Hi all
Firstly thanks for the wonderful forum - we have found answers to lots of Q we've been asking ourselves, just by reading through all the threads and posts on your goose forum.
We are goose lovers and until recently owned a pair of hand-reared Embden-type goosies. Sadly we've just lost our little female to presumably an oviduct infection. We are so gutted that I've been seeking solace in the BYC site. Our goosies, Honk (recently deceased) and Toot, were obtained from a friendly but amateur bird breeder who offered us a choice of 1-2 day old goslings. We picked a half dead little one (Toot) that had crawled under some stones, and then the next smallest one we could find. Luckily we nursed them to health and they turned out to be a male and female who viewed one another as siblings, and my husband as their "mate". They became part of our family, travelling on holiday with us in their "goose caboose" (resembles a kennel) and even swimming in the sea with us. They were the light of our lives for the past 5 years and we are battling to get over our loss. Tootles is doing better than we are, but is very clingy and won't let Eric out of his sight. Toot has called for her a bit, but has thankfully not pined too much.
Perhaps with all your information and support we can again consider getting another gozzie next year as a companion for Toot - we don't want to subject him to 20 or so years without a birdie pal to spend his days with.
We live in "suburbia" in Cape Town, South Africa and holiday 300 km's away on our larger plot in the karoo. Which has fun scenery and novel furrow-type water systems that goosies love, but too little grass (in their opinions)! We share our home with assorted wild birds, and a 10-yr old, neurotic, wild canary that I raised from a featherless orphan.
Looking forward to interacting with fellow /bird/goose fanatics.
Regards,
Shelly and Eric
Firstly thanks for the wonderful forum - we have found answers to lots of Q we've been asking ourselves, just by reading through all the threads and posts on your goose forum.
We are goose lovers and until recently owned a pair of hand-reared Embden-type goosies. Sadly we've just lost our little female to presumably an oviduct infection. We are so gutted that I've been seeking solace in the BYC site. Our goosies, Honk (recently deceased) and Toot, were obtained from a friendly but amateur bird breeder who offered us a choice of 1-2 day old goslings. We picked a half dead little one (Toot) that had crawled under some stones, and then the next smallest one we could find. Luckily we nursed them to health and they turned out to be a male and female who viewed one another as siblings, and my husband as their "mate". They became part of our family, travelling on holiday with us in their "goose caboose" (resembles a kennel) and even swimming in the sea with us. They were the light of our lives for the past 5 years and we are battling to get over our loss. Tootles is doing better than we are, but is very clingy and won't let Eric out of his sight. Toot has called for her a bit, but has thankfully not pined too much.
Perhaps with all your information and support we can again consider getting another gozzie next year as a companion for Toot - we don't want to subject him to 20 or so years without a birdie pal to spend his days with.
We live in "suburbia" in Cape Town, South Africa and holiday 300 km's away on our larger plot in the karoo. Which has fun scenery and novel furrow-type water systems that goosies love, but too little grass (in their opinions)! We share our home with assorted wild birds, and a 10-yr old, neurotic, wild canary that I raised from a featherless orphan.
Looking forward to interacting with fellow /bird/goose fanatics.
Regards,
Shelly and Eric
Some pics of our babies - two Embden-type geese, Honk (female) and Toot (male)
Honkie-girl (above)
Toot - after messing in the coal-bucket!
Honk & Toot's holiday home - predator proof cage for nights
Toot - after messing in the coal-bucket!
Honk & Toot's holiday home - predator proof cage for nights
Oh, and I can't forget my baby "Peeps" the wild yellow-billed duck (also raised as an orphan)
- we released him (2009) to a duckpond on a small holding (heartbreaking to say goodbye) but he has rehabilitated well - now has a girlfriend and 5 ducklings
(yay, for a success story)
- we released him (2009) to a duckpond on a small holding (heartbreaking to say goodbye) but he has rehabilitated well - now has a girlfriend and 5 ducklings
(yay, for a success story)
