From Trash to Geese: My Experience with Waterfowl Farming in the open air🦆

Hi Everyone!
Spring is in the air, and with it comes a flurry of housekeeping work. I have grand plans for the summer, and all is in order!

Today, I will regale you with my experience of keeping waterfowl - specifically, geese!

As you may recall, we recently moved from the city to the countryside, and had no prior experience with animal husbandry or agriculture. However, to adapt to the rural lifestyle, we decided to acquire some feathered friends.

We already had a few hens that provided us with eggs, but with ample space and direct access to the river, it made sense to expand our flock to include waterfowl.

Upon taking ownership of the plot, we inherited a great deal of discarded items from the previous owners, including tattered duvets and dirty pillows. It's a shame I didn't take a photograph of the pile for posterity's sake.

Fortunately, it wasn't long before some enterprising merchants traveled through the village, offering young birds and purchasing scrap metal, crops, and old feather pillows for processing.

Imagine my delight when I exchanged a piece of trash I had no use for, and in return received five three-day-old goslings! They were considered adult enough to ensure survival, but small enough to safely integrate with our existing feathered pets.

For the first week, we kept them in a box inside the house, feeding them freshly chopped grass, egg whites, and finely ground wheat groats. Once they grew large enough, we introduced them to the rest of the birds.

Our birds have free reign to graze, which greatly benefits their well-being and mood. They can forage for their own food, whether it's a fresh blade of grass or a pesky caterpillar.

Keeping waterfowl also has the added bonus of having them clean the pond of silt and algae, as evidenced by the noticeable decrease in vegetation in their designated area. This translates to savings on feed. We always have delicious, organic meat and eggs, and having complete control over the food production process. Plus, they can self-reproduce!

Sadly, we lost three of the goslings to predators, likely foxes or raccoon dogs who were being driven closer to settlements due to military activity in the forest. However, we were left with a male and female who built a nest and laid over 30 eggs.

Our mistake was attempting to collect the eggs from under the goose to save them, instead of allowing her to take care of them herself. Geese are better equipped to know which eggs to turn over and how long to sit on them to prevent overheating or cooling to unacceptable temperatures.

Once the chicks hatched, they were immediately cared for by their parents, who diligently taught them where to graze and what dangers to look out for. It's amazing to witness such developed parental instincts.

I highly recommend keeping waterfowl, as they are fascinating creatures to observe. If raised in close proximity to humans, they can become quite tame and responsive.

#photofeed #pets #animals #vyb #proofofbrain #tips #experience

All pictures were taken by me on an old Samsung smartphone!

I wish you all a peaceful sky above your head and stable soil under your feet! Take care of yourself and your loved ones so that you can meet again in the hive!