For those of you asking how my geese are doing, they're all doing great and thriving here at my Bedford, New York farm.
I currently have 17 beautiful geese. I’ve had Pomeranian guard geese for many years, but I also keep Sebastopol geese, Toulouse geese, African geese, and Chinese geese. They all reside in a large enclosure outside my stable and next door to the peafowl, where they have lots of room to roam, a number of pools, and a shelter that provides ample shade, protection from strong winds, and a safe place to nest and lay eggs.
Here are some of the latest photos, enjoy.
My geese have a large yard, but they love to gather close together most of the time. And do you know, a group of geese on land is called a gaggle. This is because when geese get together they can get quite noisy and rowdy.
And, while the term “goose” may refer to either a male or female bird, when paired with “gander”, the word goose refers specifically to a female. Gander is the term used to identify a male.
I have several goose breeds. Here is my pair of Chinese geese. The Chinese goose is refined and curvaceous. The Chinese goose holds its head high. Its head flows seamlessly into a long, slim, well-arched neck which meets the body at about a 45 degree angle. Its body is short, and has a prominent and well-rounded chest, smooth breast and no keel. Mature ganders average 12 pounds, while mature geese average 10 pounds.
Here is a closer look at their heads. Its bill is relatively long and slender, with a large, rounded, erect knob that attaches to its forehead.
Here, one can see the difference in body type between the slender Chinese goose, the Sebastopol on the right, and the darker African goose in the back. The Chinese geese most likely descended from the swan goose in Asia, though over time developed different physical characteristics, such as longer necks and more compact bodies. The Chinese goose is a very hardy and low-maintenance breed.
This buff-brown goose is a Toulouse. On this breed, the bill is stout, the head large and broad, and the moderately long neck is thick and nearly straight. Often suspended from the lower bill and upper neck is a heavy, folded dewlap that increases in size and fullness with age. The body is long, broad and deep, ending in a well-spread tail that points up slightly. The Toulouse has a rounded breast, and often exhibits a wide keel. The abdomen is double-lobed and often brushes the ground, particularly in females during the early spring.
This is the full body of a Toulouse goose. Geese are grazing birds which means they eat a variety of different items. They eat roots, shoots, stems, seeds, and leaves of grass and grain, bulbs, and berries. They also eat small insects. I provide them with fresh greens from the gardens every day and also fortify their diet with a mix specifically made for waterfowl.
Everyone asks about the Sebastopols. These birds are considered medium-sized birds. Both males and females have pure white feathers that contrast with their bright blue eyes and orange bills and feet. Sebastopol geese have large, rounded heads, slightly arched necks, and keelless breasts.
And what is most striking is the plumage. The plumage of the head and upper two-thirds of the neck is smooth, while that of the breast and underbody is elongated and well-curled.
I have several Sebastopols – most were bred, incubated and hatched right here at the farm.
This is one of my pair of African geese – a breed that has a heavy body, thick neck, stout bill, and jaunty posture which gives the impression of strength and vitality. The African is a relative of the Chinese goose, both having descended from the wild swan goose native to Asia. The mature African goose has a large knob attached to its forehead, which requires several years to develop. A smooth, crescent-shaped dewlap hangs from its lower jaw and upper neck. Its body is nearly as wide as it is long. African geese are the largest of the domestic geese.
These two African geese are often found together in the yard. Geese don’t sweat like humans, so to keep cool on very warm summer days, they open their mouths and “flutter” their neck muscles to promote heat loss.
And remember these two? If you follow my blog regularly, you may know these Pomeranian guard geese – the oldest of my gaggle.
Although these domesticated geese are not good fliers, they do love to spread their wings. Due to their large size and upright posture, these birds can’t really fly. Domestic geese have larger back ends than their wild counterparts and stand more upright.
In flight, a group of geese is called a skein, team or wedge. On the water or flying close together, a group is referred to as a wedge of geese.
Waterfowl don’t need roosts – they are very happy gathering together and sleeping on the ground.
