|
Post by heavyhitterokra on May 15, 2019 14:31:25 GMT -6
A few years ago, I read an interesting article about a rare, heritage breed of geese developed in the United States, by settlers in our Southern Colonies.
Because these birds were developed for the sole purpose of weed control, they were dubbed, "Cotton Patch Geese." These geese were used by settlers and plantation owners alike, to assist in weeding fields of cotton, tobacco, sweet potatoes, field corn, mint, and other hard to manage field crops.
This breed of goose was said to be particularly friendly toward people, rather than taking on the brash, and aggressive characteristics that we normally associate with domesticated geese of today.
These geese also possessed an uncanny appetite for narrow leafed grasses, such as Nut Grass, Crabgrass, Quackgrass, young Sedge Grass, Common Couch, Yellow Nutsege, Bermuda grass, and tall Fescue. They also frequently dined on young Lambsquarter, Dandelion seed heads, the seeds of plantain, and the tender foliage of Mouse Eared Chickweed; all while avoiding things such as established cotton plants, tomato leaves, sweet potato leaves, Irish potato leaves, mint, mature corn, and tobacco plants.
Because of these many desirable traits, the Colonists --- desperately in need of labor in their fields, began to selectively breed, develop, and raise Cotton Patch Geese in larger numbers, specifically for weed control. It was said that a brace of Cotton Patch Geese could devour as many weeds in a day's time as one man could hoe out by hand. Soon, there were many thousands of Cotton Patch Geese employed across the South, doing just that.
The natural, gentle temperament of these geese caused them to develop a tendency to seek out human attention, this trait made Cotton Patch Geese good companions in the fields; they became as sheep, seeking a shepherd; following their master wherever he might lead them in search of more unwanted weeds to devour.
The use of Cotton Patch Geese reached an apex, during the late-1800s in the years following the Civil War. They were a lighter weight breed of goose with the ability to fly well into their second year. This ability to fly, gave them an edge over predators that other breeds of geese lacked, and as a result of their smaller size, they were also better suited to tolerate the Southern Summer heat that caused other geese a hardship in these States. By the mid-1900s their use was widespread across the South.
Unfortunately, with the advent of the development of herbicides and crop dusting during the post war years of the Twentieth Century, their numbers began to decline, by the mid-1960s, they nearly went extinct; causing them to be added to the Livestock Conservancy's List of Critically Endangered Domesticated Species.
After reading about these birds, I developed a further interest in them and began studying more about how to acquire a breeding pair of my own. I researched until I finally tracked down a person in Georgia who was willing to ship day old goslings to my location, here in Northeast, Oklahoma.
That was back in the Summer of, 2017. Upon my first attempt to contact this person I discovered they were all sold out of Cotton Patch Goslings for the remainder of that season, so I requested to be put on their waiting list. I paid for my order of 4 goslings, 2 male, and 2 female, birds in 2018, and anxiously awaited delivery of those goslings as soon as they hatched. Finally, about 6 months later, in the month of April, 2019 I got a call. My goslings were about to hatch and I would need to be ready to receive them. (Acquisition of these birds was a two year process).
Then, on April 7th, of 2019, my long awaited day-old-goslings were hatched and about to be shipped by US Mail.
They were hatched on April 7th, shipped on April 8th, and reached their destination of Tahlequah, Oklahoma on April 10th.
The Lady at the Post Office said they were so cute, she was kind of hoping no one would show up to take them home.
Since that time, I have been keeping a journal of my activities concerning the care and training of these Cotton Patch Goslings and will try to keep you posted with updates in blogs to follow. Right now, I've got to get outside to take my goslings grazing for their afternoon meal of garden weeds.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on May 16, 2019 8:35:24 GMT -6
April 16, 2019
This is a copy of my first Journal entry posted before the category of Domestic Animals was created on this site. Because of that, my writings on this subject were posted on my Heavy Hitter Okra thread instead:
While the weather has been cold, rainy, windy, and otherwise, too finicky to plant a garden, I've been devoting all my spare time to building a goose run for the poultry on our farm. Here are a few photos of the goslings and the goose house project, so far. My 4 little Cotton Patch Goslings, all huddled under the heat lamp to keep warm, after their long journey from Georgia to Oklahoma in the US Mail. Construction of the goose run, When it finally warms up at night to temperatures above 60, this will be their new home, but for now, their home is a large plastic storage container, located in my well pump room, under the warmth of a heat lamp. I change their bedding each day and wash the tub and all their things with warm water and a solution of Lemon Viricide, as advised by or Veterinarian. Finally, I've got the locking steel door hung and 1,500 square feet of chicken wire attached to the hoops. This goose run is 48' feet long, by 16' feet wide, by 8' feet tall and is reinforced by cattle panels laid over chicken wire. The hoops are anchored to treated 2x6 lumber that forms the baseboard, and it also has a wire floor out to 24" inches from the baseboard, to prevent predators from digging in underneath.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on May 16, 2019 11:57:23 GMT -6
This is a Cotton Patch Goose post, copied over from my Heavy Hitter Okra Thread dated May 2, 2019.
