The day had to come. It was time to let CJ and Badger out of the safety of their small little run to face the school of hard knocks in the community that is my field.
As if by magic, some of the birds seemed to know that something was afoot, and as I opened the run several, (the geese and guinea fowl Angostura in particular ) lined up to see what was going on.
Letting caged animals out for the first time is always a slightly fraught affair, but today it felt especially difficult seeing that CJ and Badger had such difficult beginnings.
Like an anxious parent standing at the school gates, I watched the two birds totter out into the big world..and as the adult geese bowed their heads in careful greeting, I forced myself to come inside for breakfast.
My little world here, moves on gently again
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| Winnie, Jo and Russell (left) greet CJ (Badger is on the far left) |
How kewl is it that the geese were so accepting. I know that they can be territorial and confrontational. (Big words, fingers tired now)
ReplyDeletewash a kitchen floor??
ReplyDeletelast time ours needed doing I bought new vinyl instead!
xx
Fraught moments indeed. One never knows how animals will react to each other. Thank goodness it seems to have gone OK.
ReplyDeleteMemories of a new school playground...
ReplyDelete...are you going to stand around with a whistle at break-times?
Nice to see them in the big world, sorry about Sunday my man, bleedin Willow to blame...
ReplyDeleteGood luck to CJ and Badger...one can only be protected for so long and then...it's face the world time.
ReplyDeleteI have an idea about how you could triple your income...Use "Paint" to put word balloons and thought bubbles in your various menagerie photos then join the pictures together to make little story booklets for children. There could be adult alternative version too complete with swear words. Suggestions for titles include "King William's Domain", "Constance's Biggest Fart","Farmer Gray Reaches The End of his Tether" and "CJ and Badger Go AWOL". If JK Rowling can do it, so can you!
ReplyDeletewell done daddy ,they are big now you done a brill job
ReplyDeleteYou're braver than me. I'd have been forced to stay out with them making sure that they came to no harm but of course that would do them no good at all. As you say, they need to find their own place in the world. Hope they do well.
ReplyDeleteA good, uplifting post.
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to listen out for that chant in playground of "Fight! Fight! Fight!" and intervene if necessary.
ReplyDeleteAw, I hope everything continues to go all right with the introductions.
ReplyDeleteI hope things are still going gently in your world, John. :)
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling of letting go...
ReplyDeleteCJ and Badger seem to have been accepted into the fold, it's a happy yet sad time.
~Jo
O golly I do hope it all goes well. One of my geese killed a bantam of mine and would have killed a little white hen if I had not rescued her in time.
ReplyDeleteThey can be pretty cruel, can't they?
We are going to put our chicks into a hut on their own shortly and return Goldie to the hens. I fully expect her to be bullied for a day or two until she finds her place in the pecking order. Keep us informed.
I do hope they can get on all right, John. No doubt many of the other birds know their scent if you were with CJ and Badger before making your rounds with the other fowl.
ReplyDeletemegan
I hope it keeps going smooth and you are not called out to any barnyard parent teacher conferences!
ReplyDeleteIt looks so idyllic yet from your blog I know that the field can turn into a battlefield. Glad it all went well. xxxxx
ReplyDeleteHello John! I'm catching up on my blog reading after being out of town and have really enjoyed reading about the success of your 'Open Day,' and the success with CJ and Badger--I hope it went well through the day. I know all about letting go, I'm finally letting 'Scottie Todd' out in the yard by himself--Next week he starts 'daycare' so we'll see how that goes!
ReplyDeleteI hope you've had an enjoyable evening!!
the day seemed to have gone well
ReplyDeleteCJ and Badger got a little bullied but returned to their coop intact tonight!
YP(good idea)
jx
It's hard being the grown up. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI would make such a lousy parent! I would have kept them in for their own protection!!
ReplyDeleteWell isn't that something...our geese were so aggressive to the chickens..and cats...and people...and dogs. And we had them since they were tiny and they were our babies! I'm glad everyone got along just fine and good for you for having the courage to walk away. :)
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