Oh Baby, Baby, It's a Wild World

They're here!  They're here!!  After waking up extra early to get things ready, the post office never called at 6 like I thought they would.  They didn't come on the early truck.  I waited until 7, and called them, but no, they hadn't arrived (see how patient I am?  I waited a whole hour).  The possibility was that they would arrive on the 10/11 express, so I had to wait.  I made myself busy-ish, and then at 10:00, jackpot!

I drove down to the post office to get them.  Unfortunately, the delay cost one little guy dearly.

He's in the unmarked one on the left


He was dead on arrival.  I've not had that happen before, but it's always a possibility when you ship animals.  Poor little guy.  He'd been gone a while.  I put him in the "family" plot.  I did call Metzer Farms and tell them (by the way--Metzer Farms is the way to go if you want waterfowl of any type.  I have nothing but good things to say about them--they know their stuff), and they will send me a new little boy with a duck accompaniment on Monday.  For now, there are two little girls and a boy.  Here they are:
 

Hello, lady!



In case you didn't know (I don't know if I said it before), these are Pilgrim geese.  The two dark fluffed ones are the females.  The lighter fluffed one is the male.  And of course, I am completely smitten.  Who knew there was so much room in a human heart? 

Now, I will admit I have a weakness for geese.  Whereas many people see the "senseless" noise they make and the posturing they do, and their "aggression", and think stupid animals-what's the point, I don't see that.  I can see past the noise, because there's always a reason for it, the posturing is just geese being geese, and it's quite funny if you can see past it, and the aggression?  I know it's there.  Especially now, in mating season.  Yes, it is annoying, but I have never let them get the best of me, and for the most part, not a one of my geese will challenge me.  If they do, I deal with them.  They are always shown that I am the upper hand, not them, and that's a lesson they learn well, and they very rarely repeat the offense.  Smart, yes they are.

Anyway, it is a beautiful day out, and I thought some fresh air ought to do them some good.  They are geese, and they'd be outside with their mama, so out we went.  First I put the ducks out, because I couldn't just leave them inside when there was fresh air and sunshine to be gotten.  I put them in the chick tractor, which is surrounded by wire, so they would be safe.  Good thing I did, too.

Let me in there!  I'm gonna kill them!

Angry goose

Arthur was ticked off with a capital T.  I believe he takes the newcomers hard because he and I are supposed to be in love, and I shouldn't be paying any attention to anyone but him.  Men.  He being riled up, riled up the three amigos, and everyone got mad.  Enough noise and hissing is enough noise and hissing, so I put them in their yard and let the ducks out.  Then I got the goslings.  Woo hoo!

We bonded.  It was wonderful.  There was a bit of beak nipping going on, as the ducks were very eager to put the goslings in their place, but it wasn't too bad.  Waterfowl are pretty easy going about pecking order issues.  Ophelia (the black runner above) was probably the worst.  She was jealous with a capital J.  But Jane, the brown runner, had a slightly different take on them and decided to nursemaid.

"Mama" and her "brood"

I thought that was interesting.  She's young to have a mama instinct, but there it was.

Suzie and Fawn taking a bath in the water bowl

Stealth Duck strikes when you least expect it!!

Gimme the camera!

I said gimme!!

After a good hour of fresh air, we were getting tired, so it was time to go in.

Soooo......tired.....

Hope your day is full of fresh air and sunshine too!



A Doing Kind of Day

It started off rain, but the sun came out and it was beautiful--it was a doing kind of day.  After I ran my errand to Home Depot, I put on my beat up hat

and my trusty boots

And started work on a chicken run expansion, while the ground squished beneath my feet.

And yes, like a good mama, I did enlist slave labor.  Two slaves, to be exact.  What else are mamas for?  I did tell them yesterday that we would all be working on the farm this spring.  I love doing this work, and I can do it myself, but I don't want to.  I want them to help build this life with me, as much as they can.  That way, all our accomplishments are OURS, not just mine.  It means more that way.

Being a benevolent taskmaster, I did allow a break for snacks.

You think they want his crackers??

We let Robert out to explore his soon-to-be yard. 

He did not enjoy it--at first.  But he did relax a little after a while.  We'll try again tomorrow. 

Baby steps, baby steps.

The chickens did not know what to make of Robert.

Got heckled by the peanut gallery.

You're doing it wrong!

And put the soon-to-be goose house up on blocks.  'Cause it looks better that way, don't ya know?

