Our Geese

11/30/11

Cotton Patch Geese - photo by Lori Herbel

Gertrude (R) and Heathcliff (L)

In Summer 2008 we purchased a breeding pair of Cotton Patch geese from Mike and Becky Lannon in Hockley, Texas. These geese are a rare breed, listed as critically endangered on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy's (ALBC) conservation priority list. It is thought that there may be less than 100 breeding pairs in existence today.

Cotton Patch geese were once fairly abundant on plantations and farms in the southern United States. They were used to weed cotton patches, as they would feast on the undesired grass and weeds while leaving the cotton plants untouched. They were abundant until the mid 1950s, when their populations began to decrease. Due to the rescue efforts of Dr. Tom Walker, the last remaining specimens of this breed were rounded up, and were carefully protected and bred to re-establish the breed.

In the solid color variety of Cotton Patch geese, the males (ganders) of this breed are white, and the females are gray. There is also a saddle-backed variety of the breed in which the males are white and the females are gray and white. Cotton Patch geese are similar in appearance to Pilgrim geese, except that the bills and feet of Cotton Patch geese are pink, whereas they are orange in Pilgrim geese. Cotton Patch geese mate for life, and produce eggs and goslings once per year, in the spring.

Here at Bellwether Farm, the geese live with the sheep, grazing on grass, hay, a little grain supplement, and the occasional insect or two. They are docile and friendly, and they answer to their names when called. They come and go as they please from the barn, along with the sheep. I do not trim their wings, and although they have occasionally flown over an interior fence to an adjoining field, they are most comfortable in their home field and remain there most often. They love swimming on the pond but are just as happy on dry land. They have a baby swimming pool near the barn, and usually splash and bathe in their pool at least once each day, enjoying themselves to the max!

This spring, after sitting on her clutch of eggs for about 30 days, Gertrude hatched 11 baby goslings on the morning of April 9th! I found the whole farmily -- Gertrude, Heathcliff, and the baby goslings, peeping loudly and making their wobbly way out into the grassy field -- What a welcome sight! The next three pictures were taken on April 10, when the babies were 1 day old.

Geese and goslings - April 10, 2010

Both mother and father protect the babies constantly. The parents walk 3 or 4 feet apart, and the peeping, bobbing group of babies walk in a little group between mom and dad, with the parents hissing at anyone or anything who comes too close to their precious babies!

There seem to be 4 boys (light yellow with pink bills and feet) and 7 girls (darker with gray bills and feet).

The baby goslings gather up under Gertrude's wings to keep warm, as she and Heathcliff keep watch to protect their young.

And here they are on April 22, 2010, a little older, a little braver, and ... a little muddier!

On May 3rd, 2010 (they're growing faster and faster!)

Yippee! Splashing around at the public pool while Heathcliff stands guard, May 05, 2010.

On May 10th at 31 days old, the goslings are almost as big as their parents. Note the four male goslings are developing their white wing feathers, while the seven female goslings are becoming distinctively gray. The parents still protect their young fiercely as in this photo. However there is a new surprise: Gertrude has laid a new clutch of at least 6 more eggs, and is using most of her day to set on her nest! She has been setting since May 7th, so on approximately June 7th, there will be the possibility of another hatch. These two parents are certainly working hard and are having a busy spring!

By May 29th, the goslings have become as big as their parents, and have all their adult feathers. In the picture below, you may see a tiny remnant of baby down on the tops of some of their heads. Note the mother, Gertrude is not in this photo. She was still sitting on her nest. However, that second clutch of eggs did not hatch, probably because Gertrude's attention was unavoidably divided between the eggs and the goslings.

On July 11, 2010 I received 8 additional Cotton Patch geese from Dr. Walker. These geese will represent several additional blood lines, so that I may breed them for many generations and maintain a wide genetic base. At this point, I have a total of 18 Cotton Patch geese (9 males and 9 females).

The following day, July 12th, I released the new birds from their holding pens. The original geese had been standing nearby, waiting to meet their new friends. The two flocks quickly became acquainted, and the original flock led the newcomers toward the pond and helped them gain the courage to swim in the pond for the first time. As I understand it, the newcomers had never been in a large body of water before. Herb Meyer took the photos below to show how the big combined flock or "gaggle" cautiously visited with each other on the shoreline, then slowly ventured into the water. (Note: In the following days, they have tended to spend the entire day on the pond, coming back to their shed at dusk).

So long, you brave adventurers. Sail away -- and smooth sailing to you!

This site was last updated 07/14/10