Texas

[SlipsWife]

My geese grew amazingly fast. At 16 weeks, my oldest pair are pretty big, not sure if they are full grown, but big enough to make a meal out of. My Africans are more docile than my Chinese, by a lot. The Africans also grow bigger, so make a larger table bird. But the Africans from Ideal are crossed with Chinese to increase their egg laying, so they won't get as large are true full bred Africans, they don't really get dewlaps either, which is a shame. I know someone that has rare white Africans that are huge and gorgeous. I may try and get a few hatching eggs from him 1 year to breed up my geese' size.

My Cayuga ducklings are growing very fast too. They are 2 weeks old and are triple the size they were when I purchased them as day olds. I heard Cayugas make excellent table birds, good flavor. The Pekin has a larger carcass, but they are louder than the Cayuga are suppose to be. I will post pics when everyone is full grown.

The pic I posted of my geese earlier today was taken a few days ago, to give you an idea of size. The largest white Chinese is 16 weeks, the 2 Africans are 12 weeks, and the 2 smaller white Chinese are 11 weeks old. It's getting harder to tell the Chinese apart, lol. Getting so close in size. Chinese are not generally kept as table birds. But they lay the most eggs of any goose breed, are great foragers and weed control, and make excellent alarm systems being very loud and territorial. They recognize strangers or animals/things that don't belong in their turf and call out reall loud. They are also referred to a swan geese for their grace and beauty.

Thank you! We processed the largest of our Pekins and the amount of fat on him was ridiculous! We skipped plucking and skinned and I feel like over half of his weight went into the bucket. lol

Do the geese tear stuff up as bad as ducks? Our ducks were eating our dirt. The slightest puddle and they would drink out of it and eat the dirt and make holes. Fresh water and numerous water play areas and they would drink/eat out of the nasty puddles first, then hang out in the fresh water.

 

[henless]

Do the geese tear stuff up as bad as ducks? Our ducks were eating our dirt. The slightest puddle and they would drink out of it and eat the dirt and make holes. Fresh water and numerous water play areas and they would drink/eat out of the nasty puddles first, then hang out in the fresh water.

We bought some baby geese and ducks about 6 years ago for our pond. They never would stay down in the pond. They would always hang out around the house. The geese were the worst about eating/tearing stuff up. If you planted it, they would rip it up. If it was in a pot or container, all that was left the next day was dirt. The container plants were safe from the ducks, simply because they couldn't reach it.

I could do anything I wanted with the geese, but they would chase everyone else that came around. I got quite a lot of laughs watching them chase family/friends.

 

[SlipsWife]

We bought some baby geese and ducks about 6 years ago for our pond. They never would stay down in the pond. They would always hang out around the house. The geese were the worst about eating/tearing stuff up. If you planted it, they would rip it up. If it was in a pot or container, all that was left the next day was dirt. The container plants were safe from the ducks, simply because they couldn't reach it.

I could do anything I wanted with the geese, but they would chase everyone else that came around. I got quite a lot of laughs watching them chase family/friends.

Knowing my luck the geese would chase me and leave the family alone!

 

[winteree]

there you go!

we just lost the chick with the deformed beak this morning :'( it seems my luck with animals is running out.



I'm pretty sure he died from his beak deformity but with one of the other chicks sneezing should i be worried about something catching with the other chicks?

 

[winteree]

We bought some baby geese and ducks about 6 years ago for our pond. They never would stay down in the pond. They would always hang out around the house. The geese were the worst about eating/tearing stuff up. If you planted it, they would rip it up. If it was in a pot or container, all that was left the next day was dirt. The container plants were safe from the ducks, simply because they couldn't reach it.

I could do anything I wanted with the geese, but they would chase everyone else that came around. I got quite a lot of laughs watching them chase family/friends.

lol's my grams had a attack duck named dug he and rocky my grams rooster hated the mail people they would chase them down the street when ever they came (they where the ones on foot)

 

[winteree]

oh believe me, it hurts just about the same

 

[magpiesing]

Good day all
Haven't had much time the last couple of days...been crazy trying to get the power run to the barn, shop and coop, but is done now. Have lights and fans in the coop and light to see at night without using any extension cords...hurray!

DH worked in the coop until 2am last night to rebuild everything...new roost so the teenagers have a place now and redid the nest boxes so they quit pooping in them when sitting on the perch rails. I think I had some sleepy chickens this morning after all the ruckus.
I think they will be much more comfortable now.

Today we do the floor, clean and fresh shavings.
Just got done raining a little but sun is back out so very muggy.

My little maran is improving..got her on meds and her eyes were open this morning and she is more active. Will stay in lockdown for a while longer.

