The Goslings Are Here!

May 13, 2024

All four eggs have hatched! The hatch didn't go down without some drama... I did help two along, very conservatively, as it's tricky business helping hatchlings emerge. Too soon and they can bleed to death, too late and they can run out of air if the air sac has not developed properly. I do believe I had the humidity a bit high throughout incubation, which resulted in some difficulty. Hatching took place over 48 hours, starting on Thursday morning and commencing Saturday morning. We ended up with three healthy ganders (males) and one healthy goose (female). The coloring tells the tale with this sex linked breed. Females are darker in color as hatchlings. 

They are the most amazing little creatures. Goose imprinting is a real thing! They follow both Maddy and I everywhere we go. They absolutely love eating grass and are surely living up to their reputation as "weeders". Yesterday was Mother's Day, and Maddy with the geese in tow, spent the morning helping me weed the garden. It was adorable to watch the tiny goslings gobble down dandelion greens and persistantly pull up the roots. It's not hard to imagine a large flock of adult Cotton Patch geese meticulously weeding an entire cotton or corn field. 

The weekend was filled with projects, one being the completion of our new chicken tractor. This will function as a semi-moblile coop to raise the butcher chickens in this summer, allowing the "big coop" to open up space for the geese. There will be some renovations before they move in. We'll be putting an addition on the outdoor pen and adding a goose sized door on one side to allow for easy entry and exit. This summer is proving to be a busy one, but we are looking forward to it!