Every once in a a while you get a shot with your camera that is actually worth saving. This is mine! Baby geese began hatching at my house Thursday evening. This is a long arduous process. I have an Emiden setting in one part of the compound and Goosie, this African Gray, in another part. Goosie is a story in itself so I will cover the Emiden babies a little later.
About 5 or 6 years ago Bret decided he absolutely had to have baby geese. The fact that we had 20+ ducks at the time was immaterial. So off we went to Big R for the purchase of 3 geese. I do everything living in triplicate for some odd reason that only God is privy to. Any way, the geese grew and were quite attached to us and the ducks. As luck would have it, we had 2 ganders and the one hen. The first 2 years Goosie would lay her eggs and I would eat them. I called this retro active birth control.
Then the third year the biggest gander developed neurological problems and had to be put down. I let Goosie set that year. Her eggs were not fertile, so there was a stinking mess! The next year I had acquired 3 pairs; 2 Chinese, 2 Emidens, and 2 more Africans. They all set, except Goosie, and they all hatched and the ganders trampled most of them, but I did manage to grab the 6 surviving babies and take them to my friend Penny to take care of until they were feathered. While over there 2 got sick and died, one was ate by a coyote and 3 survived. When they got tired of taking care of them they brought them back. This brought me up to 10. One of the Emidens did not make it through breeding season, so down to nine.
I decided to let Goosie try this year and we were very happy when this little fellow pecked it's way out of the shell. Bret spotted this shot and took it for me. If you click on the picture it will get bigger and you can see the little fellow nestled in Goosie's wing with just it's head showing.
If you are ever in my neighborhood, feel free to drop on over and check out my little farm here. Better hurry though, because the fox is busily eating my ducks and you may not see them if you don't hurry!!
Have a good one, and happy Father's Day to all the male species, with and without feathers!