Had my own crisis yesterday..had to rush one of my cats to the vet...uterine infection..emergency spay...not cool. She was on the list to get done but with all the money we spent on materials and bills had put it off...$437 instead of $100...bad decision but done now.

Therrychicken...So sorry for the loss of your roo...he was beautiful...

Winteree...I feel for you about Pete...I have been down both roads. I have held onto cats that have been sick with no positive outcome and stuck with them until the end. Not pleasant. Not good for the animal and very hard on us. But with the last three we went the other way and had them put to sleep. We gave them hospice care for as long as we could but when it got to the point where they couldn't have any quality in their life we made the decision to do what's right for them. My grey tabby Scrapper was 16 and I loved him so much...but when he could not even get to the box on his own...I wanted him to keep his dignity...so i made the choice to give him peace. The same with my husbands cat Ducky...he was only 9 but got liver cancer...we did the same for him...as hard as it was and as many tears as we shed...when it was done he was at peace and not wasting away before our eyes.

Putting an animal down is NEVER easy especially if you love them and they have been family to you. For us it was a choice to not be selfish with our own feelings and cling on to hope for an outcome that wasn't to be but to put the best interest of the animal first. I will always make that choice from now on. In the end it is all in God's hands but I believe if we have the means to give our animals peace and end their suffering God has provided that also and I am thankful we have that option.
Good luck with Pete and I hope for the best for you and him.

Starfire...how is Ebony and the ducky clan...growing and thriving I hope. How's the injured foot?
I just had to treat one of my SLW...got his foot stuck in the wire..just happene that DH was out there and saw him or he would have been hung all night. Had to put some blue lotion on the toe injury but he was walking just fine.

Always something right?
Well not getting work done sitting here and always too much to do.
Take care all...Magpie

 

[magpiesing]

we just lost the chick with the deformed beak this morning :'( it seems my luck with animals is running out.

I'm pretty sure he died from his beak deformity but with one of the other chicks sneezing should i be worried about something catching with the other chicks?

Sorry you lost the little guy....sure hope you don't have any sickness...just had to put one of mine on meds myself.

 

[winteree]

Good day all
Haven't had much time the last couple of days...been crazy trying to get the power run to the barn, shop and coop, but is done now. Have lights and fans in the coop and light to see at night without using any extension cords...hurray!

DH worked in the coop until 2am last night to rebuild everything...new roost so the teenagers have a place now and redid the nest boxes so they quit pooping in them when sitting on the perch rails. I think I had some sleepy chickens this morning after all the ruckus.
I think they will be much more comfortable now.

Today we do the floor, clean and fresh shavings.
Just got done raining a little but sun is back out so very muggy.

My little maran is improving..got her on meds and her eyes were open this morning and she is more active. Will stay in lockdown for a while longer.

Had my own crisis yesterday..had to rush one of my cats to the vet...uterine infection..emergency spay...not cool. She was on the list to get done but with all the money we spent on materials and bills had put it off...$437 instead of $100...bad decision but done now.

Therrychicken...So sorry for the loss of your roo...he was beautiful...

Winteree...I feel for you about Pete...I have been down both roads. I have held onto cats that have been sick with no positive outcome and stuck with them until the end. Not pleasant. Not good for the animal and very hard on us. But with the last three we went the other way and had them put to sleep. We gave them hospice care for as long as we could but when it got to the point where they couldn't have any quality in their life we made the decision to do what's right for them. My grey tabby Scrapper was 16 and I loved him so much...but when he could not even get to the box on his own...I wanted him to keep his dignity...so i made the choice to give him peace. The same with my husbands cat Ducky...he was only 9 but got liver cancer...we did the same for him...as hard as it was and as many tears as we shed...when it was done he was at peace and not wasting away before our eyes.

Putting an animal down is NEVER easy especially if you love them and they have been family to you. For us it was a choice to not be selfish with our own feelings and cling on to hope for an outcome that wasn't to be but to put the best interest of the animal first. I will always make that choice from now on. In the end it is all in God's hands but I believe if we have the means to give our animals peace and end their suffering God has provided that also and I am thankful we have that option.
Good luck with Pete and I hope for the best for you and him.

Starfire...how is Ebony and the ducky clan...growing and thriving I hope. How's the injured foot?
I just had to treat one of my SLW...got his foot stuck in the wire..just happene that DH was out there and saw him or he would have been hung all night. Had to put some blue lotion on the toe injury but he was walking just fine.

Always something right?
Well not getting work done sitting here and always too much to do.
Take care all...Magpie

thank you very much

 

[winteree]

Sorry you lost the little guy....sure hope you don't have any sickness...just had to put one of mine on meds myself.

as soon as i can get to the feed store to get another waterier I'm going to start the chicks on some probiotics and Electrolytes im on the way to get every one a boiled egg within the hour when they cool down