He's been going after Rhiannon if she backs away or runs from him. We've been trying to get her to hold her ground, show him up by yelling at him, waving her arms & charging him, but she's not consistent enough. Paul has said that the goose has charged him before, and claims that Pew-Pew even chases the car into the driveway when he comes home from work. Paul has also admitted to introducing Pew-Pew to his size twelve boot on occasion.
The goose hasn't charged or bit me as of yet. But maybe because I'm the one who feeds him and lets him out / puts him back in the pen every day. Or it could be that I don't take shit from any of my animals. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an animal abuser. But I'd be lying if I said I've never drop kicked a mean rooster, pummeled an unruly Nigerian buck goat to the ground, or whacked a biting mini-horse upside the head.
Mean livestock will not be tolerated at Krazo Acres. Especially since Rhiannon came into our lives. And I guess one could suggest that it is our own fault for somehow encouraging meanness in our animals by doing something or other, and that we deserve their aggression. I honestly believe we try to do our best in keeping our critters happy and relatively well behaved. Not saying that we'll start taking Pew-Pew or any other mean critter to psychological counseling in order to resolve the issues, but we're not purposely teasing or prodding them into aggressive behaviour.
That is the main reason we chose not to bring Pilgrim (click here and here to read more about him) to our homestead, if even for just a few days. It is also the reason that I sold Pan for two bags of corn, put certain roosters into the soup pot, killed copperheads instead of relocating them (yes, I used to relocate them) and am now considering which grains I will be feeding Pew-Pew in order to make him into a delectable Christmas Goose and side dish of foie gras.
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| Aaawwww. So cute. Too bad, stuff that sucker in the oven. |
I agree with you. If the animals here do not have manners naturally I teach them some quickly. I'm outsized by most of them so respect is needed for my safety as well as their lives.
ReplyDeleteThere is no reason whatsoever to tolerate meaness in livestock, especially with children around. The males especially can be aggressive, I guess it's just their nature...but he sure will be tasty come the holidays! ;)
ReplyDeleteOk, Christmas dinner menu, done. But you might tell him if he does not behave there is a possibility of a change to the Thanksgiving Menu. Mean geese are no fun. Had some geese, they were no problem here but sold 4 to a neighbor when they were young, Had to go feed a bottle lamb for him one day, sitting in the pasture on a milk crate feeding lamb it's bottle, gander came out of nowhere and got me on the nose. Needless to say if it was still my goose his would have been cooked. No room for agressive animals especailly around children.
ReplyDeleteLove your writing on unruly animals. You are right though.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby has an ugly scar/dark mark on the back of the calf of his leg . . . from our (late) gander . . . that I don't think will ever fade. I'd hate for Rhiannon to have to wear something like that for the rest of her life. Put Pew-pew in the freezer now and then invite him out for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI have always found that a monkey with a stick calms many a savage beasty.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad gave me a wiffle bat when I was 4. He told me to pretend the turkey's head was a ball. I thought it was funny. That poor turkey didn't have a chance with little me around. :)
ReplyDeleteGeez have a tendency to become aggressive and love to chase moving things i.e. people, vehicles, bikes.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with you, and aggress goose is not a good thing around little Rhiannon. We wouldn't want to see her get injured from Pew Pew. Do you have a water gun? We used to use a water gun (big one) when the ducks would become aggressive. It actually worked.
At least when the animals turn in to bastards, it makes it easier to turn them into dinner :)
ReplyDeleteWe got rid of a rooster because he was turning mean. He would even bite my son when he went in the coop to get eggs.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing worse than onery animals! I'm not to fond of my Tom turkey right now. He better get it together or he will be Christmas dinner too!
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree. Absolutely no reason to keep mean livestock. We've put two roosters in the freezer for that, and it's the reason I won't own geese. Not with the grandbaby coming over to visit. I won't put up with it from the cows, the horses, not the dogs I work on. You have got to post a recipe, pictures, and an after dinner report on how the meal turned out.
ReplyDeleteI agree, there is no place on our farm for mean animals either! I hate mean poultry! and I am afraid of them.
ReplyDeleteI have never eaten goose; be sure to tell us all about it when the event occurs.