Theodore and Craters

Remember how Mr. B and I decide to we had a male and a female buff geese. The one we named Charlie died from SIDS, the goose version. I don't think our goose sexing abilities were that great, or it isn't Charlie who is buried behind the shed...

The goose that we had been calling Thelma all summer is a Theodore. The large white goose, pretty sure it's a boy.

(On a side note, yes that is a duct tape patch on the kiddie pool. Duct tape fixes everything. And the birds could care less what the pond looks like as long as it holds water.)

You are probably thinking I know this fact cause I saw him get fresh with one of the girls. Nope! No geese doing the nasty on this farm. Not yet a least, I know it is coming.

He is loud, the loudest goose and he also has a high pitched honk. Believe it or not the ganders have the higher voices than the geese. He is also biggest bird, males are always bigger than the girlies. If you watch the flock closely, he is the boss. The alpha. He is always aware of what is going on, always on the lookout. He sounds the alarm for everyone else.

I know Mr. B and I weren't so shure about having ganders. So far I am ok with having Theodore stick around. He is doing a fine job taking care of the ladies and the duckies. And Bruce. I am thinking there is another male in the bunch, one of the Toulouse geese. He is beta, second in charge.

While I was busy calling Theodore Thelma all summer the ducks have been busy creating craters in the yard. They dig. They drill holes in the mud with their bills looking for yummy grubbies.

That's one nice thing about the dry weather. I would hate to imagine the holes in my yard would have. The damage is contained to the ares by the pools. You can tell were the pools have sat, there are crater rings. The water splashed out from the pool party and the ducks go to town drilling.

So next time you come and visit watch were you step. I would hate for any rolled ankles!  

Big Bird Voices

I wanted to pop by and give you a quick update on the baby birds. They they aren't babies any longer, my kids are growing up. (sad pouty face) I wish they would stay cutesy babies forever! It seemed only yesturday that they could fit in the palm of my hand. Compaired to that they are huge now and have almost all of their big feathers.

Remember how I told you we got runner ducks, well man are thye fast! When I let them out in the morning they make a b-line to their kiddie pool, wathcing their legs go that fast cracks me up. Have you ever seen the episode of the Big Bang Theory where Sheldon is dressed up as the flash and "running" around the appartment, yeah think of that but a duck doing it. These aren't our runners, but this video shows their supper fast moves. The ducks are also starting to quack, all but a handful have lost their baby peeps. While they sounded so adorable as babies it is awesome sitting on the pourch listening to them quack. With fifteen of them I have a feeling it could get quite loud on the acres!

Thelma rules the flock right now, she is the biggest by far. Like the ducks she has most of her big girl feathers. Mr. B said she is going through the phase where she isn't peeping but it's not quite a honk just yet. I haven't noticed. I know, I know I'm a horrible mother! The Toulouse geese were born a little later than everyone esle they are still fuzzy wuzzy and still have their supper cute babiness to them. Which makes this mama happy that she still has wittle wones to snuggle. 

Sorry for the lack of picutres. My camera isn't that great, it's older so there is a delay and the zoom is worthless. The birds are still skitsh outside and don't like us to get that close. I will try and see if I can brib them with food in the next few days to get some good pictures. 

The Goose (and duck) Coop

Last year, when we first started with three geese, Mr. B converted part of our shed into the goose coop/run. There was a section on the shed the we think was a corn crib. It is a little over four feet wide by about twenty-two feet long, with a concrete floor. Concrete floor means no critters can dig their way it. It has a people door from the outside and because it was a corn crib there is space between the boards so there would be enough ventilation in the summer time. It would make a perfect spot for the coop. All that we needed to do was bust out the saw and cut in a door. Mr. B was in charge of that. He also built the step out of a reclaimed pallet, the door was a tad too high for little goosie legs.

We put plywood on the bottom half of the walls last winter to keep out the draft. Geese and ducks are very hardy birds, they have a built in down jacket. As long as they can get out of the wind they are just fine, so no need to go all the way up with the plywood or insulate. We decided to leave the boards up for the summer as they keep out allot of the water when we get a nasty rain and there still is enough ventilation on the top so nobody gets too hot. Before the new batch of babies moved outside Mr. B added the hardware cloth to the top of the walls and across the ceiling. We lost a duck last fall because something, a mink or weasel, was able to get into the coop.