I took the Cotton Patch Goslings with me to the garden this morning. The first thing they went for, was my okra seedlings. The entire garden is bare dirt right now, except for those few seedlings. They just saw something green and went for it. I stopped them before they could eat any of the okra sprouts and redirected them to my potato patch.
They don't like potato leaves, so they only eat the green grass that's growing between the potato vines. They don't like mint leaves either, so that's where we headed next. The goslings are only 25 days old, so they don't eat grass nearly as fast as I can pull the weeds by hand, but every little bit helps.
We are only in the training phase right now. It's amazing how quickly they learn a routine. I train them the same way I train horses or mules. I'm careful to follow the same path every day and to do the same things at the same time of day. I repeat 'key' words as I do each task, so they associate the words with the thing we are doing.
If I'm driving them, I say the same words each day, "Gee" for right, "Haw" for left. "Go home" if that's where I'm wanting them to go. If I'm leading them I say a different word, so they'll know to follow. When they do a good thing I reward them verbally. They catch on pretty fast.
Yesterday, I fell asleep in a lounge chair while they were out in the pasture with me, grazing. That's when my stock dog; "Buddy" came over and pawed me awake because my lead chicken was harassing the goslings and making them cry; she wasn't hurting them, she was just chasing them with her wings spread in the air like a chicken sized goblin. Buddy protects the geese and the chickens both, and knows when they are in distress which one is causing it, so I got up from my chair and drove the hen off from the goslings, so Buddy could relax again.
Later in the day, all the geese were following behind me. Buddy was bringing up the rear, and the most aggressive little female gosling left the line to turn back and chase Buddy away.
As soon as Buddy took off running, she hurried back to catch up to the rest of the troop. "Peep! Peep! Peep!" She was telling us all about it.
It's funny to see something so small take an offensive action to protect the rest of the group up ahead of her.
When we got to our destination, Buddy came to my side and sat down. The little female gosling laid into him again just as quick as lightning, working very hard trying to bite the fur off of Buddy's tail. She can't hurt him, but she was giving it all she had.
Buddy just sat there, taking it all in stride. He looked behind himself, watching her as she tore into his backside, then, he looked back at me, to see what to do next.
I pet him on the head and told him, "How do you like that Buddy? You go to all the trouble to save those little goslings from getting eaten by a mad hen, and then they treat you like that."
Buddy agreed wholeheartedly and eventually, the little gosling got her fill with the rump roast of dog and left him alone. I think she'll eventually figure out what side he's on and may even defend him some day.
Animals usually have the capacity to figure things like that out with a little encouragement from humans. I think everything will work out for the best in the end.
Farm animals are amazing creatures if you take some time to get to know them.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on May 16, 2019 12:02:45 GMT -6
This is another Cotton Patch Goose post, copied over from my Heavy Hitter Okra Thread, dated May 5th, 2019.
Buddy; our black-haired stock dog, got his revenge on the female gosling who has taken to attacking him so often lately. As Buddy was walking past the goslings this morning, minding his own business, the little aggressive female gosling began to persist in unprovoked attacks on his nether region. Buddy won't hurt her, so I wasn't watching too carefully.
After a while, I heard a shrill, and very distressing cry, coming from Buddy's direction... "PEEP!!! PEEP!!! PEEP!!!"
I glanced over and saw that Buddy had taken the little gosling out! Probably not in the way you are thinking...
No, instead of turning to snap at the gosling, Buddy just sat down on top of her and pinned her to the ground. It was hilarious! I wish I had brought my camera. All you could see were her two little pink feet waggling up and down from under his tail. All you could hear were her muffled cries, "PEEP!!! PEEP!!! PEEP!!!"
The little gosling was not hurt, it was just distressed by getting a dose of what it deserved.
When I got Buddy off of her and turned her loose again, she ran away to be by herself for a while and then came right back to harass him some more, but this time, not from behind. Now, she pecks at his front feet and Buddy patiently endures it.
