Say What You Will

....about geese.  I'll agree with most of it.

They're loud.
Yep.

They poo everywhere.
YES, and it annoys me to no end.

They are aggressive.
Yes, they can be, but usually only to those smaller than they, or if you turn your back on them after a confrontation.

They're stupid.
Nosir.  They're very smart.  They are just very, very stubborn.

They're untrainable.
Not true.  Mine come when they're called.

So yes, I love geese and I hate geese.  It's complicated.  However, there are times when they can't be beat, and last night was one of them. 

I went outside to put everyone in their houses, as I do every night, and found the geese mixed in with the ducks in the pond, looking at something.  Normally, the geese stay on one side and the ducks on the other.  Since none of them can see particularly well in the dark, I guess they just feel that it is safer to hang with "their own sort", so that's usually how I find them.  And usually they are in the water because it's safer for them.  Predators would have to be able to swim to get to them, so they kind of hang out and wait for bed.

But last night, they were all mixed together, and the geese were on the forward charge, in an aggressive stance. 

It's a bad picture, so you can't see that the ducks are all crowded to one side, behind the geese.  I think that you can see that the three geese of the most aggressive breeds (the Chinese and the Africans) are in the front, looking at something intently.

What did that something turn out to be? A big old raccoon.  Surprised the hell out of me.  I guess he'd gone out looking for a meal.  He wasn't going to get one, though.  The geese were on the scent.  There was no way that the raccoon would make off with a duck last night, if that's what he was looking for!

So, do geese have a guard animal streak in them?  Kind of.  It's more of a very large sense of self-preservation.  They are ALWAYS on the lookout.  During the day, they scan for predators, and during the night, they are on guard to the max.  Having geese- with their poop and yelling and stubbornness- mix with your flock can be an excellent way to guard them.

I was proud of them last night, though they were unintentionally doing a good job.  Sometimes they're worth all the aggravation they can give.  Yeay for geese!