The Bastards
Meet " The Bastards"These two young and badly behaved lodgers have arrived just before Christmas and will be guests on the field until sometime in February. They are the property of the owner of a local bed & breakfast, who is off to Malaysia for a month. I didn't know him from Adam when he turned up with the sob story of not having a goose sitter, but true to form, I accepted the challenge, even though the new bees are two of the most narky, bad tempered birds that I have ever had the misfortune to meet.
Ever since they arrived the resident flock of geese, the sheep and a few of the older, slower hens have been pecked,intimidated and bullied , so much so That I have had to employ a daily regime of behavior modification in order to assert my dominance over the pair, who think nothing of slipping an orange beak down the crack of your underpants in order to grab a pound of flesh when you are bending over a feed bucket!
So, every morning I will drag each bird out of their house. Take a firm hold of their neck and wings, then will take a walk around the field with the bird tightly tucked underneath my armpit.
It's an old trick that can tame an aggressive cockerel, for after a while, you can actually feel the bird " relax" a sign that it has accepted you are the boss.
It's labour intensive...but effective.
And so, every morning I look like a strange Scot playing a set of white bagpipes around the field, as " The Bastards" are hopefully transformed from evil devil birds to a pair of twittering canaries .
Having said this, I was goosed in the knackers rather violently only this morning, when I dropped my guard opening up the goose house......
The resident goose flock
Russell, Camilla Parker Bowles, Winnie, and Jo
Ps. The Bastards stayed for over a year, before a lesbian Policewoman from Llanfair TH called Bunty finally took them over.


What a hilarious post, John, and yes, some events and animals linger in the memory.
ReplyDeleteDH well remembers being 4 years old and chased by his grandparent's irritable goose until he got to his grandpa and climbed to safely. That goose became dinner the next day.
Another one for the book, eh?!
Hugs!
They have serrated beaks hence the pain
DeleteIt could only happen to you, John! Or is it just the way you tell 'em? The image of you marching round the field with a goose "bagpipe" under your arm is priceless! xx
ReplyDeleteAbit of both xx
DeleteFabulous! Laugh-out-loud pictures you painted there.
ReplyDeleteThats my job
DeleteWhite bagpipes, haha. Good story.
ReplyDeleteThanks andrew
Delete"Goosed In The Knackers" is not a crime novel by Agatha Christie but it does win the coveted "Blogpost Title of The Century" award for its sheer unapologetic bravado. Eat your heart out Frankie Howerd!
ReplyDeleteHave i won sometjing in the yorkshire puddings award , its been a while
DeleteOh John you made me laugh! And the stories you can tell of past memories ,definitely should be in that book you will hopefully write soon! X
ReplyDeleteNoted
DeleteI long for video!
ReplyDeleteSee the link below in the comments to pixie
DeleteLMAO!!!! Your tale had me in stiches. I had no idea hot they could be told who is boss. Your method is noted. The looks like a pair of trouble too.
ReplyDeleteAll male animals can be trained , you just have to out male them
DeleteI have two vivid pictures in my head, one is of the goose bagpipes being firmly sorted out, the other of your reaction when 'goosed' as you let them out that morning - the offender is lucky he didn't end up as dinner!!!
ReplyDeleteI screamed like a girl
DeleteI wonder if the geese ever became tame. You certainly gave it your best. Did they improve?
ReplyDeleteMy one experience with geese was driving up to an antique clock shop and geese surrounded the car. The owner came out and said the geese were his guard dogs! He called them off so we could walk to the shop. I had no idea geese were used to guard property.
They never did ...both trued it on with Bunty who self reported she punched one
DeleteI remember Bunty! Did the owners of the Bed and Breakfast never return?
ReplyDeleteThey never did ...bunty shacked up with an israli policewoman
DeleteWhen my people were in Shropshire they had three Geese. They all had very strange 6 ft long wing feathers that they were told were a 'throwback' to some the seller had had many years before. I've never seen their like again.
ReplyDeleteCanada geese can have 6 foot wings
DeleteMy grandfather had a goose. It was his pet - but it hated everybody else and we returned the favor. It would chase and grab you - and being pinched by a goose hurts. It slept on the front porch while my grandfather, last weeks of his life, slept in a hospital bed in the front room. My grandfather died in his sleep. My uncle found him, went to my grandmother and told her Poppy had passed. Granny got up, looked at Poppy for moment, then went out on the front porch. My uncle started to follow her, then thought she was upset, she needed her space, so he left her alone - then he heard this Thwack! and realized the ax by the fireplace was gone. We had roast goose at the wake.
ReplyDeleteBloody hell that was mercenary lol
Delete🍗🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓
DeleteI remember being chased by the resident "Guard geese" when visiting a family friend as a child. They were quite frightening and very territorial.
ReplyDeleteI love your description of yours!
I was always taught and taught many others to face off any honking goose with arms wide
DeleteYou know how to cheer up a gal on a dark, damp December morning. Thank you John, wonderful descriptions!
ReplyDeleteFirst time anyone has said THAT to me lol
DeleteWhat happened to Bunty? Did she move away? You have some good stories about her if I remember correctly.
ReplyDeleteWe had ducks, chickens, and guinea fowl, and pea fowl but avoided geese. Roosters were scary enough.
weavinfool
She met an Israeli policewoman
DeleteGreat old story. So much for a month-long trip to Malaysia!
ReplyDeleteIt was a ruse, I never heard from them again
DeleteOMG John, your stories are the highlight of my day! I can just imagine you with a goose in your arms, marching around! That needs to be a Pixar'd picture!
ReplyDeleteThey are heavy birds to carry, both big males
DeleteUgh butt crack. One of the most offputting things to see.
ReplyDeleteI can think of worse
DeleteSo you were well and truly 'goosed'?
ReplyDeleteMany times 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪
DeleteLaughed at goose bagpipes and imagine being goosed in the clackers would be quite painful. Gigi
ReplyDeleteVery painful
DeleteLucky geese to be taken in by you.
ReplyDeleteI took in many waifs back then , too many
Delete'Goosed in the Knackers'. It can only be a blog post from John. Hilarious. x
ReplyDeleteI remember my knackers being well and truly goosed
DeleteI never had geese. I had two ducks who joyfully enjoyed connubial bliss together after a little swim. The fact that they were both lady ducks bothered them not at all. They were very happy birds and spent their days together, waddling about the yard, chatting all day long.
ReplyDeleteDucks are the most sexual of birds , the drakes often swamping the ducks
DeleteReminds me of our Rusty the Rooster, the "fighting cock". Not meant for women or children.
ReplyDeleteOh I had plenty of aggressive cockerels too, Eric the six inch bantam being the most vociferous
DeleteA great story and a reminder of how long I’ve been following your blog. The names of the geese!
ReplyDeleteI miss the noise of the field . The hysterical chunners from the runner ducks, the shrill calls of the guinea fowl and the honks from the geese as they stood on guard
DeleteI would have loved to have seen you marching around the field with a grumpy goose tucked under your arm. I've not spent any time around domesticated geese, but Canada geese are bad tempered creatures that will hiss at your and bite if you get close enough. Somebody once described them as military grade geese, or a cobra chicken:)
ReplyDeleteCamilla was a soft goose as were Winnie and Jo , as all three were hand reared by me
DeleteSee this video
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IG30WnUGUE
Your animals and birds have come from all sorts of different places and for different reasons haven't they. A very eclectic but loveable bunch ...mostly. I was very lucky with our Chinese geese, the large male adored me for some reason, so he never got troublesome. It was hard cleaning out the henhouse on occasion with him trying to get inside to be with me though. :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy days 🐓🦃🦢
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