Wednesday 25 February 2009

Silly Goose

You know, sometimes I wonder why I bother. We built the geese a lovely house, filled it with clean, warm straw and dopey Pippin has decided that she would rather squeeze her ample frame under a wooden gate, trample over emerging flowers and make a nest on a small hydrangea bush, (which she had already chewed the ends off to make softer) and lay an egg in it.


To be honest, she looked really cute, picking up bits of bark and straw and tucking them in around herself, and she did a good job of burying the egg in the straw afterwards.

All the new chickens are laying eggs now, so we get between 5 and 6 a day. The geese are all laying as well, we get at least one goose egg per day, and the most we have had is 4 eggs from three geese in a day!! They taste divine with bright orange yolks.
The weather here has been wonderful lately, lots of bright, sunny days. I planted my broad beans last Saturday having been told that if you plant them early it helps stop blackfly later. I am making plans as to what to plant this year. My veg plot is smaller this year. We had to fence off an area of garden to stop the geese trampling it. I am not going to bother with potatoes this year, we get alot of Colorado Beetle in the this area, and it is a real pain going round the area 4 or 5 times a day looking for beetles on leaves. I plan to plant lots of beans, tomatoes, parsnips for Ian (yuk) and some squashes. I would also like to get lots more fruit bushes and a plum tree.

10 comments:

Maggie May said...

Funny place to build a nest in the middle of a hydrangea bush. However pregnant animals (can you call a goose pregnant?) often search out unusual places.
n
Never had a duck egg!

aims said...

I'm having trouble making out the picture - can't seem to figure out the goose....but that's me.

I have a hard time eating eggs these days. I always feel nauseous afterwards....but I love the smell of them cooking. Odd huh?

It's been snowing here for 3 days now. sigh....

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

Debra your life sounds so idyllic. Goose eggs - fantastic flavour and so huge. You'll have to start keeping ostritches next! Seen the size of those eggs?!

I LOVE FRANCE said...

AWH that sounds so cute wrapping straw around her then burying the eggs.
I would love chickens glad the weather is picking up over there it has been a good week over here too finally we are seing better days.
Long may they last.
Andrea

French Nanny said...

Wow - what an enormous egg - and I didn't know they were blue...

Debra in France said...

Hi Maggie May, It is only a few twiggy bits of hydrangea now, not that it was very big in the first place. Goose eggs are delicious, the shells are very strong, I guess they have to be because geese are very clumsy. The yolks are bright orange, other than that they are like big chicken eggs.

Hi Aims, Pippin is sitting down in the middle-ish of the picture. The white part is her bum, and her neck is stretching towards the centre of the picture to pick up a bit of bark for her nest. Weather here has been glorious, bright blue sky and really warm. Warm enough to have all the windows open and sit outside in a t-shirt.

Hi MOB, I love my life here, I am so lucky. I get to have my lovely animals and meet great people through my work. I daren't mention to Ian about ostriches, he has put his foot down over a little white goat!

Hi Andrea, Glad you are having better weather as well. It has been wonderful here for about 2 weeks, although we are forecast some rain this week.

Hi Penny, There are a funny colour, not really blue, but a greyish colour. I'll bring you some over.

The Accidental Author said...

My hens made a nest behind a rose bush. I didn't find it until there was a veritable EU egg mountain going on. VLiF

Eddie Bluelights said...

Hi there, Us in France, just passing through but thought I'd let you know I like you blog and the posts are very lovely. Back to nature and all that. I am a fair weather gardener - hate being outside in the wind and rain. Should think it is much better in France. Best wishes, Eddie

softinthehead said...

Hi Debra - its been a while since you blogged but I guess this is a busy time of year with the gardening business. As you can see I did not make it out to France in March or April, but have fingers and toes crossed that we will make in April and hope we can get together then. Did Breezy manage to make it over?

All the best
Sith

softinthehead said...

That should be make it in July doh!! :)