My Charming Geese
We're expecting cloudy skies and rain at my farm today, but my geese don't seem to mind one bit.
I’ve had Pomeranian guard geese for many years, but I also keep Sebastopol geese, Toulouse geese, African geese, and Chinese geese. They all reside in a large enclosure outside my stable, where they have room to roam, a number of dipping pools, and a shelter providing protection from strong winds and a safe place to nest and lay eggs. Geese are very resilient animals and love the outdoors in all kinds of weather.
Here are some recent photos, enjoy.
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- Everyone stops to greet the geese when they visit the farm. With their loud honks, barks, and cackles, it’s hard to pass them by. Here’s one coming right up to the entrance to say hello.
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- These are my Pomeranian guard geese – the oldest of my gaggle.
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- Here is my pair of Chinese geese. The Chinese goose is refined and curvaceous. It holds its head high and has a long, slim, well-arched neck which meets the body at about a 45 degree angle. Its body is short, and has a prominent and well-rounded chest, smooth breast and no keel. Mature ganders average 12-pounds, while mature geese average 10-pounds.
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- Their bills are relatively long and slender, with a large, rounded, erect knob that attaches to its forehead.
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- The Sebastopol is considered a medium-sized bird. Both males and females have pure white feathers that contrast with their bright blue eyes and orange bills and feet. Sebastopol geese have large, rounded heads, slightly arched necks, and keelless breasts.
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- And what is most striking is the plumage. The plumage of the head and upper two-thirds of the neck is smooth, while that of the breast and underbody is elongated and well-curled. Sebastopol geese cannot fly well due to the curliness of their feathers and have difficulty getting off the ground.
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- This is one of two African geese at my farm – a breed that has a heavy body, thick neck, stout bill, and jaunty posture. The African is a relative of the Chinese goose, both having descended from the wild swan goose native to Asia. The mature African goose has a large knob attached to its forehead, which requires several years to develop. A smooth, crescent-shaped dewlap hangs from its lower jaw and upper neck. Its body is nearly as wide as it is long.
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- African geese are the largest of the domestic geese. These two African geese are often found together in the yard. In nature, geese pairs bond and stay together for life. Most of my geese are paired off, but some males will also have two or three female mates. And don’t worry, waterfowl don’t need roosts – they are very happy gathering together and sleeping on the ground.
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- These buff-brown geese are Toulouse geese. On this breed, the bill is stout, the head large and broad, and the moderately long neck is thick and nearly straight. Often suspended from the lower bill and upper neck is a heavy, folded dewlap that increases in size and fullness with age. The body is long, broad and deep, ending in a well-spread tail that points up slightly. They are great guard geese – they scare off any animals on the ground and they can spot aerial predators, such as hawks and falcons quickly.
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- Geese are grazing birds that eat a variety of different items. They eat roots, shoots, stems, seeds, and leaves of grass and grain, bulbs, and berries. They also eat small insects.
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- In addition, I fortify their diet with a feed mix specifically made for waterfowl. And I always give them lots of vegetables from my gardens. They pick at them during the day. This goose is hoping some fresh greens will soon be placed into this trough.
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- This is Bear. He was incubated and hatched right here at the farm. He is about two-years-old and is very attached to the humans, although his “affectionate” pecks can sometimes be a bit insistent.
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- In winter and early spring, we put down a large bed of hay for the geese. It serves as a bed for keeping warm, but it also allows for good footing when it’s icy. We use hay grown right here at the farm. The older hay my horses won’t eat is perfect for use as insulation around my greenhouses and for the geese enclosure.
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- Do you know… a group of geese on land is called a gaggle? This is because when geese get together they can get quite noisy and rowdy.
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- In flight, a group of geese is called a skein, team or wedge. On the water or flying close together, a group is referred to as a wedge of geese.
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- And, while the term “goose” may refer to either a male or female bird, when paired with “gander”, the word goose refers specifically to a female. Gander is the term used to identify a male.
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- Domestic geese have plump bodies, slender necks, and humped bills that taper at the end of the mouth. Some geese have rounder heads than others.
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- Most domestic geese also have larger back ends than their wild counterparts and stand more upright.
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- Geese also have impressive visual capabilities. The way their eyes are structured allows them to see things in much finer detail at a further distance than humans. They can also see UV light and can control each of their eyes independently.
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- While both ducks and geese love water, geese don’t require a pond or large swimming pool – they swim much less than ducks and are content with a small dipping pool where they can dunk and clean their noses and beaks.
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- My gaggle of geese is fun, friendly, personable and protective. I enjoy their company here at Cantitoe Corners.
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