Ordering Goslings

[DulcyDoll]

Dad is pretty great. I took it really hard when Darcie was killed, I cried for a while. Duckie and Darcie were my very first geese, they had a strong hold on my heart, and Darcie being my cuddly girl, I could pick her up whenever I wanted, she would come over to me a lean on my leg wanting to be petted. But anyway, he didn't like seeing me upset..he wasn't a fan of the geese when I hatched them, but he learned to love them too. Told me I could only ever have 3 because they are too messy..now I have 8 and a duck.



The duckling is a little bigger than these babies. He started attempting quacks 2 days ago. I love him, but he will be leaving as soon as he is fully feathered (he already has a home waiting for him) The gosling's will be in the house for a couple weeks, at least until they are happy to see me.

They are a little better today, they ran out of water over night, so when they saw me bringing their dish back with water in it they started yelling at me and standing at the door of the cage. They are getting curious, nibbling at my rings and my fingers. And they also ate out of my hand this morning. I'm not really expecting them to be cuddly, Duckie isn't and I hatched him from an egg and raised him in the house for over almost 2 months, I just want them to like me.

Oh, I think I'll need help with names. I'm doing the D theme, I have Duckie and Dewie, and had Darcie and Darwin (the baby that died after 3 days)

 

[Puddle Foot Farm]

Aww, parents are so great. When my first 3 goslings died overnight, my mom called every farm on the East Coast to find goslings close to home. I ended up traveling 6 hours to get my gander, Luna, straight out of the incubator at a farm in NW PA, then we ended up finding someone who knew someone at Ideal and got us 4 chinese goslings in AUGUST from them. Now my mom is as obsessed with geese as I am, and supported me getting another 12 this season.. plus what I hatch out.

D names.. Next week I'm getting a Daffy, Daisy, and Delilah (but they're cayuga ducks.) Other D names.. Darla, Duncan, Dexter, Dory, Diego, Dandy, Dallas, Dakota..

Good luck with your goslings! I'm sure they'll warm up with lots of treats and forced love. At least, they'll learn to not be afraid of you and see you as the treat-giver.

 

[Kim65]

Wow, this is a really good sign they are nibbling your fingers and eating out of your hand. And them running to you when they saw you bring water. That is a very good sign for them imprinting on you. I think you'll have a few cuddlebugs out of the lot

Keep up the good work.

 

[DulcyDoll]

They freak out when I pick them up, peeping and wiggling around like a fish out of water.

I had them outside today so they could pay and get some fresh air..they loved it. Played in their water, ate some grass and ran around. Here are the pictures I have at the moment, my camera is dead so they are crappy phone pics..

Duckie and Dewie were out back in the field (new 4 ft chain link fence installed to keep them safe!) and Duckie must have heard them peeping cause he came running! He is interested in them, but they are afraid of him.

 

[Kim65]

Aww . . . they look about two or three weeks old. When you pick them up do they have little prickly feather starts in their down? Then I'd guess three weeks old (that's from thegoosesmother.com)

They've never seen a big giant goose thing like Dewie

He'll probably want to hang around them when they're outside, so they'll get used to him. It is so sweet when a gander wants to be a Daddy.

My geese have never stopped freaking out when I pick them up. They calm down fast, but they still barely tolerate it the picking up process, it goes against their instincts to be handled at all, so I wouldn't consider that a sign they aren't imprinting/bonding

 

[DulcyDoll]

The Toulouse do have prickelies the 4 yellow ones don't (I'm not sure what they are, he had toulouse, embden, pilgrims and sebbies, in the sunlight they all appear to have blue eyes)

I let them out of the cage a few minutes ago to see what they would do, I started walking away and what do ya know, they all followed me. One of the Toulouse has been dubbed Darbie, he has one pink foot and one dark foot. I put a scooper with some food in it down in the driveway and stood there for a minute. I started walking away and everyone followed, but Darbie, who had his head stuck inside the scoop eating. He finally realized I moved and came running as fast as he could with his little wings out.

 

[[email protected]]

How adorable, DD, isn't it fab when they follow... I love it. Also you may have a roman if it has blue eyes.
Kim, I'm so glad you said that about their not liking to be picked up even when they are in love w/ you. Mine are the same way, it's weird, it makes us people think they don't want us, but their instinct is just sooo strong. My Roman will just stand there and not move when I pick him up, my buff, who was supposed to be a roman squirms like a snake. Anyway, I am glad that yours wiggle too.
DD, what kind is Darbie? jennifer

 

[DulcyDoll]

This is Darbie(one of the toulouse)...he has quite a personality so far.

Pretending to be a Flamingo..

The one on the right I'm thinking is going to be a gander..he is large compared to the rest and is always alert.

 

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Wait, I meant the big one that's looking in the goose coup? What kind is he? j

 

[DulcyDoll]

Ah, you mean Duckie. He is an African/Toulouse mix. (the d names get confusing, even more so because I have a gander named Duckie lol)