Eloise and Penelope Moved to Another Farm

With 7 or more eggs in the nest, it was time for a couple of the girls to move along.

 I think Eloise might have been a help last year in bringing up Prince and Penelope but can you imagine 5 geese in a flock with 2 or more new goslings.   So they are exploring a friend's place now.  She has chickens and occasional other birds.  They seem to have settled in nicely.  There may be another goose and a gander joining them soon.

This is Eloise with her dad last year.  

These are the 5 that used to give the sheep such a hard time.  It seems so much calmer around here now, with just 3.  Group dynamics.

And sweet little Penelope who is not so little anymore.

The move went pretty smoothly.  Laure came over at the end of the day last Friday with her big cage. The geese all went into their run for dinner and as they were eating, I picked up one and then the other and put them in the cage.  No big squawking, no charging, it sure made it easier for me.  We carried the cage and put it in the back of the car and stood talking for awhile with the girls just watching and listening and maybe wondering, but seemingly O.K. with it all.  Prince is staying here for now.   The next morning no one asked where Eloise and Penelope went and no one seemed to be looking for them.

Sal hasn't shown any interest is sitting on the eggs yet.  But she rearranges the nest most every day.  One day the straw will be piled high above the eggs and another day you can see one or two uncovered completely.  We are going to have three very cold nights this week, so it will be interesting to see if Sal sits on the eggs to keep them warm or just piles on more straw.   I asked Laure if the girls were nesting and she said one of them laid two eggs but didn't build a nest.  I have 3 eggs in my refrigerator to give her if they do start nesting.  Do you suppose they don't bother to build a nest if the eggs are not fertile?  If the gander comes soon we will see if it makes a difference.  Anyway, that is for L. to figure out, they don't live here anymore, but I do miss them.