My next door neighbor got a baby goose! I am in love, and desperately trying to stifle my urge to run out to the feed store today and get one of my own! I adore them.
I grew up loving geese
- and they are very different than ducks. Geese don't stoop to eating snails and slugs as ducks do, but they do love anything green and will strip the grass and tender foliage from all landscaping as effectively as a goat would.
If acquired very young, the gosling will become "imprinted" on its care giver, following one around everywhere, treating him/her as his mother, in fact being socially bonded for life. They will happily share whatever food you happen to be eating, and especially love treats of peanutbutter & jelly sandwiches, and lettuce. Geese can be quite affectionate, and make good pets if you have a nice lawn area. Unfortunately one of the unpleasant aspects of owning a goose is the constant fertilizer effect, which can be a problem if you like to walk around barefoot, or have a cement patio or pool (water serves as a natural laxative)!
My favorite is the white chinese goose. They have a fleshy knob at the base of their bill, and a gracefully long slender neck. Their piercingly blue eyes miss nothing, and they are great watchdogs, however, if you aren't fond of the alarm cry (a rather loud oinking noise) then perhaps owning a goose isn't for you.
Why would anyone want to own a goose? Geese have been known to have a habit of biting people, (strangers, or people they don't like) often standing innocently by until one's back is turned, at which time they strike like lightning, silently running up with their neck parallel to the ground. Often going for the ankle or calf, they bite and then twist their head, causing their saw-like teeth to grind and bruise. At the same time, the wing will whack hard on whatever body part they can reach - causing a painful blow.
I've gone for many years without owning one. But when I held that little tiny bundle of yellow fluff and heard the whistling peeps of the little gosling, all the bad reasons flew away. It was a good thing I had to give it back and go home.
6 comments:
I had 2 african geese when I was a kid, I missed them when I moved downstate and had to leave them behind.
I haven't thought about them in years, thanks for the post.
I had a goose when I was a kid that followed me everywhere. I swear he thought he was a dog. He was even a very good watch goose.
Hey Terry, just a hi and bye today, hoping all's good down your way!
Such a cute post! You pretty much sold them to me in that first part, though admittedly that last part did a lot of damage ;-) Sweet, the pics too.
There is just something about a goose that makes me want to turn sideways. Maybe its a guy thing. :-)
Hey Sherri, I had two african geese as well. The goose hatched out 9 goslings... what a cute bunch they were. I've done pretty well not getting another one for these past 14 years...(wow, has it really been THAT long?) but when I got to hold the little guy, it was like getting addicted all over again.
Hi :P Fuzzbox - Tee hee - I'm sure he actually thought he was a human! What happened to him?
Trace! LOL - they DO like sandwiches... did she get it? Hope you are having a great week. Back to school yet?
Meg - Welcome, and thanks for dropping by. Geeseology? Hmmm - I think you've coined a new word
:-D Ha ha - I think if you were truly "goosed" you would remember it...
Autumn - HI!!! (waves energetically) I see you are dashing through the blogosphere - I'll catch up to you soon. Everything is fine - just needed that little bit of info for a delivery which is on the way ;-) You'd love the geese - just get em when they're young...
Trée - ROFLMAO!!! Oh my, what a picture just flew through my head! I must have seen a cartoon one time with a crying little boy on one side of the fence holding his er.. pants, and a goose on the other side intent on pulling... TOO FUNNY! Yep, definitely a guy thing :-D
Just cute!
I grew up on a farma dn feathered cretaures were my mom´s favourite. I have done quite a bit of Konrad Lorenz imprinting myself.
I had a hen I loved to death once. When the time for its slaughter was near, I escaped with it in the woods to protetc it from certain death. Only to get lost there and deliver myself to the cold. I wa sfound by the villagers search party before death struck though...it is a long story. I just love all bird type animals.
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