Ok, not really.  We don't have a barn here, so the animals each have their own houses (not each one individually- I group geese with geese, chickens with chickens, ducks with ducks, etc.).  I like deep bedding in them.  Instead of having the bedding blob out the door when it gets deeper and deeper, I had a brainstorm to build them a "basement".  There will be a slight ramp up to the door on the outside and a step down on the inside--until the bedding builds up to be level with the doorframe.  Then it'll be time to clean it out.  Healthier for the animals, less cleaning for me, and it should help make it's own compost.  Bonus!!

We let the little ducks out (not so little anymore) for some fresh air, and cleaned out their box.  I didn't take any pictures-I was busy defending them from the geese, who STILL think they are invaders, and are super offended that I would let the ducks walk on their grass.  Tomorrow I am expecting the Pilgrim geese to come in.  More invaders. They are shipping early, they weren't due until the end of the month.  The hatchery had a good batch, I guess and more hatched then they thought.  We readied the small brooder for their arrival.  

Tomorrow is looking like it's going to be another beautiful day.  Another day of doing.  Yeay for spring! 

The Part Where I Do An Update

Oh, it's been a while since I've posted, and a lot has happened, so here's a bit of an update:

Ginger has been sitting and sitting and sitting.  Since producing her first two eggs, she hasn't produced another one.  I can TELL that she's got one cooking, because her abdomen is so full, but she just doesn't seem ready yet.  Doesn't stop her from trying, though.  She's in the box all the time.

sitting

organizing

Enduring many males checking on her status

 Seems we live in a goose commune here.  As she is the only female and there are 3 males (not a good ratio, and not intentional, I assure you), ALL of the males are checking her progress regularly.  Ferdi (her intended mate) goes in and sees if she's done anything, Emmett (her unintended and unwanted mate) looks every once in a while, but he's a "hands off" kind of dad, and Arthur, pictured here, is more of an acquainance and looks in on a casual basis.  Yes, they've all taken a bit of an interest.  But, nothing yet.

Saturday was the first outside day for the girls.  They are starting to look like bowling pins now more than ever. 

They are completely adorable, but I have never thought I would have so much trouble with brooding a group of waterfowl.  We've had one fatality, and two others with walking issues.  Ophelia, the black runner, has a

 

stiff back and gait.  Fawn, the remaining Welsh Harlequin, has spraddled legs, despite the fact that she has been raised on a bed of wood chips and is given additional niacin and vitamins.  I can't figure it out.  Now I am putting them out as often as the weather will let me and hoping that the additional sunshine and fresh air might do them some good.  They are meant to be outdoors, after all.

They met the geese as well that day.  Or I should say, they uninentionally met the geese as the geese came charging over like there was an invading horde. 

I had forgotten how big the geese really are



What??

It did not go particularly well.

I call this portrait Lone Gander: Out on the Range, because Arthur is still the odd man out.  Poor boy.  It's a good thing he and I are so in love, or who knows what he would do to himself?

Woe!  Woe betide me!!

----sniff!----

Little boy's birthday went very well.  He was SO excited, and I really think he had a great time.  Of course, when it came time for presents, and he got Mr. Responsibunnity, let's just say he was more excited about his Legos.


Here he is, holding the bunny, but was just looking longingly at his legos

That was disappointing.  Slightly moreso yesterday when he read the note the "bunny" had written him on how to take care of him and exclaimed, "I have to feed him EVERY day?  TWICE??  I can't skip?"  Oh yeah. 

However, I have hope.  He named the bunny Robert immediately, and I saw him showing Robert his legos yesterday.  I know that he also read Robert a story last night, and that this morning, he was feeding Robert  as soon as he got out of bed and before I even had to tell him to.  So maybe this will work out after all.

A girl can hope, can't she? 

And more on the Robert front, Mema and Papa came over to build a beautiful hutch for him and his future bunny house-mate, whenever Lorelei saves up enough money for him/her.  It is almost done. 

The bunnies can sleep to the sound of the stream.  Not a bad deal.

After it was done, I fenced off an area around it so the bunnies will have some play room.  It will be a bunny paradise! (Providing they get fed every day--twice)

Then I went off to work a bit more on the waterfowl pond.   Not much, though, because after two weeks of hard labor, it's pretty much done.  Now I'm just evening out the high blobs of soil around it and straightening rough edges.  It's much nicer to dig when the dirt is not frozen, let me tell you! 

I'm also planning the landscaping, because look:

Of all things random, there are many well-established clumps of what I think are daffodills here.  This area of the yard was not utilized by the previous owner, as far as I can tell.  There was no landscaping of any kind, and certainly no pond (because I put it there).  In fact, there was garbage all in this area, so who knows what was going on?  But, here are plants!  Weird.  I'm not going to ignore them, I'm going to work around them.  It was like finding gold.  So, though I am planting a quite a bit of forage in the area for the residents, I will make it pretty, too.  Why not?  Pretty is nice.

