Showing posts with label African Goose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label African Goose. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Signs of spring

Even though we really have not had much of a winter, we are finally beginning to see some signs of spring. Little blades of grass are starting to peek through, some fruit trees are beginning to bud out, and one of the geese has started to sit on her eggs.

She has taken to sitting on them more regularly but she does not sit on them all day. We have put the roosters up so they can't bother her and we can leave the pen open. If the roosters are out they like to go into her nest and uncover the eggs. Not to mention that they will try to jump on the female geese as well as the hens!


She doesn't like it when we get too close and tries to hide her head so we can't see her. I have read that not all female geese will sit on the eggs. Usually one or two will lay the eggs and one will sit on them. So far we have only noticed two of the females laying eggs and the one that is sitting appears to be laying more often.


I have finally found a book about domestic geese that I want to get. It is very difficult to find a lot of information about raising geese online so we are trying to let her do what comes naturally until we can learn more. The geese are fun to watch and they do have a certain elegance and grace to them especially when they are on the water.


We did get a little snow recently and it was the first that the birds have seen. The geese did not seem to be bothered by it at all and went about their usual routine of getting breakfast and then heading back to the pond. The chickens however took a little longer to venture out. Geese are pretty hardy birds and don't seem to be bothered by very much. And of course the eggs are great!

Monday, July 11, 2011

TPH-Episode 23

Welcome back Homesteaders! Today we will be looking at the Earth element and discuss how to build and use an A Frame Level and a Bunyip Water Level. Today's Ancestral Animal is the African Goose.


Song: The Earth is My Church by Freedom People from Peace, Love, Music


african.jpg

Bender, Marjorie; Sponenberg, D. Phillip; Bixby, Donald. 2000. Taking Stock of Waterfowl: The results of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy's Domestic Duck and Goose Census. American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Pittsboro, North Carolina.

Holderread, Dave. 1986. Breed Bulletin #8623, "African Geese."

Holderread, Dave. 1981. The Book of Geese: a Complete Guide to Raising the Home Flock. Hen House Publications. Corvallis, Oregon.

Johnson, Willis Grant, and George O. Brown, eds. 1909. The Poultry Book. Doubleday, Page & Company.

Malone, Pat; Donnelly, Gerald; Leonard, Walt. 1998. American Standard of Perfection. American Poultry Association, Inc. Mendon, MA.

Breed clubs and associations: The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, Box 477, Pittsboro, NC 27312, (919) 542-5704, email albc@albc-usa.org, www.albc-usa.org

American Poultry Association, PO Box 306, Burgettstown, PA15021, email secretaryapa@yahoo.com, www.amerpoultryassn.com

Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities, Dr. Charles R.H. Everett, Secretary, 122 Magnolia Lane, Lugoff, SC, 29078, email crheverett@bellsouth.net