"It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." A.Holmes

Friday, March 29, 2013

Ella, Fella & Blizzard

Blizzard is a very curious cat and the package I brought home from the post office intrigued him. The package chirped !
In the small box were two goslings. Sebastopol goslings to be precise. I put myself on a waiting list last fall to even be able to order them and here they are, a pair of goslings of a breed I have wanted for a long time. I named them Ella & Fella. The gosling in the foreground is Fella.
 Look, Fella is peeking out of his box for the first time. He is barely two days old in this picture.
 Ella and Fella were shipped in this box with a warming pad, it is the white rectangular object in the box. It was still emitting heat when I opened the box.
 Blizzard is very interested. I would say he is a keen observer of all that goes on in the sunroom gosling brooder. My brooder is a livestock water tank with two heat lamps. Because I have 2 house cats who would probably love to snack on fresh gosling I also have a metal wire lid to place on top of the tank. ( Sorry Blizzard & Miss Marple)
 Inside the brooder there is newspaper to absorb the water and toweling on top of the newspaper to make it more comfortable for the goslings and easier on their delicate feet. The waterer is on a metal rack inside a cookie sheet with even more toweling to absorb the water.This helps keep the water contained after the goslings play with the water. That is the primary problem with raising water fowl. They are too young to be wet all the time but cannot resist playing with water until it is all gone. This takes a lot of upkeep, but I think it is worth it.
  The aluminum foil on top of the tub surrounds a heat lamp to help direct the heat down into the tub . The metal crib springs keep the cats out and the heat lamp which is firmly clipped into place from causing a fire.

Having a large metal tub in my sun room does wonders for my home décor don't you think? But the entertainment value of a curious cat and goslings in a tub beats Nat Geo and Animal Planet paws down.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love these pics, Kathy. Blizzard reminds me of John's cat, Blue.

Deb said...

How interesting. I think it will be fun to watch them grow. Yes, I can imagine this is the BEST entertainment for any curious cat.
Blizzard is a gorgeous cat.

icebear said...

I think i'll enjoy following along as they grow. I'll have to look up the breed because i'm not picturing it in my head.

The ducklings are adorable and the kitties are beautiful.

icebear said...

Now i know why "Sebastipool duck" didn't jog my memory- duh. the "ducklings" are goslings, like you said. I should have more coffee before i read and post on my favorite blogs.

Anyway, Sebastipool geese are beautiful, i'm happy for you that you finally got yourself a pair.

JC said...

Wow !!!

My first pet was a duck named Sally. My Dad brought home what we thought was a cake but it wasn't.

It will be fun to see what colors they end up.

Your cat is adorable.

Love the set up.

Felicity W said...

Hi ,
Oh I had no idea you can purchase goslings this way.

But do cats like to catch them?
How do they get along with the cats?

Connie said...

Aw, they look so sweet. It looks like you are all set up to take care of them. I bet it will be lots of fun to watch them.

Wishing you and yours a Happy Easter, Kathy!

Pondside said...

We've never raised w, water fowl just hens from chicks - and this looks like a challenge!

Keetha Broyles said...

I was in an antique/collectibles shop today and I took a couple of photos JUST FOR YOU. I HOPE to have them on my blog - - - maybe on Friday for FFs.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...

Happy Easter, Kathy! I really enjoyed this post, and all your tried and true tips.

The cats are awesome.

Kathy M.

Eggs In My Pocket said...

Blizzard is just so comical! I love geese. Cant wait to read more as these two grow!

Deanna said...

You're so very brave!

We saw baby chicks just yesterday and Lil Miss was brave enough to pick one up. I have never raised chicks, but sure glad others are willing.

God bless you this Spring.
May it be a great one,
d

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Oh Blizzard and Levi do look like brothers, almost twins! How amazing, Kathy. I don't think Levi could be trusted even peering into the container; he's rather quick.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kathy! So glad you stopped by my place and I do appreciate your comment about how I've been spending my time. Truly - I wish I had more guilt free down time, though. I would LOVE to come to your teatime Bible studies - your sheep and Resurrection centerpieces blessed my heart! The play I'm doing now is based on Psalm 23 - the Shepherd and sheep and came from a special place where the Lord impressed me so deeply with a richer understanding about Him being our Shepherd. And, I am always fascinated with textiles and spinning! Your spinning teatime was also something I'd love to enjoy with you - so too Ella and Fella and that curious cat of yours. Such a blessed life you lead giving glory to God! I must check out your Etsy sheep - may need to add one to my little collection - which I'll be featuring in my next post.
Joy!
Kathy

Paula said...

Kathy, this post made me grin from ear-to-ear because I LOVE having baby chicks in the house... I love to hear their little peeping!