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Keeping Geese Part 1: A Rickety Lawnmower, a Buttercup Meadow and a Shoebox of Goslings

19/04/2017 By The Seasonal Table 1 Comment

Keeping Geese Part 1: A Rickety Lawnmower, a Buttercup Meadow and a Shoebox of Goslings -- Fluffy goslings | https://theseasonaltable.co.uk/smallholding/keeping-geese-part-1-rickety-lawnmower-buttercup-meadow-shoebox-goslings/We inherited an old, ride-on lawnmower with our cottage to help us manage the grass in the orchard and paddock. A temperamental, somewhat rickety machine, it regularly conked out mid-mow and refused to restart without a lengthy rest period and some careful engine tinkering. Keeping the grass in check soon became a full time job that we just didn’t have time for. By the end of our first summer here, half our land had turned to scraggly, buttercup-filled meadow. Quite pretty, but not very practical. Unable to afford another sit-on mower, and keen to try a greener option, we began to look at some animal-powered alternatives for a replacement.

Underneath the orchard are a few water springs, that rise to its undulating surface and puddle the grass in wet weather. We therefore needed animals that wouldn’t mind the occasional damp spot, would make use of the windfall fruit, keep on top of the grass, and be economical. We extensively researched every form of livestock that we thought might be suitable (cows, sheep, goats, alpacas etc.) and eventually settled on geese.

Keeping Geese Part 1: A Rickety Lawnmower, a Buttercup Meadow and a Shoebox of Goslings -- Geese - our natural lawnmowers | https://theseasonaltable.co.uk/smallholding/keeping-geese-part-1-rickety-lawnmower-buttercup-meadow-shoebox-goslings/Geese primarily eat grass, so we felt a small flock would be able to graze and manage our orchard area comfortably, leaving just the little paddock for us to mow (we thought a self-propelled push mower would be sufficient for this). As a result of their grass diet, feed costs for the geese would be minimal. They would just need a few handfuls of wheat to keep them going over winter when the grass has stopped growing. Plus we would get rich goose meat and eggs to boot. Overall, we thought it was an interesting, sustainable and cost effective alternative to relying solely on a petrol-guzzling machine.

The plan was to buy a few goslings in the spring and raise them on the verdant summer grasses, surplus fruit from the orchard, and garden vegetables. Then, come winter, keep hold of a pair or trio for breeding the following year, and dispatch the others in time for Christmas dinner. We could then repeat the process from our own stock year after year.

Keeping Geese Part 1: A Rickety Lawnmower, a Buttercup Meadow and a Shoebox of Goslings -- Fluffy gosling on first outdoors adventure | https://theseasonaltable.co.uk/smallholding/keeping-geese-part-1-rickety-lawnmower-buttercup-meadow-shoebox-goslings/Early that spring, we went ahead and ordered some traditional, commercial white geese (with Embden heritage) from a certified organic breeder. We decided to buy them at just a few days old, so that they would imprint on us and therefore be tame and easy to handle.

We collected them from the farm on a grey, drizzly April evening. The six, tiny goslings, fluffy-feathered and mottled in soft shades of grey and yellow, were nestled snugly in an old shoebox filled with golden straw. They were adorable. For the whole car journey home they chatted to each other in hushed tones and cheeped loudly if we spoke to them. We arrived back at the cottage, opened up the box and introduced them to their new home. The very first animals on our smallholding.

Keeping Geese Part 1: A Rickety Lawnmower, a Buttercup Meadow and a Shoebox of Goslings -- Gosling playing hide and seek | https://theseasonaltable.co.uk/smallholding/keeping-geese-part-1-rickety-lawnmower-buttercup-meadow-shoebox-goslings/The decision to keep geese was definitely a good choice. They are very easy to look after, do a great job of mowing and fertilising the orchard, and have grown up to be friendly and extremely characterful birds that are a pleasure to keep. Our original master plan didn’t pan out quite as we expected though. Our feathery gaggle completely stole our hearts and, in the end, we couldn’t bear to dispatch any of them. Their multi-purpose roles as lawn mowers, egg-layers and guards allowed us to justify this decision somewhat. We found it gives us far more happiness to see them waddling amongst the apple trees every day, than to have them on our dinner plate.

We’ll continue to share some of our experiences and tips about goose keeping on the blog over the coming months. In the meantime, in case it is of interest, Keeping Geese: Breeds and Management
was our go-to book on all things goose. We found it to be an invaluable resource.

