Fence was shorting out at one spot due to uneven ground. It's much easier to find that spot at night.

Due to the goats destroying the old fence, I've upgraded to a PermaNet Plus 12/48/3 which is a bit harder to install but should be more difficult for the goats tear up. Also the old fence would not energize due to damage, and as you can hear in the video this one works just fine. Should only take a couple shocks before the goats learn their lesson.

I irrigated this new chicken run area the week before rotating them here and it seemed to pay off. Unlike the rest of the pasture this area actually has green grass for the birds to eat.

In their never-ending quest to eat the chicken food (which is poisonous to goats btw), the goats are destroying everything.

I started looking up goat recipes after shooting this video.

Original date: 2020-08-11

The goats have settled down into routine where they mostly stick close to the geese.

The geese are starting to turn into front porch animals though, probably because of the shade. I want all that goose manure deposited on the pasture, not on my driveway!

Original date: 2020-07-17

I don't know how this happened but the geese have become addicted to drinking from the garden hose. If they hear me using it anywhere in the yard they'll come running over.

Original date: 2020-08-03

I found a watering solution that works for both the goats and the geese. Goats obviously have no problem with this and most of the geese don't climb inside to use it as a toilet.

Since a couple of them can and do climb inside though I need to empty this and refill it daily.

Original date: 2020-07-17

Even though both in the this video and the one shot this morning there is plenty of shade in their pen, it looks like half the chicks died from heat exhaustion.

Mostly likely the shade that was present around noon was not sufficient for all the chicks to be out of the sun so only half of them made it.

The newest batch of chicks spent their first night outside. They'll separated from the larger birds for another week for safety reasons.

Geese aren't big fans of people who are moving around. Once you stand still though they'll come over to say hi.

Original date: 2020-08-03

This goose was having trouble walking when I let them in for the evening. The next morning all the geese were fine so I have no idea was going on.

Original date: 2020-07-25

These ten chicks will double our flock size. The difference between this batch and the first two is that it's August now so even the nighttime temperature is high enough that no brooder is necessary.

Original date: 2020-08-01

I've added another pool since all the geese are old enough to get in and out on their own, but I don't think I'll keep this around very long.

The water really should be changed twice a day, so it's quite labor intensive to keep operating.

Original date: 2020-07-09

At night the geese sleep in the chicken run while the chickens sleep in their coop. When morning comes the geese are released to free range and the chickens are released into their run.

The geese are always awake and waiting for me to let them out.

Original date: 2020-07-18

At night the geese sleep in the chicken run while the chickens sleep in their coop. When morning comes the geese are released to free range and the chickens are released into their run.

Original date: 2020-07-18

This area is one of their favorite places because it is well shaded.

The grass is already showing signs of overgrazing though so soon I'll need to use temporary fencing to block it off until the grass recovers.

Original date: 2020-06-26

The goslings have grown enough now that the older geese no longer attack them on sight, so it's time to let them free range.

So far so good, but where are the rest of them?

Original date: 2020-06-26

Geese love water and love swimming in it.

Unfortunately though waterfowl don't understand the difference between water to swim in, water to drink, and water to use as a toilet.

Keeping their water clean is an ongoing challenge.

Original date: 2020-06-07

Our existing three French Toulouse geese are joined by six additional French Toulouse goslings and sixteen African goslings, also from Metzer Farms.

The goslings will need to stay separated from the older geese for a few weeks until they get big enough for the geese to recognize them as part of the same flock.

Original date: 2020-06-10

According to what I've read by other people with more experience in raising geese, it's a bad idea to overly-tame your geese because it can make them aggressive when they grow up.

Oh well, I guess I'll deal with that in the future if it ever becomes a problem.

Original date: 2020-05-24

At this point the goslings are twelve days old and are ready to sleep outside for the first time.

This would probably be too early if I lived in a cooler climate, but this is Texas and it's plenty warm for them.

Original date: 2020-05-09

The chicken coop is getting crowded at night with 10 chickens and three rapidly-growing geese.

This electric netting gives them plenty of room while keeping the predators out.

Original date: 2020-05-24

The geese free range during the day but sleep in the chicken coop at night to provide them with better protection from predators.

In fact we've already lost one goose. One of them escaped from their pen at night and made noise that attracted the attention of our weimariner. She's been doing a lot better during the day but the stimulation at night was too much and her instincts took over.

On the other hand the chicken flock has been expanded by four leghorn hens to bring the total number of chickens up to ten so it's not all bad news.

Original date: 2020-05-18

The growth rate of goslings is incredible.

Original date: 2020-05-13

Geese are ready for grazing the same day they are born, and have a much lower need for a brooder than chickens.

Original date: 2020-05-04

Thinning trees generates a lot of brush, so what should I do with it?

The solution I arrived at was to pile it on the banks of a pond and allow it to slowly decompose. After a few years those brush piles should have turned the rocky soil that make up those banks into soil more suitable for growing pasture.

Original date: 2020-04-25