Learn about the Cotton Patch goose, a landrace breed developed in the U.S. deep South, medium breed that flies to escape predators. Domesticated geese first arrived in America with European settlers. Over the course of many years, several breeds were developed including the Pilgrim, the American Buff, and what is perhaps the oldest American breed, […]

Mixing it up, birds of different feathers CAN flock together. Keeping a mixed flock is a thought bound to cross your mind when those spring chicks start arriving at the feed store. Maybe you have chickens and think you might like to add some ducks. Maybe you have ducks and want to expand into more […]

Poultry conservationist Marissa Buchanan knows that Chinese geese are excellent guard animals, weed eaters, and all-around useful homestead birds. When looking for a goose breed for your farm, consider the Chinese goose. One of the most popular breeds, it has an amazing and culture-rich history, and makes an excellent addition to the homestead. This popular […]

Everyone agrees that geese are loud and make good homestead guardians.  Learn more about some of the different breeds of geese and their intriguing characteristics. Breeds of Geese Like cats, dogs, horses, and chickens, geese come in many different shapes, sizes, and temperaments. While a goose’s behavior can be greatly shaped by how it is raised, […]

Goose Breeds: There are about 15 breeds of domesticated geese. Basically, the goose is raised for meat. Personally, I like goose meat much better than turkey. Whatever breed of goose you prefer, you’ll probably want to separate breeds or choose only one, because purebred geese are more marketable than those that are crossbred. An exception […]

Jennifer Sartell Story and photos The term anthropomorphism is to assign human traits to animals or inanimate objects. Being active in many livestock forums, farm Facebook groups and other animal specific online communities, I’ve often heard this term used in an accusatory manner. Usually in the comment section of some article or post…people get upset […]

Jennifer Sartell Story and photos The social understanding within a flock is a complicated issue. Chickens are social creatures who thrive in group settings. Pecking order is how your flock establishes hierarchy. It might seem brutal to us as chicken keepers who only want peace and harmony for our chickens, but pecking order is a […]

We weren’t expecting to raise ducks or geese this year. But the little ones found a way into our hearts and onto our farm.         I am so glad we decided to bring our Toulouse gosling and our Pilgrim gosling home. Not just because they are adorable, but because they serve a […]