Mothers Goose and Hen

Something new.  And rather bizarre.  It has to do with the fierce dedication of a certain barnyard mother....

For the past 4+ weeks, a goose has been sitting on 6 eggs.  Large goose eggs.  

And a chicken hen invited herself to "help".  I kept collecting the chicken eggs, so the chicken with an urge to be a mother spied the nest of eggs and decided that it would be hers, come what may.

The goose was possessively on her own eggs, and the determined chicken kept rearranging the nest, tweaking the arrangement of hay and feathers, settling her tiny self on the much larger eggs, sneaking eggs out from under the sleeping goose to settle on them herself.

At one point, a horrified visitor pointed out the nearly hidden body of the chicken under the larger body of the goose and asked with fear in his voice "Is that goose....KILLING that chicken?"  

Nope, the chicken was just being more stubborn than the goose, and refusing to budge.  So the goose simply settled on top of the nest, chicken and all.

The goose hissesd at us, constantly.  Some bodily harm has been threatened towards this angry mama, by our kids...not without reason.  I like the sight of the geese, but the family is right, they are downright annoying.  They seem to INVITE a swift kick with their hissing and screeching.  (We practice restraint....)

A few days ago, the hissing got worse, if that could be imagined.

I risked having my nose snapped at or getting an angry red welt on my shin, but there, peeking out from under the goose (not the chicken), were two sets of tiny shiny eyes.  Another gosling hatched within 12 hours.

I fully expected the babies to follow their rightful mama, and ignore the clucking and proud mother chicken.  Nope again.  

Mama hen and mama goose set out to explore the barn with three little babies in tow, each of the mothers calling to the babes in their own way, goslings happily falling over themselves to keep up with the mothering team.

When the goose had settled back on the nest (with three eggs remaining), the mother hen settled in the middle of the barn floor.  I hadn't seen where the goslings were, but "intuition" said they'd be under the goose.

I needed to get through with sheep water, so I picked up the angry hen....to see three fluffy yellow goslings snug under the chicken's wings while Mother Goose sat on the last eggs...

The three eggs in the nest were likely rotten, so at the earliest opportunity (when the goose was far, far away and suitably distracted at the farm dog who had innocently wandered in behind me), I scooped them up.  No need for rotten eggs to explode and poison the air with that stench...  

In my hands, as I walked out of the barn to toss the eggs to the pigs, I heard a tiny peep.  Mother Goose's furious attention and flashing red eye was immediately on me.  There was no way I was going past her to reach that nest.  There was another, much safer option.

The incubator has been going at the hatching temp of 98 degrees for the past few months, one hatch after another.  Duck eggs are currently incubating in there, a week from potential hatch date.  So in went the three remaining goose eggs, and within the afternoon, another gosling was born.

On the safety front, the goose chose an opportune place to lead her family.  Last night, we set up the large (empty and dry) water tank in an also-empty stall in the barn, so that we could  move 2 dozen chicks out of our upstairs bathroom.  With the tank set up, the chicks peeping inside, and the sound of young poultry in an empty stall....who should toddle conveniently in but the dynamic duo of chicken, goose, and three goslings.  It was a Eureka! moment.  Close the door, contain the hissing mother(s), and keep the babies safe.  I had considered luring them in there, but had also decided to save my shins and not bother with moving them.  Perfect timing on the part of the mom(s), such joy on my part as I chortled with glee...and shut them in.

It was SOOOO much nicer to be able to walk safely through my own barn this morning.

The newest member of the creative poultry family joined the siblings under the chicken/goose warmth this morning, when I could keep an eye on the interaction.  Mama hen (chicken) was very concerned that one baby was being left behind as the older ones toddled after the goose mama.  Before I was done with chores, though, all four little fluffballs were settled under their two mamas, happy and warm.  The youngest is at a disavantage, but I think all will be well.

And all of this new-family-adventure happened on the most suitable weekend possible.  Mother's Day weekend.  

Happy Mother's Day to all of my friends; human, goose, and chicken alike.  :)

(Let me amend that....the goose chooses NOT to be my friend.  But I wish her happy Mother's Day anyway.)

Laura