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Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue May 10, 05 8:32 pm Post subject:

Most cows are lovely animals, the only problem over friendliness. I'm only worried about my feet or the 'other' end. Bulls obviously are treated with respect.

Has anyone ever been attacked, physically, by a goose? They are meant to be good guard animals due to their noise but has anyone been savaged by a goose? Would anyone admit it?

I've been attacked by a mouse and spider, not at the same time though. Spider had a reason but the mouse was just an ungrateful critter.

Lloyd

Joined: 24 Jan 2005
Posts: 2699

Posted: Tue May 10, 05 9:04 pm Post subject:
[quote="sean"] Might as well, they're dead cheap. quote] Hehe....bird on freezer shelf dead cheep....aaah hahahahaha Last edited by Lloyd on Tue May 10, 05 9:45 pm; edited 1 time in total

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Tue May 10, 05 9:38 pm Post subject:

As something of an expert "gooseherder", due to having looked after a mixed flock of nine (is that the right word??) for the last three years for my elderly friend, in my experience I can honestly say that the best way to deal with a flapping hissing running goose is to flap run and hiss right back at them, they #### themselves and leg it into the goose house quicker than you can blink.

Putting your arms out wide and hissing is a good way to round up any stragglers too.

Sounds daft but if you are the biggest noisiest goose in the flock they tend to listen to you.

Never a dull moment at my friend's place!

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Tue May 10, 05 9:51 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

Has anyone ever been attacked, physically, by a goose? They are meant to be good guard animals due to their noise but has anyone been savaged by a goose? Would anyone admit it?.

OK, limited population sample.
The goose I knew was seriously timid. The gander on the other hand could be a real swine (?) during the egg season - late spring/early summer. He would bite. Ankles and bottoms mainly. Painful but non-damaging.
I could deter him by advancing (the counter charge), waving the arms (impression of a BIG goose) and if all else failed, parrying (deflecting) his lunging bite with a garden cane (good thing to carry!). That and not turning one's back on him... Dignity is a handicap! Abandon it early...

They would recognise our car arriving (out of sight) and honk and generally welcome their people's return (day or night), but otherwise they were really very quiet overnight. Not really guard animals. And they had to be shut away from urban foxes at night.
I enjoyed their company, and the eggs, but wouldn't claim they were much of a security enhancement...

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Tue May 10, 05 10:16 pm Post subject:
Aha, Dougal! What a pair we are. The biggest old flappers in the country

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Tue May 10, 05 11:48 pm Post subject:
But we haven't got Tahir doing it yet...

Lloyd

Joined: 24 Jan 2005
Posts: 2699

Posted: Tue May 10, 05 11:52 pm Post subject:
Tahir never flaps...Shaken but not stirred, is Mr T.

Andy B

Joined: 12 Jan 2005
Posts: 3920
Location: Brum

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 7:43 am Post subject:

sean wrote:

Gerbils are small and unthreatening. You could start there and move up to the larger and scarier guinea-pig.

You have obviously never been bitten by a guinea pig. OUCH!

moogie

Joined: 02 Feb 2005
Posts: 525
Location: Near Bridgend

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 7:52 am Post subject:

Andy B wrote:

sean wrote:

Gerbils are small and unthreatening. You could start there and move up to the larger and scarier guinea-pig.

You have obviously never been bitten by a guinea pig. OUCH!

Ha you've obviously never been bitten by a gerbil. Double ouch!!!

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 8:21 am Post subject:

tahir wrote:

2 acres cultivated, various crops
1 acre under glass in various greenhouses/polytunnels
5 acres mixed woodland with limited coppicing and sap harvesting as well as fungus cultivation (can't wait for the article on mushroom cultivation)
1 acre extremely fragrant garden including a magnolia forest
And the rest as orchard/nut groves

And 0.5 acre holiday accommodation for fellow Downsizers to stay in when they come to visit at harvest time

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 8:25 am Post subject:
I have the most pleasing image of Nettie and Dougal doing impressions of giant geese. That's really made my day

Guest

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 9:29 am Post subject:
gaggle of geese is the word you want, nettie.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45671
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 9:35 am Post subject:

Madman wrote:

Tahir never flaps...Shaken but not stirred, is Mr T.

I'll have to take some lessons in Goose herding from Nettie

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 12:37 pm Post subject:
Lesson 1: Its easier, and more effective, to say "Boo" to a goose than a gander...

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Wed May 11, 05 1:42 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

Most cows are lovely animals, the only problem over friendliness. I'm only worried about my feet or the 'other' end. Bulls obviously are treated with respect.

Most of the time, the cows are fine. every so often, the go competley wappy - like when they have newborn calves, which I understand, but otherwise for no reason at all I can see. Must check the lunar calendar. There are a couple of bulls in there, but they're generally OK.

I'm not sure what kind of cows they are (subsidy ones I suspect!) as they are obviously extensively reared - if they were milkers or beef, I'd be after some of the product! (serve the buggers right for chasing me!)

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