Well, we knew we had no more chicks coming, but we were expecting another shipment of goslings. So in to town went my husband (the soon-to-be waterfowl magnate of the north woods) to pick up the last of the ordered goslings for this year.
Upon opening the box, we found five of them rarin' and ready to be out and settled in their new surroundings. Unfortunately, one of them (a female, of course -- drat!) didn't make it.
Boy howdy, did they have a thirst! Which was soon remedied by a guzzle or two of delicious, clean water.
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I don't think I ever updated you all on the outcome of our older Mama Goose who had been sitting on a clutch of eggs. We let her go a few days beyond what should have been the longest gestation period of the eggs.
Then one morning when she went down to the pond for her morning stretch, Papa Pea uncovered the nest which she always covered when she left for her brief outside excursions morning and afternoon. He was fairly sure he had at one time seen a clutch of 4-5 eggs, but found only one . . . and some egg shells. What happened to the other eggs? Had she eaten them?
Upon taking the remaining egg out, he found it to be very, very rotten. So that was the end of homestead-hatched goslings for this year.
We still have a Cayuga duck sitting on a nest. Her eggs are supposed to hatch this coming Sunday or Monday. Our fingers are crossed she's more successful than the goose was.
12 comments:
Thanks for the update. I love your blog, and get my chicken/goslings fix from you.
DDD - Thanks so much! I'll try to keep the chicken/gosling posts coming!
I raised 20 some chicks for friends this year, was keeping 5 for myself and ended up selling some for $20 each. Hmmm a new business?
Sounds like you and Papa Pea are going to be u to your knees in geese and ducks! Sorry your little girl gosling didn't make it - why is it always the girls?! I'm enjoying your waterfowl updates, as it makes me feel less alone in my duck obsession... xo
What a disappointment that the eggs didn't hatch. It's always fun to watch those mamas taking their young out for a walk.
Ah well, you got a box-o-fun in the mail.
Have a fun week, Mama Pea
I checked our extended forecast and no frost in the next 10 days--I'm planting Saturday--HOORAY!!!!! I love this time of year, cuz Sue is TIRED of watering all those flat of seedlings FOUR TIMES A DAY.
Ruth - $20 a piece for started chicks?? Wow, I had no idea they would bring in that amount.
Susan - Obsession it does seem to be! We're waiting for our last shipment of waterfowl . . . 15 assort Muscovy ducklings.
Sue - Isn't it just amazing how much water those little pots can drink in a day! Hope they know they're not gonna get that kind of service once they're out in the gardens!
This is our third day of wet, dreary weather but it's helping keep down the fire danger so we can't complain too much. Also a foggy, soggy Memorial Day Weekend forecast. So it goes!
What a fun delivery. Thanks for the update.
You bet, Kristina! (I think they're looking 'bout twice as big today!!)
Mama Pea,
Those little babes are so adorable, sorry to hear the female didn't make it. I'm also sorry to hear your husband only found 1 egg in the nest.
Here's hoping the other nest of eggs will survive and hatch.
Sandy - Until you can manage to get a pair of established breeding geese or ducks, it's always a hit or miss situation. And we certainly haven't had much luck in ordering ducklings or goslings from hatcheries. Drat!
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