Shriveled Old Carrot

Those of you near Russellville Ark, might be interested in this:

Animal Producers set meeting
The Arkansas Animal Producer’s Association (ARAPA) will hold a state-wide meeting from 3-6 p.m. March 2 at the Atkins High School auditorium. The public is invited to attend. Continues here (you will need to scroll down)

We have 4 new residents, (no not the cows. The weather has stopped behaving badly, so we might just be able to get out there this week) 2 goslings and turkey chicks. I am hoping that we can get more eggs with the goslings. None of the eggs that my goose laid last year hatched. We will try again with her this year. But until then, we have the new duo.

Sexing geese is an interesting event. Marina and I were discussing this once upon a time. I am surprised that I can remember it. But we were chatting through IM when the discussion turned to geese and how one must sex them. None of my bird books really said how one does it or what one is looking for. Marina grabbed her book and the side hurting laughter began. It didn't help that it was the middle of the night and both of us were giddy from lack of sleep. Marina informed me that a gander will have a shriveled carrot. What!?! The technique is similar to sexing chicks, something I am still working on. Luckily for me Marina's book also talk about sexing without flipping. Look at the birds carriage, the lower it carries itself to the ground, the more likely it is female. This happened to be true with my other 2. But this group. . . At the store they looked to be female, but as they grow (we have had them a week) their carriages seem to be rising. Well, I guess we have Christmas dinner.