We have goslings!
The geese sat patiently on their eggs for most of April. One goose set herself up beneath some haying equipment, allowing us to leave her generally alone. Approaching the tarp-covered implement would invariably elicit a hiss.
The second goose laid her eggs in the ram barn, right next to the rams who still needed regular feeding. So she honked, hissed and snapped at us whenever we fed the rams until they were let outside.
The under-tarp goose hatched her eggs first – seven eggs yielded just 2 goslings. We think that maybe one or two were taken or that the eggs were predated. The goslings came out and have been playing in puddles while following their parents around.
Yesterday, Matt came in to say that the second goose’s eggs had begun to hatch. This morning, he counted six little goslings, one egg still pipping, and three eggs with no apparent activity.
I am eagerly awaiting the new little geese joining the older two, and our entire goose family enjoying the sunshine together. Hats off to our patient geese, who sat for so long while the ganders cavorted about.
A photographic compendium of Goose Rage:
