When you're a goose, every day is an adventure, and this was a full day for the Apple Dumpling Gang. They are a couple of weeks old now, and have graduated from swimming in a kitty litter box to a real honest-to-goodness swimming pool (for infants).
As I filled their new pool with water, they gathered around and chattered like children. I announced that SplashTown was ready and the race was on.
They were like kindergarteners in Chuck E. Cheese. I laughed so hard that even the chickens had to come see. Dora the Explorer led the way as they high-stepped over to examine the kiddie pool. Clearly it was goose thing, because the chickens just could not understand what all the fuss was about.
I had so much fun watching them play that I was almost late for my next-door neighbor's barbecue. On my way across the street, I checked them one last time. They were still splashing and the chickens were still standing at the sidelines with cocked heads - like the RCA puppy staring at the phonograph.
Two hours later I returned home. The sun had just gone down and I was kicking myself for not leaving earlier. I had to put the birds up in the dark. They live in a 1/3 of an acre covered flight pen that includes two coops. Attached to this is an uncovered chain-link fenced area that includes two barns. My five meat chickens had been evicted from the flight pen earlier this week because they were tormenting the geese, so they were staying in this chain-link area. Before the sun goes down each night, I always lock the geese in their coop. (goose prison)
So tonight I flashlighted my way to the bird pen. I entered the chain-link paddock and saw one petrified white chicken. Hmmmm.... that's never a good thing. Where were the other four? In a panic, I immediately called the geese. As soon as they heard my voice, they set up a chorus of "Mom! MOM! MOM! MOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!" Clearly there had been trouble on the homefront while I was eating barbecue.
I ushered the babies into their coop and went to assess the damage. The five egg laying hens that were in the flight pen with the geese had survived, but three meat chickens were dead and one was missing and presumed dead. It would appear that while I was passing the blackberry cobbler, a bobcat was passing my chickens across the fence. Now I don't mind donating a bird here or there to wildlife, but I had three fat dead birds that appeared to be just too heavy for the Boogey Beast to drag across the fence. Three birds wasted. I wasn't eating them and neither was anything else. Hmmmm.... time to re-group.
While the chickens are Food Products, the geese are not. The geese are like puppies with wings, dolphins with feathers. The geese are pets. Even though their coop is like a Fort Knox, the very fact that the Boogey Beast is prowling not 30 feet from my beloved Apple Dumpling Gang was enough to galvanize me into action. It was time to move the geese into the barn with the horses. So we began The Exodus.
The Apple Dumpling Gang was delighted to see me, but not at all thrilled to be packed into a dog kennel. I stacked their food, water, and little baby pool on top of the kennel and we rolled toward the barn while the Apple Dumpling Gang screamed loudly and called every predator in Brazoria County. The image of a bobcat with white feathers stuck to his lips pushed me onward, and I was glad the dog was there. While I didn't consider a bobcat a threat to me, it's still nice to have another set of eyes (and an impressive array of teeth!) for company.
We made it to the barn and once inside their stall, the Apple Dumpling Gang finally quit screaming. This is not to say that they shut up. Far from it. Geese don't ever shut up. Nope. The Gang began exploring and talking loudly to each other about their new home. They explored while I filled up SplashTown. They were clearly impressed. Their new home included a stall that opened into a covered chain-link run. They had running water, electricity, and MUSIC! Pat Green! They announced that Geese LIKE Pat Green. Geese LIKE running water! Geese LIKE lights after the sun goes down. Geese LIKE playing in SplashTown at midnight!
It is now 2 AM and the Apple Dumpling Gang is happily settled into their new home. SplashTown has gone from blue to green. The hay is wet. The geese are snoring. Life is good. There is nothing like a brush with the Boogey Beast to separate family from Food Products. The geese are family.
And as I've said many times, if you have a farm, you don't need cable TV. :)
As I filled their new pool with water, they gathered around and chattered like children. I announced that SplashTown was ready and the race was on.
They were like kindergarteners in Chuck E. Cheese. I laughed so hard that even the chickens had to come see. Dora the Explorer led the way as they high-stepped over to examine the kiddie pool. Clearly it was goose thing, because the chickens just could not understand what all the fuss was about.
I had so much fun watching them play that I was almost late for my next-door neighbor's barbecue. On my way across the street, I checked them one last time. They were still splashing and the chickens were still standing at the sidelines with cocked heads - like the RCA puppy staring at the phonograph.
Two hours later I returned home. The sun had just gone down and I was kicking myself for not leaving earlier. I had to put the birds up in the dark. They live in a 1/3 of an acre covered flight pen that includes two coops. Attached to this is an uncovered chain-link fenced area that includes two barns. My five meat chickens had been evicted from the flight pen earlier this week because they were tormenting the geese, so they were staying in this chain-link area. Before the sun goes down each night, I always lock the geese in their coop. (goose prison)
So tonight I flashlighted my way to the bird pen. I entered the chain-link paddock and saw one petrified white chicken. Hmmmm.... that's never a good thing. Where were the other four? In a panic, I immediately called the geese. As soon as they heard my voice, they set up a chorus of "Mom! MOM! MOM! MOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!" Clearly there had been trouble on the homefront while I was eating barbecue.
I ushered the babies into their coop and went to assess the damage. The five egg laying hens that were in the flight pen with the geese had survived, but three meat chickens were dead and one was missing and presumed dead. It would appear that while I was passing the blackberry cobbler, a bobcat was passing my chickens across the fence. Now I don't mind donating a bird here or there to wildlife, but I had three fat dead birds that appeared to be just too heavy for the Boogey Beast to drag across the fence. Three birds wasted. I wasn't eating them and neither was anything else. Hmmmm.... time to re-group.
While the chickens are Food Products, the geese are not. The geese are like puppies with wings, dolphins with feathers. The geese are pets. Even though their coop is like a Fort Knox, the very fact that the Boogey Beast is prowling not 30 feet from my beloved Apple Dumpling Gang was enough to galvanize me into action. It was time to move the geese into the barn with the horses. So we began The Exodus.
The Apple Dumpling Gang was delighted to see me, but not at all thrilled to be packed into a dog kennel. I stacked their food, water, and little baby pool on top of the kennel and we rolled toward the barn while the Apple Dumpling Gang screamed loudly and called every predator in Brazoria County. The image of a bobcat with white feathers stuck to his lips pushed me onward, and I was glad the dog was there. While I didn't consider a bobcat a threat to me, it's still nice to have another set of eyes (and an impressive array of teeth!) for company.
We made it to the barn and once inside their stall, the Apple Dumpling Gang finally quit screaming. This is not to say that they shut up. Far from it. Geese don't ever shut up. Nope. The Gang began exploring and talking loudly to each other about their new home. They explored while I filled up SplashTown. They were clearly impressed. Their new home included a stall that opened into a covered chain-link run. They had running water, electricity, and MUSIC! Pat Green! They announced that Geese LIKE Pat Green. Geese LIKE running water! Geese LIKE lights after the sun goes down. Geese LIKE playing in SplashTown at midnight!
It is now 2 AM and the Apple Dumpling Gang is happily settled into their new home. SplashTown has gone from blue to green. The hay is wet. The geese are snoring. Life is good. There is nothing like a brush with the Boogey Beast to separate family from Food Products. The geese are family.
And as I've said many times, if you have a farm, you don't need cable TV. :)