Keeping Geese Part 1: A Rickety Lawnmower, a Buttercup Meadow and a Shoebox of Goslings -- Hand feeding very friendly geese | https://theseasonaltable.co.uk/smallholding/keeping-geese-part-1-rickety-lawnmower-buttercup-meadow-shoebox-goslings/

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Filed Under: Smallholding Tagged With: geese, goslings, grassmanagement, livestock

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Comments

  1. Sarah says

    23/09/2018 at 10:35 am

    I‘ve loved reading part 1 on your gaggle of geese. So happy you decided to keep them and not eat them! You are right though, geese are wonderfuland full of character. I used to have one as a pet when I was younger. She loved a cuddle and was a great guard. She didn‘t like my sister, though and used to chase her up the garden.
    Off to read part 2
    Best wishes,
    Sarah

    Reply

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The vegetable patch clouded by the mist that desce The vegetable patch clouded by the mist that descends so often at this time of year. Though many of the raised beds are empty now, there are a few winter crops to collect: various wonky brassicas, carrots, winter salad leaves, leeks and chard. Hopefully enough to keep us going until spring.
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#vegetablepatch #seasonspoetry #seasonalshift #smallholding #countrysidelife #organicgardening #seasonalsimplicity #homestead #homesteading #selfsufficiency  #organic #countryliving #thegoodlife #winter #smallholdinguk #homestead #rurallife
Stockings hung by the cosy glow of the fire and en Stockings hung by the cosy glow of the fire and enough wood stacked up to keep the flames going through to Christmas Day. Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas!
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#handmadchristmas #firewood #woodisgood #christmasdecorations #christmasinthecountry #christmasdecor #naturalchristmas #seasonspoetry #seasonalshift #smallholding #countrysidelife #organicgardening #seasonalsimplicity #selfsufficiency  #organic #countryliving #thegoodlife #winter #smallholdinguk #homestead #rurallife
For our first Christmas on the smallholding, we cu For our first Christmas on the smallholding, we cut a handful of lime-green and red willow stems from the shrubs that grow at the waterlogged edges of the stream and twisted them into a rustic wreath. It has decorated our front door every December since, its bright colours now faded to plum and ochre, fresh seasonal foliage tucked amongst the tangle of twigs. Our favourite adornments include a base of waxy evergreen leaves like holly (with berries), sprays of conifer with tiny pinecones clinging to their tips, and twists of ivy; we add extra texture with dried seed heads (silvery sea holly is our usual choice)and foraged pinecones; plus flashes of festive colour from late rosehips and short stems of pyracantha berries. Hanging the wreath on the front door, exposed to the winter air and occasional rain, keeps the foliage looking fresh, so it lasts happily until twelfth night.
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#handmadchristmas #christmaswreath #christmasdecorations #christmasinthecountry #christmasdecor #naturalchristmas #seasonspoetry #seasonalshift #smallholding #countrysidelife #organicgardening #seasonalsimplicity #selfsufficiency  #organic #countryliving #thegoodlife #winter #smallholdinguk #homestead #rurallife
A couple of homemade decorations for the Christmas A couple of homemade decorations for the Christmas table: candles and garlands. 
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We make very simple garlands from garden twine, foraged pinecones (collected back in the summer), and walnuts (gathered in autumn from our neighbour’s tree) painted silver and gold, to hang from the ceiling corners and twirl along the centre of the dining table.
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And we drill a few holes in some chunks of wood from the log store to make rustic holders for a hotchpotch of beeswax candles. They bring a cosy, honey-scented glow to the table.
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#handmadchristmas #christmasdecorations #christmasinthecountry #christmasdecor #naturalchristmas #seasonspoetry #seasonalshift #smallholding #countrysidelife #organicgardening #seasonalsimplicity #selfsufficiency  #organic #countryliving #thegoodlife #winter #smallholdinguk #homestead #rurallife
Holly and ivy are fantastic festive fodder for our Holly and ivy are fantastic festive fodder for our sheep during the winter months when the grass growth is little. We often gather small branches of the soft holly leaves that grow higher up the trees (where they are usually out of reach of hungry animals and don’t feel the need to prickle up) and pull up tangles of deep green ivy from an overgrown bank for the flock to munch as a fresh treat alongside their daily ration of hay.
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This pic was taken for our latest feature in the Christmas issue of the wonderful @simplethingsmag. It’s out now if you fancy a read. 
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Rainbow eggs from seasons past. The chickens are t Rainbow eggs from seasons past. The chickens are taking a well earned l break from laying while the daylight hours are few, which means there’s not an egg in sight at the moment. Luckily we have a small supply in the freezer (squirrelled away back in spring when the egg racks were overflowing) to bridge the gap until the fresh ones start appearing in the nest boxes again (we can’t wait!).
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#eggs #easteregger #oliveegger #eastereggersuk #oliveeggeruk #seasonspoetry #seasonalshift #smallholding #autumnvibes #countrysidelife #seasonalsimplicity #selfsufficiency #organic #countryliving #thegoodlife #autumn #smallholdinguk #countrylivinguk #rainboweggs #eggrainbow #rainbowlayers #eggsofinstagram
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