Charm Offensive?

The books we read on the subject all have geese as being delightful pets who form lovely and fascinating relationships with their humans and bring joy and happiness to your small holder life. Our three sheep became great friends who would eat out of our hands within days of being here and follow us around, come when called and each had a different personality (OK, I'll grant you the word 'pet' may not strictly apply, given the outcome for them, but I'm not going there today).

So, it has caused me a small amount of distress, that the three geese we bought, Goosey, Goocie and Gander seem to be playing hard to get. They were quite nervous of us when they first arrived and waddled off in the other direction as soon as they saw us, spending most of their time at the 'far end' of the orchard. We then upset them some more by Simon and I grabbing them one evening, one after the other to trim their wings amongst much annoyed and frightened honking and scurrying about in the shed. They were looking at me even more 'old-fashioned' the next morning; they definitely did NOT want to know us!

There was nothing for it if we wanted to form any kind of bond, but to start a gentle, patient charm offensive. This we have been trying since late January. We are very quiet around them, with no sudden movements. I have been creeping slowly up to them with a hand full of grain doing a two-tone whistle which they should come to know as a 'food' signal, throwing the food down near (but not 'at') them where they can clearly see it and then retreating a distance to watch. I have also been feeding them when ever they do something good, like obediently go back into their calf house for the night.

They are slowly, slowly coming round. After 3 weeks they will now race towards me as I appear and whistle, though they never get closer than about 10 feet. They will, eventually be eating out of our hands, I am sure and even allow themselves to be handled (all be it, I know they get a bit less willing during the breeding season; we have been warned to go careful with the girls if Gander is being protective, and go very careful with the geese around eggs or goslings). I will update you with progress on this love-bombing as it happens.

No such problems with the pups of course, and here is a nice picture of them gathered round the range, maybe feeling a bit cool in their newly shorn, short coats.