"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

[grambysfarm]

Quote:
My geese have been mating for the last 2 - 3 months. They normally don't start laying until February. I've started pairing them up and putting the pet carriers or dog houses in place for them to lay in. My geese will sometimes make their nest on the ground but I've found it quite easy to move their nest to a suitable shelter. I just pick up their nest that they've built and move it intact. Once moved, they will thoroughly check it out and resume nesting in it. I don't know if all geese are like this but that is what my geese do.

You are so lucky to be able to pick up their nest and move it. If I even touch their nest, they are DONE with it.

I have some weird geese. It's like they are telling me, "Well you moved them now YOU sit on them because that is NOT where I want them to be."

Mine usually begin laying in late December which is in a week or 2. That's why I set the pet carriers up early so they can see that everything is ready. I want to concentrate on having a successful hatch this year being as though a lot of people have been asking me to buy geese and I want to sell some next year.

YOU sit on the nest! That is funny! I want to see that too.

I sure hope that I have a much better hatch this year too. We'll soon see what happens.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
You are so lucky to be able to pick up their nest and move it. If I even touch their nest, they are DONE with it.

I have some weird geese. It's like they are telling me, "Well you moved them now YOU sit on them because that is NOT where I want them to be."

Mine usually begin laying in late December which is in a week or 2. That's why I set the pet carriers up early so they can see that everything is ready. I want to concentrate on having a successful hatch this year being as though a lot of people have been asking me to buy geese and I want to sell some next year.

YOU sit on the nest! That is funny! I want to see that too.

I sure hope that I have a much better hatch this year too. We'll soon see what happens.

I have NEVER had a successful hatch. They lay at least 60 eggs every year and I may have 1 or 2 hatch. More people want to buy the eggs for eating than anything. I think I may just sell them for $1.00 an egg (for eating). An Asian guy emailed me and he wants me to mail him some eggs. I'm not sure about that.

 

[grambysfarm]

Quote:
Wait, wait, wait.... --- How do you know that the breeding is too violent? Did you ask Mrs. Hen if she was enjoying herself? You may be jumping to the wrong conclusion. I don't think that the term "hen-pecked" is for nothing. There's a reason why hens keep the roosters close by, you know.

If the mating was so bad why aren't hens running for their lives to get away from the roosters? Instead, the hens will stand around and let Mr. Rooster do a little dance for her and then she flirts back.

It doesn't sound violet to me.

What of the geese? When the gander is done with his little deed he cocks his head and neck back and trumpets loudly...., "Yeah, I'm the man"

who-hoo!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Wait, wait, wait.... --- How do you know that the breeding is too violent? Did you ask Mrs. Hen if she was enjoying herself? You may be jumping to the wrong conclusion. I don't think that the term "hen-pecked" is for nothing. There's a reason why hens keep the roosters close by, you know.

If the mating was so bad why aren't hens running for their lives to get away from the roosters? Instead, the hens will stand around and let Mr. Rooster do a little dance for her and then she flirts back.

It doesn't sound violet to me.

What of the geese? When the gander is done with his little deed he cocks his head and neck back and trumpets loudly...., "Yeah, I'm the man"

who-hoo!!

Yea, I never thought about that. Maybe it's just too violent for me to watch.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

good point Gramby!, but in my case-- well, I was still doctoring the poor little pullet's head yesterday -- he yanked her raw -- I stand by my ultimatum - there will be no more roosters here. And she did run like heck to get away as soon as she could. She definitely was not having fun. Don't get me wrong, I have had gentler roos, but this one absolutely was not one of those.

Anyway, I have to worry about the peas this coming year - that's a whole new & 'nother headache!

I never had problems w/my geese when I raised the white Chinas -- I put hay in the corners of an extra horse stall & they made their nests, laid their eggs there, hatched & raised their babies. I guess I was just lucky. They were lucky geese, I know that -- they had 3 acres of fenced in horse pasture to roam during the day & were locked into the barn at night. I had 2 kiddie pools for them to bathe in. I think I raised 40 goslings from them the first year. Unfortunately, the year after that I had to deal w/health problems so had to get rid of all of them. I'd have them again in a heartbeat if we still had the pasture fence up.

Was outside just after sundown today to go lock the chickens in for the night & the train passed by on the track & when that whistle blew, you shoulda heard the dang coyotes!!! - they were 1/2 way in between our house & my folks house, down on the bayou, young ones -- yipping like puppies. I swear, we are a predator magnet.

I slip in & read during the day if I get time -- this new job keeps me pretty busy & it's fixing to get hectic w/tax season & all -- but it's nice hearing about everybody!

 

[grambysfarm]

Quote:
Wow! 40 goslings! That's pretty good. I'd love to hatch that many sebbies.

I HATE those coyotes! If I get half a chance I will shoot them.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

Wow! 40 goslings! That's pretty good. I'd love to hatch that many sebbies.

I HATE those coyotes! If I get half a chance I will shoot them.

I guess it was beginner's luck, because this was way before I ever even thought about having chickens. We had no more horses & I had quit boarding (since I ended up doing all the work & trying to collect $$) so we had 3 fenced in acres & an empty barn. For some reason I got the Murray McMurray catalog in the mail that year, & I was looking & told Jim "I think I'll get some goslings" - he said, "whatever in the world for"? IDK, I just wanted the experience of raising them.

So I ordered 8 of the white Chinas & when they came I had a big box set up in the study upstairs. They were so cute! & we played with them every day, carried them outside, ran around & watched them run after us.