Preening is a maintenance behavior where a bird uses its beak to position feathers, clean plumage, and get after any pesky bugs. The geese spend a lot of time preening.
While both ducks and geese love water, geese don’t require a pond or large swimming pool – they swim much less than ducks and are content with a small dipping pool where they can dunk and clean their noses and beaks.
And thanks to their honks, these geese make excellent guardians. They can scare off any animals on the ground and they’re great at spotting aerial predators, such as hawks and falcons.
Unlike most bird species, which molt their feathers one at a time, waterfowl lose their flight feathers all at once. This is called a “simultaneous wing molt”. Geese typically undergo just one complete molt a year, during summer, replacing all body, wing, and tail feathers shortly after the nesting season.
Geese have impressive visual capabilities. The way their eyes are structured allows them to see things in much finer detail at a further distance than humans. They can also see UV light and can control each of their eyes independently.
All the geese love to congregate together. These two are waiting for their afternoon snack of fresh greens from my gardens.
My gaggle of geese is fun, friendly, personable and protective. What do you like most about geese and other waterfowl? Share your comments with me below.
There's always something going on down at my stable - this time, my farrier is here to trim the donkeys' hooves.
Every six to eight weeks, my farrier, Marc Hill, comes by the stable to check the donkeys' hooves and give them a good trim. Their hooves are constantly growing, and they support the entire weight of a donkey's body, so if left unmaintained, they can split or get too long causing uneven strides and soreness. Marc is an expert in shoeing and trimming equine hooves, and doesn't take long to get all five of my Sicilian donkeys done.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
The donkeys know visitors are in the stable. Here are the girls – Billie on the right and Jude “JJ” Junior on the left watching all the activity from their heavy-duty steel half-size stall gate by American Stalls in Fairfax, Virginia.
Here’s my stable manager, Helen Peparo, watching the donkeys as Marc tends to the girls’ hooves. These donkeys are very well behaved and easy to work with – they are accustomed to these routines because they are groomed and handled every day, but don’t underestimate the strength of a donkey. Donkeys have powerful rear legs, which they use to kick when they feel threatened or nervous.
Marc begins by using a hoof knife to remove any debris and to trim the hoof sole. Donkeys are adapted to dry climates so their hooves have a higher water content and are more elastic than horse hooves. Donkey feet are also thick walled. Donkeys also don’t typically wear shoes.
A farrier’s hoof knife is made of high quality stainless steel and has a sharp blade. It is used to clean up the exfoliating sole, to trim the shedding frog, and to cut the bars.
This is called a nipper. It is used to cut and remove any overgrown hoof wall.
The next step is to clean up any rough edges around the hoof. Marc does this with a filing tool called a rasp. Rasps are made of high carbon steel and chrome.
Truman “TJ” Junior watches from the step in his stall. He is always watching out for his girls.
The finished hoof should look neat and well-rounded, and be free from any diseased tissue. Trimming them should be done often enough, so they don’t overgrow and cause issues with walking.
The girls are all done. Helen walks them back to their stall in tandem. Donkeys bond very closely with the horses in their herd. Both Billie and Jude “JJ” Junior enjoy having full sight of each other during all their grooming treatments.
Now behind the stall gate, Billie looks on with curiosity as the boys are taken out for their hoof trims. Do you know… a donkey is capable of hearing another donkey from up to 60 miles away in the proper conditions? They have a great sense of hearing, in part because of their large ears.
Rufus and Clive are ready to come through their gate – who wants to be first?
Marc talks calmly to Clive to reassure him that this is a quick and painless procedure. Donkeys are generally calm, intelligent, and have a natural inclination to like people. Donkeys show less obvious signs of fear than horses.
Marc begins the process all over again on Clive’s hooves – first, removing any debris.
Marc uses the rasp again and then feels around the edges to make sure he did not miss any uneven spots.
Next up, my handsome Rufus. He seems so relaxed, I think he is starting to fall asleep.
Marc works on the back feet and then the front.
After filing the bottom, Marc also goes around the front using the rasp.