Hopefully, they'll work things out eventually, but judging from the little gosling's persistent behavior, I'd say she's got another time out in her near future.
Things like that are what make daily treks to the garden so much fun.
Tomorrow, I am hoping to get some more planting done, but today is Sunday, so I'm taking a day of rest.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on May 16, 2019 12:08:28 GMT -6
This is a Cotton Patch Gosling Post, copied over from my Heavy Hitter Okra thread, dated May 14th, 2019.
Tonight's forecast calls for a low temperature around 59 degrees. It was still 70 degrees at 8:00 pm this evening. This will be the first night since April 10th that it has been warm enough to leave my Cotton Patch Goslings outside for the night. They surely were not happy about that!
At first, I closed them up inside the wooden goose house that I built for them. The goose house is located inside the wire covered goose run. The wooden house has sliding doors on both ends, that open and close, so when the goslings grow up they can run up the ramp, hop through the goose house, jump into the swimming pool and climb the stairs to get out the other side to do it again.
But because they were afraid of the new goose house I built them, I ended up having to let them sleep inside their big plastic tub the first few nights, until they got use to the new location.
They have all kinds of fun playing out there during the day, but they sure would rather be sleeping inside their crate in my well pump room at night.
Oh, how they cried when I tried to leave them out there! I probably spent 30 minutes holding their little heads and singing lullabies until they all finally went to sleep. Then, and only then, was I able sneak off. (They are just as sweet as little babies when they all begin to chortle and coo, as they are dozing off.) It sure was hard to leave them.
They are just at that age (36 days old) when their voices are beginning to change from goslings to geeselings. So, when they start to doze off, they begin to snore ... When they snore, they make a quiet, little, "Peeep... Honk... Peeep... Honk... Peeeep... Honk..." sound. It's so heartwarming to hear that happy, snoring sound.
Though it was hard to leave them, it had to be done sometime. They can't stay inside my house forever. This big, empty goose run looks like a scary place to leave 4 little goslings by themselves all night long, but to tell the truth, they love the goose run. They are afraid of the little wooden goose house inside it though. I had to let them sleep inside their big plastic tub for the first couple of nights, until they got used to the new location. Cotton Patch Goslings are so affectionate. Maybe, this will help my readers understand why someone might sing them lullabies and hold their little heads until they fall asleep at night. (This one is getting verrry sleepy.) His name is, "Sweet Pea" because he is such a snuggle bug.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on May 16, 2019 12:27:38 GMT -6
This is a Cotton Patch Gosling Post, copied over from my Heavy Hitter Okra thread, dated May 15th, 2019. This should get you guys caught up to the present date of May 16th, 2019.
I took my Cotton Patch Goslings to graze weeds among the potato vines this evening, before putting them up for the night. They got quite a bit accomplished before dark. I have several photos of them creeping along between the potato plants, targeting any small weeds they came across.
They are interesting to watch. They typically lay on the ground and graze a half moon pattern around in front of them, as far as they can stretch their necks, then they get up and move ahead a few inches to repeat the process, picking every weed in their path as they move along. They are very efficient grazers, hardly missing a weed. These two goslings are going 'head to head' finishing off the last remnant of a Bermuda Grass sprig that they have spotted. Finding Bermuda Grass is probably their favorite treat. Cotton Patch Geese are very persistent grazers, they don't move ahead until every sign of a weed is gone. You can see by the focus of these gosling's attention, that Cotton Patch Geese clearly prefer tiny weeds to the potato plants that they are grazing right next to. These goslings are heading home after a hard day's work of picking weeds along side the potato rows.
|
|
|
Post by john on May 16, 2019 19:30:23 GMT -6
This is really interesting stuff, Ron. Thanks for sharing.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on May 23, 2019 10:52:28 GMT -6
Hello,
I am just back from 6 days with no Internet service after the storms that moved through here last week. After seeing the damage done by the tornado over in Peggs, I'm just glad to still have any garden at all. We've had about 10" inches of rain this Month and it's not even Memorial Day yet.