We ended up with exactly 4 pairs - how rare is that?! & before long they were moved out to the barn. They had the whole 3 acres to run around in - it was great to go outside & call them & watch them come running across the field to us -- some could even fly a few inches off the ground. Once a wild goose came down & stayed out in the field with them for a couple of days. I locked them inside the barn at night.

When they got big enough, I saw one pair trying to nest in a corner of one of the horse stalls, so I cracked open a bale of hay & put some hay in each corner, & every pair staked out their own corner & that's where they laid their eggs & raised their young.

Now they were pure hateful to the rest of the world, but they always saw me & Jim as their Mother & Father Goose, they would let us move freely around them. We would give them treats & talk to them & they would follow us all over the field, stand & talk to me when I got their food ready or changed the water in their wading pools. When the females were on the nest I would bring them bowls of water & food. It was a great experience watching the young hatch & they lost very few eggs -- they knew which eggs were bad & would roll them away from the nest.

The young were not that tame of course, since they were raised by the parents & not us, so I wasn't that attached to them. I ran and ad in the Market Bulletin & sold them after I found out I had thyroid cancer & wasn't sure what all I would face, plus the effects from that were really getting to me. I found a special home for my four pair & the rest went to various other places. I was still getting calls from people wanting to buy them six months after they were all gone.

Most memorable moment: once we were sitting on crates surrounded by them, & one snuck up behind me & sucked a black pearl earring out of my ear lobe! then vanished into the sea of white so I had no idea who the culprit was!

Overall, if I still had fences, I'd have geese again in a heartbeat. I always wanted some of the elegant brown Chinese. They are so talkative & such great personalities!

Time to go to work. Have a good day all! Forgive me for rambling - it was great to remininsce though, & I look forward to pics of all the pretty goslings!!​

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
I guess it was beginner's luck, because this was way before I ever even thought about having chickens. We had no more horses & I had quit boarding (since I ended up doing all the work & trying to collect $$) so we had 3 fenced in acres & an empty barn. For some reason I got the Murray McMurray catalog in the mail that year, & I was looking & told Jim "I think I'll get some goslings" - he said, "whatever in the world for"? IDK, I just wanted the experience of raising them.

So I ordered 8 of the white Chinas & when they came I had a big box set up in the study upstairs. They were so cute! & we played with them every day, carried them outside, ran around & watched them run after us.

We ended up with exactly 4 pairs - how rare is that?! & before long they were moved out to the barn. They had the whole 3 acres to run around in - it was great to go outside & call them & watch them come running across the field to us -- some could even fly a few inches off the ground. Once a wild goose came down & stayed out in the field with them for a couple of days. I locked them inside the barn at night.

When they got big enough, I saw one pair trying to nest in a corner of one of the horse stalls, so I cracked open a bale of hay & put some hay in each corner, & every pair staked out their own corner & that's where they laid their eggs & raised their young.

Now they were pure hateful to the rest of the world, but they always saw me & Jim as their Mother & Father Goose, they would let us move freely around them. We would give them treats & talk to them & they would follow us all over the field, stand & talk to me when I got their food ready or changed the water in their wading pools. When the females were on the nest I would bring them bowls of water & food. It was a great experience watching the young hatch & they lost very few eggs -- they knew which eggs were bad & would roll them away from the nest.

The young were not that tame of course, since they were raised by the parents & not us, so I wasn't that attached to them. I ran and ad in the Market Bulletin & sold them after I found out I had thyroid cancer & wasn't sure what all I would face, plus the effects from that were really getting to me. I found a special home for my four pair & the rest went to various other places. I was still getting calls from people wanting to buy them six months after they were all gone.

Most memorable moment: once we were sitting on crates surrounded by them, & one snuck up behind me & sucked a black pearl earring out of my ear lobe! then vanished into the sea of white so I had no idea who the culprit was!

Overall, if I still had fences, I'd have geese again in a heartbeat. I always wanted some of the elegant brown Chinese. They are so talkative & such great personalities!

Time to go to work. Have a good day all! Forgive me for rambling - it was great to remininsce though, & I look forward to pics of all the pretty goslings!!

Yes, that's a lot!!!! I wish I get that lucky.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I was picking eggs last night and as I'm walking around the chicken yard, I walked in the goat pen. I usually stick my head in his house once a week, just because, to make sure there aren't any snakes or any other aliens in there and that his living quarters are clean and not in need of any "house cleaning". Well I look inside and look to the right and look in the corner and this is what I see. EGGS !!!!!!!!!!!! Those hens were really sneaky this past week. WHY would they go and do such a thing? I was so upset.

So now I will have to check the goat house EVERY DAY since that is where they choose to lay their eggs.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

I didn't know if any folks in the South Eastern part of the state may be looking for any geese. I just found this listing on the New Orleans Craigslist: It is for a Buff Goose.
http://neworleans.craigslist.org/grd/2738169236.html
The goose is located in Sandy Hook Mississippi and may be the same place where I purchased my pair of Pomeranian geese this past summer (Goose Meadow Farms): She is listed for $25. If it is the same guy, his geese are very healthy and good looking birds.

I would take her in a heartbeat if I had the room, but I just filled my last open spot with a pair of Pekin ducks who are being evicted by their owner's neighbors in New Orleans (they are arriving later today). Well, that and I have 5 goose eggs in the incubator that are developing nicely and have a pair of Toulouse on the way in April. We are building another shelter for them and more ducks, but it won't be done until late spring....sigh.

Anyway, I know Buff's can be hard to come by, so thought I would post it here in case anyone was looking for one.