The African and Chinese goose thread!!

[pinkchick]

Thanks for the birthday wishes! Turning 41 this year so I figured make it a good one!



Well last night was the 1st night that we attempted herding the 2 honkers into their coop.............instead they followed the group of Birchen Marans to bed in their chicken coop. The Marans had been out free ranging with them all day, guess the geese made some new friends.
After they went into the chicken coop I was able to pick both of them up and put them in their goose coop.

They WERE NOT happy with me this morning when I let them out!
I was told about it the entire time I was out with them.......they are still telling me about it as they can see me inside the french doors sitting at the computer.

Tonight should be interesting.....they have the Blue Copper Marans out grazing with them today. Wonder if they will make friends with the Blues and and go into their coop tonight? Silly geese! Gotta love 'em!

 

[Chicken Frenzie]

I don't have any, but they're sure beautiful!

 

[Going Bhonkers]

Happy 2013!!

Lets start the year right.... with some goose pictures!!

 

[Iain Utah]

Hey pinkchick, to follow up on Going Bhonkers post, my geese are outside 24/7 and lately our highs are only in the 20s and lows are dropping below 0F. I have open access shelters and provide thick hay/shaving bedding in multiple areas where they spend the most time hanging out as they prefer to not lay directly on the snow. While I give them whole kernel corn to help pack calories on, they have lost a little of their fat reserves. Otherwise they seem perfectly good.

My ducks, on the other hand, are literally freezing and are not happy at all in the cold. I see them shivering and if they try to walk too far in the snow, their legs start to give out on them. They have lost the desire to venture beyond the common feeding area by day and they also put themselves up in their coop every afternoon. Poor things.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Happy 2013!!

Lets start the year right.... with some goose pictures!!

I love this pic.

 

[Iain Utah]

I love this pic.

X2! And Happy 2013 to you, too!!

 

[pinkchick]

Hey All! Just wanted to update on the geese and the retraining routine we have been working on......well, so far, the geese have successfully gone into every chicken coop. I go out at dusk to put chickens and geese away and no matter what group of chickens the geese are out with during the day, the geese follow those chickens to bed. I am able to pick the geese up once they go into the coop with the chickens and move them to their coop. Silly geese, but alteast they are getting the idea anyway.

Thank you all for your advise and suggestions, we are going to keep plugging away at it until the geese get it.

 

[Going Bhonkers]

Pinkchick, oh those geese!!!

I'm sure your efforts will pay off... eventually!!

 

[blondiebee181]

My ducks have been trying to get into the chicken coop too....I think because it has been so cold...but they make a pigsear of a mess if I let them stay...so I have closed the ramp and opened the side door. Chickens can hop up, but ducks can't...poor little dears, I feel sort of bad but they have a perfectly good, INSULATED and straw bedded duck house...BEAUTIFUL geese all! I would love to have some one day when I have more room!

 

[Going Bhonkers]

Here is a video taken on a rainy day, April discovers a new puddle - she gets really excited about it around 2:17 mins in, even though their pool is a mere few feet away. Silly goose.