Drop Offs

[Redhorse]

Our barn is fairly close to the road. This apparently means that because we have a barn, we must need more cats, and we are frequently 'gifted' dozens of unwanted cats every year. Usually they are of the half dead, flea, worm, and disease infested female variety with a litter of 3/4 dead kittens in tow. I simply cannot keep them all, and neither can any shelter near us... They don't last long here.

Today, someone dropped off a full grown toulouse goose. My flock of geese was honking and carrying on this morning, so I peeked out the window as someone was pulling out of the driveway. Figured it was just someone turning around until I checked the cameras.

One of my toulouse ganders had recently lost his mate to a stray dog, also probably a drop off . He must have heard the new girl honking right away and had gone down past the gate to the mystery car to pick up the new girl. His flock stayed at the gate to apparently cheer him on (very loudly). He led her back up the hill to home, they've been together all day. Geese are smart critters, sometimes. Definitely fantastic alert animals.

Anywho, this was a welcome improvement from the sick cats and sometimes dogs that usually get dumped here. Maybe I should put up a new sign to go along with the no trespassing signs. 'No cat or dog drop offs, poultry welcome'.

 

[Grimm]

Is she friendly?

We had geese when I was a kid. I got bullied by the flock anytime I collected eggs- from the ducks! My thighs had purple bites all summer long.

 

[Redhorse]

She's uncertain, but I think friendly! We shall see. Maybe she's a rotten twerp and that's why she was dropped off. I think it's because temps have been well below freezing and her previous owners realized waterfowl are a pain in the rear in good weather, let alone what we have now here in NW PA. Freezing weather is a lot of work. I'd imagine she's a survivor and her original flock didn't get enough water. Who knows. Glad she 'landed' here.

My flock minds me. Other than being loud if someone steps foot on the property or at feeding time, they don't bother most people. Maybe because I raised most of them from peeps years ago. Not sure, but they still respectfully follow me all these years later. No bruises ever, and I wear shorts all summer. They honk at strangers, but don't pinch. Gesese are birds that can easily and productively live into their 20s or more. My oldest are eight. Three pairs, with about 20 ducks that they shepherd.

Strangely, the only person they attack is the lady that watches our farm when we go camping. She also brings her dog to our house every weekday for doggie daycare. He's older and needs to be let out more often than she can let him with her job. I am remote and work from my 'dungeon' in my basement. This lady is a true animal saint, but does have a limp due to some physical ailments. Damn geese smell weakness or something. But typically, they know better than to harass people beyond honking their misgivings

 

[hashbrown]

Hiya Redhorse! Where the hell have you been?

 

[Caribou]

Welcome home. We had three roosters dumped here last year and another the year before. For several years people would drop off ducks here, the eagles appreciated that. The flock would get one or four new members and then it would slowly diminish.

 

[Redhorse]

Hiya Redhorse! Where the hell have you been?

Hi HB! I'm here, just been lurking around lol.

 

[Meerkat]

We use to get drop offs out here often,not any last few years thank goodness.

 

[Terri9630]

We had 20 rooster dumped at our place in S.TX. When I was in high school we had a small herd of starving horses dumped in our fenced hay field. The game camera caught someone backing the trailer up to our fence and cutting the wire to unload.