If I didn't have raised beds, covered in Plasticulture, my garden would be long gone. The water standing between my rows out back was deep enough for my geese to enjoy a swim while they ate weeds today. My Cotton Patch goslings enjoying a few weeds around the edges of my flooded garden, after the storms. Take a gander at this, two of my goslings enjoying a swim between my raised beds at the South end of my tomato rows. Despite the high water and temporary flooding after days of heavy rain, my raised beds are still intact and producing very well. The raised beds are all that saved this garden from total ruin. Really, God gets all the credit here. As we were spared an F2 tornado that passed within a few miles of our place. My favorite gosling, "Sweet Pea" making quick work of this weed that he found poking out of the mud as the water began receding. It took several hours before we could take a walk out there together. This weed was a lot taller before he laid eyes on it. Cotton Patch Geese are good weeders, even when it's too wet to get out there and hoe the garden yourself. I would sink to my boot straps out there, but these geese just walk on top of the mud and keep going.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on May 24, 2019 0:33:31 GMT -6
Believe it or not, baby geese (goslings) are not natural born swimmers and can actually drown, if introduced to water over their heads too soon in life. From everything I've read, you should not introduce your goslings to water to swim in until they are at least two weeks old.
I found that very odd, to say the least, but apparently, neither goslings nor ducklings can swim before they are at least a few weeks old. The reason for this is that their oil glands have not developed yet and their feathers quickly become waterlogged.
My goslings were hatched April 7th, 2019 and are now 47 days old. Their backs will now bead water as it rains. This was not so, only a few days ago. After our heavy rains, the dry creek bed behind our house is full of running water, so I figured this would be a good time to take my goslings for their first, "over their head" swimming lesson; as I supervised closely. It was very entertaining to watch this unfold across about a 30-minute time-span.
At first, they would wade cautiously, from the water's edge to deeper waters just ahead of them. The water was clear, so they could see the bottom as they waded out. They would only venture, one tippy toe at a time.
They would wade out, just far enough that one toenail was still touching bottom, then, they'd 'crawdad' quickly back to safer ground on the gravel bar behind them.
Finally, one of the female goslings tempted fate and went in over her head... They are not nearly as buoyant as I thought they'd be as she teetered from side to side, trying to keep an upright posture.
At last, she performed the classic, 'head dunk' as she saw a weed under the flood waters and was attempting to reach it to grab a quick snack... Soon, she was in over her head and apparently panicked! Once her head had gone under, she jumped in, full body and promptly began what appeared to be a 'flight' under water.
She propelled herself for three full wing flaps under the surface and was moving right along, just like a pro --- or so I thought.
Soon, her considerable momentum allowed her to pop up to the surface and come neatly away from the water in a full run, crying, "PEEP! PEEP! PEEP!" All the way across the gravel bar. She was clearly frightened and this struck fear into the hearts of all her siblings simultaneously, as the four of them scampered away from the stream of water as fast as their little legs could carry them.
That was not at all what I had expected from their first encounter with clear running water about two feet deep. It was an eye-opener for me to realize that their mama (if they had one) would have to teach them all to swim. I figured this would just come natural, but it does not.
It looks like I'll have my work cut out for me when it comes time to teach them all to fly.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on May 24, 2019 0:43:16 GMT -6
May 24th, 2019
Below, are a few Photos of my Cotton Patch goslings' first experience with water over their heads. They each one eventually took a turn at swimming a short distance today and were fairly successful at it, but not at all successful enough to go unsupervised just yet. Here they are, cautiously surveying the newly formed water feature of our flooded, dry creek bed after a heavy rain. They are not sure what it is yet, but it makes a 'gurgling brook' sound that they seem to enjoy hearing for the first time. A second, more cautious approach than the first... Finally, one of the female goslings sees something on the bottom that attracts her attention and she pokes her head under to see if she can eat it. After going headlong under water for three full wing flaps; she bursts out from under the water, peeping loudly, and scampering away just as fast as her little legs can carry her! This alarming sound sets the other three goslings into flight mode, as they all run away from some unseen water monster that seemed to be chasing them all back downstream. To hear them tell it, they were lucky to get away with their little gosling lives!!! It took several minutes to coax them back to the water's edge. Finally, each one of them took a short turn at swimming out, and back to me in a small half circle. That was all for today's swimming lesson. Hopefully, there will be another swimming lesson tomorrow; after they return from eating weeds out in the potato patch. I try to reward them in some way, for each day's hard work of pulling weeds. It was 88 degrees today, so a cool swim after work, seemed to be in order. Here they are, busily eating weeds in my garden that is currently much too wet to cultivate. They always stay close by, eating weeds along the way, as I walk along squishing Colorado Potato Beetles. Our farm is Certified Organic, so we try to do everything the hard way. (It makes the food taste better).
|
|
|
Post by macmex on May 24, 2019 7:12:16 GMT -6
I know, with ducks, if they are not raised by their Momma, they lack the necessary oils for properly repelling water, at least for several weeks. I've lost ducklings which jumped into a kiddy pool, splashed and played, and then... started getting water logged. They got too heavy to jump out. Muscovies, naturally, have less water repellent oils in their feathers, so, under certain circumstances, even and adult can drown.
