What's the old saying, "Never look a gift horse in the mouth"?

[WildBlueRanch]

How about looking gift geese in the mouth?

A gentleman came by earlier, referred by a friend, who is looking for good homes for his ducks and geese. I had to pass on the ducks (ever heard of "Black Mallards?") because he wanted to keep them together and I can't have any more males--Kato, the Snowy Mallard rules!

But, told him I'd take his China white gander and 3 young females. I already have a pair of Toulouse geese. They are in a pen at night, and go out in the orchard with the guineas all day. He said that's what these guys are used to as well.

How much trouble am I going to have integrating these two groups? Lautrec, my male Toulouse, is just starting to regain some weight, and feathers, after Larry the guinea kept stressing him out. That's why I started turning them out to begin with. I told the guy, if they don't get along, he'd have to take them back. I'm thinking I'll leave them in the pen for awhile until they figure out where home is.

Any thoughts?

 

[monster1]

Quote:
yes, it sounds like larry needs a nice marinade bath of redwine with cracked pepper! seriously though, they should be seperated in their own pens. maybe let the guineas out and the geese in and vice versa until they get used to be around each other. maybe set a brooder type pen with the geese in it next to the guinea pen so they can get their frustrations out. this helped with my ducks and guineas. what also helped was to make sure that the birds were well fed. a full bird is a happy bird.

 

[sred98]

Good luck integrating them!

I wonder if the black mallards were Cayugas??

Shelly

 

[WildBlueRanch]

New geesers were duly delivered yesterday, and they are BEAUTIFUL! The male is from last year's crop, so same age as our Toulouse's. The females are only a few months old, and still have fuzzy heads, which they bury in your shoulder if you pick them up. Really sweet.

Putting them in with Lautrec and Georgette were fairly anti-climatic, everyone's getting along just fine. Larry is the outcast. He goes out to graze with the Toulouse's during the day, and in the chicken's covered pen at night, when they're all locked in the coop (at least, that worked last night!)

So once everyone learns this is their new home, they'll get to go out and graze as well.

Now, I just need to figure out what to name them.......