And is that it?  Just about.  The seedlings have sprouted, which makes the little greenhouse they are in smell like dirt and plants, so I just bury my head in there whenever I need a pick me up.  This tray has gotten the farthest, so they are candidates to be transplanted very soon.

These are mostly broccoli and cauliflower and cabbage here.  Other trays have tomatoes and flowers, but they are not as far along.

And yes, in case you were wondering, I do other things than manual labor and playing with animals.  I completed my first pineapple doily the other day, and put it under a stoneware chicken in the kitchen (because every kitchen should have a stoneware chicken, don't you know?).

 I can't sit in front of the TV and do nothing, so I crochet to keep my hands busy.  I like the way it came out. All wobbly-like.  Gives the place character.  And matches my coffee cups.  Bonus!!  So, what's new with you??







Goose v. Chicken: Egg Match

I know, have I nothing better to do than talk about eggs?  Well yes, I do, but here I am nonetheless.  We ate Ginger's egg last night.  Wow, was it different.  Obviously, it's much bigger, but the white was so thick and viscous.  The shell was just jam-packed with it.  Take a look:

Can you see the outline of the white here?  It's huge and stayed intact, no matter what I did with it.  You could almost feel the weight of it.  And the yoke did not rise above it, like it would in a fresh chicken egg.  That was interesting, too.

Wait, here's a better comparison:



Goose vs. chicken.  You can see the difference in the white color, the size (obviously), and the consistency. 

And what does it taste like?

Well, surprisingly, nothing like chicken.  Or maybe that's not a surprise.  When I whipped it up, it was frothy, almost like whipped cream.  And when I cooked it, it was frothy and dry, nothing like a chicken egg at all.

It tasted extremely light and still full.  There was none of the gumminess of a chicken egg.  I find even the freshest chicken egg is a little rubbery or chewy or something. And chicken eggs are so rich (which I love, so that's not a complaint).  But this was definitely lighter, less rich and more "proteiny", if there is any such thing.  I thought it smelled like Ginger, but when I said that, I was told by Lorelei that Ginger doesn't smell good, so that was gross.  So I stopped saying it.  I don't guess "Eggs that smell like a goose" is a really good sales slogan, anyway.  I'll just leave it at saying that goose eggs don't smell like chicken eggs.  There you go. 

If you know me, ask me for a goose egg sometime.  It is definitely worth a try.  As for us, we got another egg-ala-Ginger yesterday, and I'm going to bake Reid's birthday cake with it.  I am looking forward to seeing how that turns out.  I will let you know!

Pile O' Ducks

I've been insanely busy again today.  Cleaning the house, doing laundry, and such.  I also took a trip down to Tractor Supply to buy some Grower/Finisher and chicken grit.  As I was driving, I was formulating plans as to how to present Mr. Responsibunnity to Reid.  I've decided to write a note from his bunny and tape it to the cage.  I'll try to give him the guidelines on how to care for the bunny in an easy way.  It's not too hard, and I think at 7 he can handle it.  Thank goodness bunnies are low maintenance!

I also decided to fence in a yard for the Mr., so Reid can let him out and keep an eye on him without having to worry about chasing him all over creation.  To that end, I bought some bunny-proof (is there really any such thing?) fence, and some posts.  Then I thought about predators.  Poor bunnies.  They are prey to all and predator to none, unless you count a good leaf of lettuce or flake of hay.  I thought I should construct a small "table" for him to hide under, so if he sees a predator, he can dive underneath it and hide.  I'm currently working on it, but it's not difficult.  Finding the right pieces of leftovers to make it with is turning out to be the hardest thing.  I'll probably make more than one, just in case.  I wouldn't want him to be too far from shelter, if he needs it.

I also painted the cold frame I built a couple of weeks ago, and took down the gate to the waterfowl pen and repaired and painted it.  I bought some chain to close it with and some cable to attach it with.  Sometimes left over bits of wire and string just don't cut it.  They've had leftovers for long enough, and none of it lasted.  A couple of bucks worth of material should help set it right.

I am really looking forward to this week.  I hear it should get warmer.  I am looking forward to putting out the goose house and covering it with plywood.  I need them out of their current house so I can fit it out for the ducks.  Melt snow, melt!!

Oh, and I did find time to take these:

What, lady?

Get a load of that leg.  So casual!

Little two week old pile o'ducks.  They were asleep up until I pulled out the camera.  I tried it twice, but no dice, they woke each time.  I guess I can't be trusted.  :)