Another observation about Muscovies: the mothers don't naturally sense when it's too cold for their babies. They'll lose them if allowed to wander freely, with newborns, when it's cold. They'll just keep walking around, while the ducklings keel over, one by one, from hypothermia. Hence, I pen new mothers with a heat lamp, if it's going to be cold.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on May 24, 2019 20:49:45 GMT -6
Good advise, George, I'm just learning all this as I go along each day.
By the way; are our farm-raised bee colonies considered 'Domestic critters' here on the forum? If so, it would surely be interesting to hear a few tales about what you've learned in that regard over the years since you first took up beekeeping.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on May 27, 2019 12:11:23 GMT -6
... Poor, Buddy ...
When I went out this afternoon to turn the goslings loose to graze, I found Buddy had been locked up with them, inside their goose run, since about 7:00 am when I brought the goslings back from their morning grazing time.
I think he probably followed me inside there when I checked to make sure their waterer did not need refilling. I never noticed he was behind me, so he stayed penned up with the goslings all day long (the ultimate test for a livestock guardian dog), all the goslings were present and accounted for. That means Buddy really does his job well, or he'd have eaten the one female goose who always comes after him at every opportunity. She will walk up to Buddy and just go after the fur under his neck, or chew on his front paws, or nip at his backside if he ever turns away from her. All the while, Buddy just stands their, patiently taking her abuse; never attempting to defend himself.
He was very glad to get out of the goose run when I opened the door, but I never once heard him complain.
Chester; our miniature Shiatsu, on the other hand, will squeal like a stuck pig if he ever ends up in a similar situation. I lock all the dogs inside the goose run anytime I am operating the 3 point tiller on the back of my tractor. It has reverse tine rotation and would suck a dog right in there if it ever went after a vole or any of the many surprises that I inadvertently till up while working the garden. The very thought of that causes me to always make sure there are no animals around before I ever engage the PTO.
I once, heard Chester crying to get out of the goose run so pathetically, that I thought my hydraulic pump was burning up a bearing and shut the tiller down to listen for the source of the shrill, squealing sound. I eventually shut off the engine to help further locate the source, only to find out it was Chester, screaming just like someone had been standing on a baby pig.
(He's such a drama Queen). He'll do the same thing if he ever gets left outside when I come in from the field, or visa~versa, if he ever gets left inside the house, while I'm out in the field working. I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I've gone to rescue him from what I perceived to be an emergency situation, only to find out he was in no danger whatsoever.
That very fact attests even more to Buddy's exemplary good nature as a livestock guardian dog. He has a tender heart when it comes to his farm animal friends, never once complaining; but look out, if you are a mailman or a UPS Truck Driver! He nips at nearly anyone who attempts to approach our house or his territory out near the domesticated farm animals. I think George may be the only person he'll let out of the truck. Most people honk and ask if I'll call the dog off, so they can get out of their vehicle.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on May 30, 2019 3:24:17 GMT -6
It's 53 degrees outside right now; it rained again, all day long yesterday and most of last night. The water in our little dry creek bed behind the house will have to go down considerably before I can take the goslings out swimming again. The water in the channel is about 5' feet deep and very swift this morning.
Good thing I built that 30' foot, wooden bridge, or I'd have to swim through the creek to feed my livestock today.
|
|
|
Post by heavyhitterokra on Jun 1, 2019 0:06:52 GMT -6
I took the goslings out to the garden to graze today like I always do. When I kneeled down to begin pulling weeds, they all came running to me, expecting me to feed them the weeds I pulled, like I always do. Except, this time, I was pulling weeds to put into my compost pile, so instead of throwing them to the goslings, I threw them into a 5-gallon bucket.
That seemed to upset them dearly, as every eye would follow my every movement, expecting a treat that went right into the bucket instead; it was like teasing the dog with a pork chop, then throwing it in the trash can.
Finally, "Sweet Pea," one of the little ganders walked over and stepped on my hand. That made me laugh so hard that I stopped doing it.
For the next 5 minutes, I'd have to put every third weed or so, in my left hand and let him stand there and eat it while I continued pulling weeds with my right hand.
Those little goslings are so much fun that it doesn't feel like I'm actually working when they're around. I take them out to graze, twice per day, so that ensures that I spend more time in my garden than I might do otherwise, so the blessing is two-fold. I get more work done and I enjoy myself while they are with me.
|
|