun summer!

 

[Silver Spring Waterfowl]

Quote:
That's why I don't hang out at the Legion or VFW much anymore!

And then there's always that "Don't feel like doing squat!" afterwards when I have work to do.....Such be the trials of life! What branch did you serve in? I was full-time Texas ANG (that a good hint?) and had 28 years in. Joined the AF in '76. The coolest part of working for the Guard was that I actually worked with a man in my shop who knew my Dad in North Africa in 1954!
The No GPS thng is a concession to DH. He is a bit exreme when it comes to publicizing. (He hasn't seen my page!) But you're exactly right! I can promise you, "They" know exactly where I am! Finding people is far too easy if one really wants to! For me, it's a matter of public record.

We were at 87 again today! I fear the laying season may well be done for the Buffs! We get mostly severe weather here in North Central Texas, too. And fires! LOTS of those lately, too! So far, this is the driest March on record. What I wouldn't give for a week of slow, gentle rain!

Quote:
Please don't write the barley sacks off because my geese came unhinged! They're very inexpensive. You could try one to see how yours react before ruling them out! Worst comes to worst, you could always use it someplace they can't see them. I do use them in the 110 gal waterers (No Swimming Allowed). They sink to the bottom after a bit, faster if I soak them tilll they drop first),and they can't see them. They do help!

 

[goosedragon]

Kathy- That's why I don't hang out at the Legion or VFW much anymore!

And then there's always that "Don't feel like doing squat!" afterwards when I have work to do.....Such be the trials of life!Well I started under Doctors orders, I had a stroke type attack at work that led to my first physical exam since I was discharged from the NAVY in '63 They decided it was heat stroke but found a strange pattern in my blood pressure, in the morning it would be normal or below, afternoon high to dangerous high. I asked if stress could have anything to do with it and told him that I found my job to be stressful. Had the plant nurse read me morniong noon and night. A couple of nights she took a reading and sat and chated with me for 1/2 hour or so before taking another reading. Next appointment, good news/bad news, good your blood pressure is releated to stress but we have meds for blood pressure, bad stress can mess you up lots of other ways and only "happy" pills to treat it, "you told me that you didn't drink anymore so I assume you used to, why did you quit?" " Doc, this is a DRY county, I could drive 30 miles and get a bottle but I never drank alone." You are a Vet, Both the VFW and the AL are private clubs and you could drink there. Well I had to drive by the AL to get home so that was a no brainer. Stop have one beer which I always drank slowly, a little Chit-Chat and I left a new man! (tried to get Doc to prescribe this treatment as important to my Health Care but he refused) Now that I am unemployed/retired I will wander over there some afternoons just for the company What branch did you serve in? I was full-time Texas ANG (that a good hint?not really ANG could be Air or Army) and had 28 years in.I only had 3, I was onsite for the Cuban Missle Crisis, but that is a Looong story ~gd I Joined the AF in '76. The coolest part of working for the Guard was that I actually worked with a man in my shop who knew my Dad in North Africa in 1954!
The No GPS thng is a concession to DH. He is a bit exreme when it comes to publicizing. (He hasn't seen my page!) But you're exactly right! I can promise you, "They" know exactly where I am! Finding people is far too easy if one really wants to! For me, it's a matter of public record.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Well my ducks would not use the pond...I had them trapped up in the hen house for about 6 months, then turned them out onto the pond and yard about a month ago and they would use the drinking troughs to splash around in...then one day after about a month...the goose took them onto the pond..Now it's a natural thing for them. I too felt like it was natural, but I guess not. They have to be trained and learn everything just like the rest of us.