Pearl & Daisy

[Miss Lydia]

Beautiful goslings!

 

[bluemerle]

More outside time! I can't get pictures to accurately reflect just how TALL they are - their legs are so long! They're just getting big in general. And they're not even two full weeks old yet!

But they've been a blast. They're teaching me a lot: like how they have to have enrichment. They're more like puppies than birds: while the ducks were, if given adequate food and water and shelter, happy to just exist; the geese are always looking for something to do, and if I don't provide entertainment, they will create it themselves. Like tugging on each others' fluff and chewing each others' feet. And chewing on the brooder. And so on. Luckily, it's easy to appease them with some grass clippings and a hanging bird toy stuffed with lettuce and grapes.

Excited to see how quickly they'll grow from here!

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are adorable.

 

[N ID Goose mom]

@bluemerle hello, it's been a while any updated pictures. With those dark beaks did they turn out African or Toulouse?

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[bluemerle]

Thanks for asking! I keep meaning to update .... but they're growing so fast, by the time I upload pictures, they're already outdated! All the animals here are keeping me on my toes this year.

To answer your question:

I am almost certain Daisy (the more 'petite' goose) is African. She has the slim head, brown feathering, swan-like neck. But Pearl? He looks (and always has looked!) so different that I was certain he'd be Toulouse. But he still has the dark beak ... and Toulouse have orange beaks .... so he is still a mystery to me.

They're beautiful birds, none the less, and every day with them is a delight. Here are some pictures! Excuse the harsh, middle-of-the-day lighting.

 

[N ID Goose mom]

Thanks for asking! I keep meaning to update .... but they're growing so fast, by the time I upload pictures, they're already outdated! All the animals here are keeping me on my toes this year.

To answer your question:

I am almost certain Daisy (the more 'petite' goose) is African. She has the slim head, brown feathering, swan-like neck. But Pearl? He looks (and always has looked!) so different that I was certain he'd be Toulouse. But he still has the dark beak ... and Toulouse have orange beaks .... so he is still a mystery to me.

They're beautiful birds, none the less, and every day with them is a delight. Here are some pictures! Excuse the harsh, middle-of-the-day lighting.

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They are gorgeous. Definitely different from my Toulouse. I can’t believe they are so feathered out. Keep us updated.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They really are gorgeous.

 

[bluemerle]

Bath time!!

The geese - a little shy of two months old - have already outgrown the small kiddie pool I had previously used for my ducks. They could no longer sit side-by-side comfortably, and this lead to them bullying each other over who got to be in the pool. Daisy tends to win those fights - she will grab Pearl by the back of the neck and drag him around.

So off to Big R I went! I bought the biggest pool they had - a 60" wide / 2' deep wading pool for $24. I burned a hole in the side and installed a piece of pipe for a drain, then caulked around it (not ideal - they make joints that sandwich together to create a water-tight seal, but that was not readily available in my store). On the outside that pipe connects to a ball valve that I turn to drain out onto the lawn.

I prayed they would not bother the pipe or caulking. And they didn't ... for the first five minutes. And then it became a new toy they obsessed over. I eventually had to sink a rubber tub on top of the drain to cover it, then weighed it down with two heavy concrete bricks. Before that, they had already managed to rip two chunks of caulking off, which I then had to wrestle away from them. Destructive brats!

But I love them. And they love their new pool.

Next big project .... building a permanent coop for them to sleep in. But I'm waiting on lumber, so that will be awhile. They're happy in their dog kennels for now.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They sure keep us on our toes!! They are beautiful @bluemerle !!!