A desire to homestead runs in my family. Perhaps my sisters and I got it watching our mother grow much of our food in our backyard in the Baltimore suburbs. Or maybe it was after moving here and helping plant an orchard and gardens.
Now my sister Lina has come full circle and lives in Maryland, not far from where our family was before relocating to Preston County.
She is building a little homestead with lovely gardens, a young orchard and a few chickens.
Last year she added goats and geese: goats for fiber and milk, and geese to guard the chickens.
Lina fenced in an area near her house for the orchard and to give the chickens ample room to roam. This seemed ideal, until predators found the chickens.
Tight fencing didn’t work, so Lina ordered three goslings from a hatchery, having read and heard that geese are good guard animals.
“I brought the little box back from the post office,” she said. “It was pretty quiet, but when I opened the box they looked up like, ‘hi mama!’”
She’d raised chicks before, and while they liked her well enough, it was nothing compared to the adoration of the goslings.
“The goslings would always run toward me. Every time I changed their water or feed they would get very excited for that interaction.”
As they got older she put them out in her backyard during the day. “They were happy enough if I kept them in an enclosure, but when I did let them run free they would chase after me. If I sat down they would climb all over me.”
As they grew they continued to follow her around, but no longer enjoyed being picked up.
Then they got aggressive toward the other animals. One goose bit Lina’s Italian mastiff on the bum. Lina had to protect the goats and escort them past the geese.
Then they decided that she was no longer a member of their flock.
Lina said a goose can do most damage attacking with its strong wings. Hers haven’t gone that far, but they do charge and bite.
Unfortunately, they failed to do their job and attack the fox, which killed more chickens. Now the chickens stay in a fully enclosed yard, and the geese have free run of the orchard day and night.
“They are an alarm system, just not a protective system,” Lina said. If anyone pulls into the driveway or starts walking toward the house the geese will “run over to the fence and start honking.”
I experienced this myself on a recent visit. Lina lead our family to the orchard, and the geese came running and yelling. I’d never heard an animal make so much noise — I had to yell myself to be heard by those standing shoulder to shoulder with me.
Although Lina ordered females, one appears to be male. He causes the most trouble, and is the only of the three with a name: Kevin.
While they haven’t yet earned much of their keep (they go through more food than twice as many chickens), Lina has hopes of them keeping the grass mowed. They did a good job when goslings, and perhaps come spring and summer they will eliminate mowing and weeding chores.
They also just started laying eggs. Lina expects only about 50 per goose per year, but they are large. She plans to try frying one. Others she will decorate as oversized Easter eggs.
“Despite all the problems, I still love them — they are so entertaining to watch,” Lina said.
ALDONA BIRD is a journalist, previously writing for The Dominion Post. She uses experience gained working on organic farms in Europe to help her explore possibilities of local productivity and sustainable living in Preston County. Email columns@dominionpost.com.
