This probably needs very little explanation, so I’ll keep it brief: it’s very cold here right now (snowing as I write this) and the puddle near the goose coop is frozen. As the video shows, the geese can’t help but venture into (onto) the puddle, which has become a skating rink. While the gander in this scene may have sacrificed his dignity, note that his attitude remains intact. 😂
Category: Waterfowl
Around The Farm: Gaily Green ‘Gainst Gray
Today is one of those wet, dreary days that invites thoughts – albeit briefly – of simply getting back into bed and pulling the covers over your head. Of course, when you farm (or if you have kids, pets, or other obligations, as most of us do), that’s merely a briefly-entertained fantasy that you quickly pop like a soap bubble. Mud or no, chores must be done, animals must be fed, and other tasks must be addressed. And while finding beauty on a day like this may seem difficult, it’s really not: it’s there, just waiting to be found.
Continue reading “Around The Farm: Gaily Green ‘Gainst Gray”Farm Fowl: Genuinely Goofy Geese
Geese have a reputation for being silly, and when you spend much time with them, you understand why…they’re goofy creatures and, often, rather clumsy. But silly though they may be, they’re some of the most intelligent fowl we’ve raised, and intelligent creatures seek enrichment. Fortunately, a plain old lime rind can entertain these guys for hours.
Continue reading “Farm Fowl: Genuinely Goofy Geese”Podcast: Pasturing Geese & Ducks
Like podcasts? Check out the podcast I did recently on pasturing waterfowl with Mother Earth News and Friends editor Jessica Mitchell. It was a lot of fun to do and I hope you enjoy it!
Watch This: Conversations With An Egg
This one is a bit of a throwback – almost three weeks now – to the last gosling hatch of the year. This little gander, though not quite ready to hatch, was still talkative and active in his egg.
Continue reading “Watch This: Conversations With An Egg”In The Incubator: Last Gosling Hatch Of 2021
It’s finally hatching day for the last Pilgrim eggs of the season! While hatching day is exciting regardless of when it occurs during the year, this hatch is particularly poignant because, after this, there will be no more goslings until next spring. That’s a long wait.
Continue reading “In The Incubator: Last Gosling Hatch Of 2021”Around The Farm: The Great Gosling Integration
Integrations can be an exciting, but difficult, time: this is when young (or newly-added) animals join the resident group. For poultry, this can be a dangerous time, and it needs to be managed carefully. After weeks in tractors that were moved twice a day to fresh pasture, the goslings were finally ready to join the adult geese.
Continue reading “Around The Farm: The Great Gosling Integration”On Pasture: Grass-fed Gosling Mowers
The two groups of goslings have been doing a great job of cropping down the pasture. Using secure low tractors to contain them allows us to manage their grazing (and get our daily workout). And they are voracious grazers!
Continue reading “On Pasture: Grass-fed Gosling Mowers”Around The Farm: Brood X Is Here
As we were moving tractors this morning, I noticed some unusual tan objects clinging to the shadecloth. Upon closer inspection, I saw that they were the molted skins of cicadas – Brood X had arrived!
Continue reading “Around The Farm: Brood X Is Here”Haiku: Incarnations
I’ve written about wanting to realize my goal of becoming a writer, despite having spent much of my working life in a field where I had little opportunity to write creatively. In truth, I don’t think that matters as much as I’d thought: there are many possible paths to reaching goals, and I’m pleased to share that I’ve achieved one. “Write what you know” is a well-known (and respected) piece of writing advice…so I did.
Continue reading “Haiku: Incarnations”