Truman “TJ” Junior stomps his foot on the floor – perhaps he is eager for his turn. Not to worry, “TJ” – you’re next.
After trimming the hooves of all five donkeys, it’s back to their stalls.
I think now they are all wondering what they get for being such good donkeys. Treats are on the way – each donkey gets a fresh piece of carrot.
Tucked away in a bed behind my large vegetable greenhouse, this year's dahlias continue to bloom with gorgeous colors and forms.
Dahlia is a genus of tuberous plants that are members of the Asteraceae family and are related to the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia. They grow from small tubers planted in the spring. And from late June through October, these flowers give off a stunning show with blooms ranging from small to giant dinner-plate size. Many of my dahlias are from Swan Island Dahlias in Oregon, from Floret in the State of Washington, and from The Flower Hat, a flower farm based in Bozeman, Montana.
Enjoy these photos.
I’ve been growing this all-dahlia garden for several years. When we first planted it, it was in a bed outside my main greenhouse. We moved it to this location behind my vegetable greenhouse a couple of years ago. This location gets great sun. Dahlias grow more blooms when they get at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. And because this spot is behind this large structure, it is also protected from strong winds.
Big dahlias need a support structure to keep the heavy blooms from bending to the ground. The uprights at the row ends of this garden are antique granite posts from China – originally used as grape supports in a valley that was going to be dammed and flooded to create a reservoir. We secure twine from one end to the other with bamboo stakes every few feet in between.
There are about 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. Pompon dahlias are almost round in shape with tightly quilled petals. This one is a pretty pink and white color.
The genus Dahlia is native to the high plains of Mexico. Some species can be found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Costa Rica as well as parts of South America where it was introduced.
Dahlias were first recorded by Westerners in 1615, and were then called by their original Mexican name, acoctli. The first garden dahlias reached the United States in the early 1830s. Today, dahlias are grown all over the world.
On this day, my gardener, Brian O’Kelly, gives the dahlias a little extra TLC – checking the supportive stakes and making sure the plants are well-watered. Dahlias grow best when they receive a consistent supply of water – we water these deeply once or twice per week during the season.
This is a single dahlia with just one row of petals surrounding the center disc. They range from a charming single, daisy-like flower to the popular double varieties which can range from the two-inch-pompons to 12-inch dinner plate size.
Flowers come one head per stem. They are divided into a number of groups including single, anemone, collarette, waterlily, decorative, fall, pompon, cactus, semi-cactus, and miscellaneous.
Dahlias can also vary in height, leaf color, form, and shape. This is because dahlias are octoploids, meaning they have eight sets of homologous chromosomes, whereas most plants have only two.
Dahlias are believed to have been named in honor of Andreas Dahl, a Swedish scientist, environmentalist, and student of well-known Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus.
This is a cactus dahlia with its beautiful tightly rolled ‘spiny’ petals.
And here is another cactus dahlia in bright salmon pink and yellow.
Dahlias produce an abundance of wonderful flowers throughout early summer and again in late summer until the first frost.
Here’s Moises staking some of the shorter dahlias and removing pesky weeds surrounding the plants – maintenance in the garden is so important. We also use organic mulch, made here at the farm, around the plants to prevent weeds and conserve moisture.
From the side, many dahlia petals grow all around the flower head giving it a very full appearance.
This single dahlia is bright red with a bold yellow center.
Dahlias come in white, shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, shades of purple, and various combinations of these colors – every color but true blue.
The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers or cultivars, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects.
This large bloom is a beautiful creamy white with a hint of yellow in the center. Experiment with the blooms – dahlias look great arranged in different colors or as a bunch of the same variety. Harvesting flowers is good for the plants and encourages them to continue flowering month after month.
When cutting, to prevent wilting, cut only in the early morning or late afternoon. And only cut them after they open to mature size – dahlias will not open after cutting.
And look, there are still more buds just waiting to open.
I hope you have dahlias growing in your garden. Let me know in the comments section. With good sunlight, proper watering, and a little bit of luck, we’ll have gorgeous, colorful dahlias growing all the way until Halloween.
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