fluffballs for keeping

Fluffballs

When I first mentioned my goslings I did not know which ones were boys and which ones were girls. I am excited now that I know. I did not have much hope that I would have a bunch of females in a batch of five goslings. I was thinking I would only have one. Fortunately, I got two females. One of them I had guessed was a female from the very beginning while the other I realized was a female before I checked for certainty. I do not like to vent-sex goslings that are small especially ones under a week of age because I cannot find a proper way to hold them and I do not want to hurt them. Apart from that, I want it to be as non-scary as I can make it. Over time, I have found out what I am looking for. It was not what I expected and I totally messed up a few times. When I had my first bunch grow out for this laying season I had most of them switched up.

My two females are Tulip and Paintbrush. These two show the contrast of personality in a female gosling. Tulip is up in my business and likes to eat my hair and clothing. Paintbrush is sweet but not up in my business and likes to lay a safe distance from me. Paintbrush looks like she will be a very pretty goose. I am sure Tulip will be beautiful too. I always enjoy seeing how geese will look when they are full grown and how they will act as well. My three males are Flax, Sundew, and Dandelion. Flax is the most obnoxious of all the goslings. Unlike my other goslings, he has no look alike. Sundew, I think, will be a handsome gander. He already has eyes that look brown. I believe they are still gray but maybe I am wrong. It usually takes quite a while for their eyes to turn from gray to brown. Dandelion has gray above his eyes that makes him look like he has eyebrows. He and Paintbrush are the two goslings who do not have much to do with me. That is not to say either are never, ever friendly. I guess they know I might pick them up and they are not at all eager for that. Apart from these five I have two other goslings. One is going to be our pet. His name is Willow Crenshaw. The other one is a friendly, little gosling named Currant. Both are Chinese-blooded. Willow is directly from my original geese. Juniper is his mother while I would assume Cypress, my biggest gander, is his father. Currant is descended from one of my original geese. His mother is the daughter of Maple - one of the original Chinese geese. I assume Black Cherry to be Currant's father.

That is it for now. I am sure I will have more on these goslings soon enough.

Currant