the return of the geese

DSC_0070
You might have heard we lost our geese. It was only when I went back to find that post for the link that I saw it was MAY! *cough* 

Sometime in June there were unconfirmed sightings locally, about halfway between us and Martin's place where they'd come from. Maybe they were making their way back there. 

And then on Sunday, a friend announced he'd seen them walking up the road nearby. Not only out on the road but apparently bailing up residents outside their homes, hissing and generally being alarming. Sounded like our geese. 

We high-tailed it down there and there they were. 

DSC_0061
We took a bit of food but they weren't very interested in that. They didn't seem very interested at all in coming back to the farm. Nonetheless, they were our responsibility and besides, I've always loved those damn geese. They were born next door, we watched them grow up. And without wanting to terribly offend vegetarian readers, I'd dearly love to breed them in order to occasionally have goose for the table. 

Adam drove them towards me and said he'd keep them along the fence, I should be ready to catch. As they stretched out their wings and ran head down towards me, hissing like mad, I ran away. I was hopeless. Luckily Adam is anything but and single handedly retrieved them. 

DSC_0062
DSC_0065
DSC_0069
Just as we were loading them into a crate, a neighbour shouted out from her balcony, who are you and where are you taking those geese?! I explained we were from Buena Vista Farm and they were actually our geese and she said, oh is that YOU Fiona? I'm out of eggs, can I come up to the farm this afternoon?

I love this town. 

The geese are now in what we call the 'fixed yard' – with our breeding hens and young replacement layers. They've settled in and seem happy. They boss the hens out of the way when I go in with scraps and just generally stalk around looking beautiful. We trimmed a wing on each and we'll see how they settle in before moving them out to the meat chickens again. I'm not sure their future is as guard geese. They're Pilgrim Geese, or Australian Settler, the gander is always white and the goose is the gorgeous gray, but I'm REALLY hoping their future is as Buena Vista geese!

DSC_0074
DSC_0060

 

What I wish I'd said to Adam in 2010: in a few short years you'll be running down a road chasing your geese which were supposed to be guarding your meat chickens and had flown away. You'll never regret leaving your day job. Let's go now instead of next year.

xxx

More
articles & Recipes