I also wanted a run attached to the coop. A place to corral the birds while are gone. Mr. B really stepped up on this one and built a nice sturdy fence. As an added bonus we have two crab apple trees growing in that space. It helps keep the little ones safe from the hawks without the use of poultry netting. When the apples drop they make a nice snack. Last fall Patty and Bernie's beaks were stained red for a week from all the apples!

It is not as elaborate and beautiful as some of the coops you see at back yard chickens. You really need to check that sight out. I am totally envious of some peoples chickens. But then again they all don't have this totally awesome sign!

Growing Up

The kiddos are growing up fast. Everyone is starting to get their big boy/girl feathers. The duckas are almost as tall as Thelma and their wittle heads are close to the top of their brooder boxes.

The kiddos were three weeks old on Wednesday. The weather has been wonderful and they have been outside every night from the time I get home till it gets dark. We plan on making some modifications to the coop this weekend so they can be outside full time. I love these little guys, they are just so darn cute, but it is time for this mama goose to reclaim her dinning room. You thought wet dog smells bad, try living with wet duck!

The First Outting

Just shy of two weeks old, we took the babies outside for the first time . They were adorable frolicking in the grass and sploosh in the water. The best part they could make as big of a mess as they wanted. Patty and Bernice were leery at first, but started to warm up to the little ones. 

The Three Amigos, Thelma, Charile, and Shadow, enjoyed tromping in my garden. They were so cutsie I didn't even mind that they were snacking on the flower.

The ducks were drawn to the water like a pigs to mud. It was adorable watching them take a bath for the first time and flap their little wingies to dry off.

It was a successful adventure. Unfortunately it is supposed to rain for the next three days. The babies will have to stay inside for a while. In a bout two weeks they will be ready to be outside full time, and I will be able to reclaim the dinning room.

Shadow Update

The little bugger is doing awesome. She, we checked last night and we are 99% positive Shadow is a girly, is still smaller than her brothers and sisters but is growing. She still loves to snuggle with the geese. Unlike the other ducks Shadow is less skittish; last night she was eating lettuce out of my hand. The geese are much calmer than the ducks and I think some of that is rubbing off on her. I know parents aren't supposed to have favorites but she is just so darn cute!

Shadow

Tonight while cleaning out the nursery Mr. B and I noticed something wrong with one of the duckas. He was smaller than his brothers and sisters and he just didn't seem to have the same fight as the others. We have placed him with the geese, Charles and Thelma, hoping that he won't have to struggle as much for food and water access. We shall see what the next few days bring. My hopes aren't high for this little guy, but he might pull through and surprise us. With a name like Shadow, think Homeward Bound, he just might have a chance.

The babies are here

Today was an important day on the Acres. I had to go to town to pick this up from the post office.

In the box were fifteen of these cuties.

and two of these adorable fuzz balls.

We have decided to name the geese (the yellow fuzzies) Thelma and Charles. We believe we have a boy and a girl, to the best of our novice goose sexing abilities. The little black cuties, runner ducks, will remain nameless until some personalities develop and they prove they have enough street smarts to make out here on our frontier. 

(Let's just say we had some unwanted visitors last year)

In case you were wondering we ordered the birds from Murry McMurray Hatchery. We purchased some geese from them last year with good luck. These little guys made it to us just fine. Some fresh water and some tasty lettuce and they perked right up.

 Mr. B helped me rig up this high-end brooder box: three Rubbermaids, a pair of saw horses, one of the ramps to get the ATV into the truck and two heat lamps.We know that it is not the most glamours set up but it works. The only thing we had to purchase was a heat lamp and the Rubbermaids, which will be disinfected when the kids are all grown up and we will be able to use them for storage.

The babies need to stay inside under a heat lamp for a few weeks until they have some big bird feathers and can venture outside, about fourish weeks. So for now they are hanging in the dinning room. Not the most common place for birds but it works for us. Its safe and warm and close to one of the limited outlets.