This past spring I acquired four young geese. Other than seeing geese at a park, I had zero experience with water fowl. One of the first things I did was purchase several kiddy pools. After about a week, I was beginning to regret my decision by the appalling frequency of how quickly they nasty up their pools. I decided I was done. That was it, the geese had to go. I have enough to do without cleaning up behind geese.
This past spring I acquired four young geese. Other than seeing geese at a park, I had zero experience with water fowl. One of the first things I did was purchase several kiddy pools. After about a week, I was beginning to regret my decision by the appalling frequency of how quickly they nasty up their pools. I decided I was done. That was it, the geese had to go. I have enough to do without cleaning up behind geese.
This knee jerk reaction changed pretty fast though when I sat outside, petting my dogs or working around the yard, I started noticing their behaviors and laughing at their antics. I discovered something, geese are hilarious.
I could use all the laughter I could get, so I decided they could stay. I named them Donald, Huey, Dewey and Louie.
I decided to do some research on geese behaviors. So, here is some trivia from experts: Never run from a goose. If you have disturbed their nest, remain calm. Back away while facing the goose. If you run, they will chase you. Two: don’t try to intimidate or scare a goose. If they perceive you as a threat, they may decide to try and flog you. I haven’t tried out either of these tidbits but, I’ve never needed to. I just think it’s fun facts to share.
My experiences have been different, my gaggle of geese come when called. All I have to do is step outside and call their names. They come running as fast as their waddling bodies let them. They will fly from one end of the yard to the other end, yet, they never attempt to leave the yard. If I’m working outside they follow me; they are highly curious. They want to see what is going on and they notice anything out of place. They will absolutely let you know if something seems off, including seeing people they don’t recognize.
Some of the funniest moments are watching them interact with my dogs. They will waddle by one of the dogs, then act offended that the dog is “too close” and will walk over and goose the poor soul in the butt for being near them. Maybe I have a twisted sense of humor, it’s not really funny, but I laugh every single time. Their expressions are priceless.
My Christmas present to myself was adding to the flock. Now, I have four more, they are Sebastopols. I need more geese as much as I need a hole in my head. But, I’ve never been accused of simple practicality. So, now the family has grown to include geese with lovely, long, curly, white feathers and baby blue eyes meandering around the yard. If you haven’t seen one before, do a quick Google search. They are adorable.
