A huge drat!!! We have lost another gosling, this time a male!! A rat obviously came into the stable stall via a gap in the doorway and neither the adult geese nor any other bird chased it off. We found the half eaten gosling in the doorway as the rat was not able to take it out!!! Plan C is to now house the geese in the summer house which is totally rat proof and then build a totally rat proof aviary in the geese stall!! We are very shocked and wonder how big the goslings have to get before they are safe!! We also feel VERY guilty!!! Thank goodness for Gloria who continues to be a wonderful (if time consuming) distraction. She is now accompanying Jack on some of her smallholding rounds in order that she gets the chance to behave a bit more like a goose, eat grass and crucially, mix with the other birds (although at the moment they are all pretty much ignoring her and she them…). Her first 'brief' encounter with her parents and siblings was one of mild but quickly forgotten interest by them and terror by her – she essentially just ran straight back to Jack!!
She now lives in a dog cage by Jack's desk when she isn't 'on' the desk itself or on her supervised outside encounters. We learnt early on that we needed to cover the cage at the front and sides in order to keep her calm as if she can see out, she gets a bit stressed and keeps calling out! Counter intuitive to us humans, we LIKE to see out!!
She is eleven days old now, growing rapidly but still very small!!! She is totally imprinted on Jack, responding to her voice, following her everywhere, and when on her desk, snuggling up into her jumper/lap/arms/neck. If Jack gets up from her desk she continuously squeaks at her to come back!!
And the future for Gloria?? One big question mark!!