Birds of a Feather

Nesting Goose
approx. 1977

My mother loved her geese, and the numbers grew steadily every year. It was common to see the flock (gaggle) parade around the yard and even across the County road to swim in the irrigation ditch. One year the ditch rider complained about the geese in the ditch, but his complaints fell on deaf ears because the geese kept the algae in the ditch under control.

Mom's flock of geese grew to nearly 50 in 1977

Mom's geese got a bit territorial in the spring, and it was wise to give them a wide berth, especially near their nests. The goose and gander took turns sitting on the large eggs. They both would extend their necks and hiss if someone got too close to the nest.

It was common to see the ganders chase the dogs across the yard if they got too close to the flock or to the goslings. I've also seen the geese as well as the ganders chase people who got too close.

snacking on the lawn in front of the house
approx. 1973

One year, my nephews took a gosling from a nest to raise at their home in the Gas Hills. They named the goose, Charlie because they thought it was a gander; however, Charlie was a goose. She was spoiled and eventually came back to live on the farm and raise goslings of her own.

approx. 1973

For several years, around the holidays, my mother took orders for freshly killed and dressed geese. On those occasions, I helped her catch and kill the geese. It was crucial to grab the geese at the base of their wings and hold tight; if not, they could slap with their powerful wings, and that hurt!

Mom saved the goose down in a bag and hung it on the clothesline. When the bag was full, she would launder the fluffy down and save it for pillows. I still have some of Mom's goose-down pillows.

The female geese were gray; the males, white.

The geese could be quite vocal, too, and sometimes were better than a barking dog for announcing unexpected visitors.

Mom's geese did not fly; however, they often tried, but they simply could not get off of the ground high enough to call it flying.