Saturday, the day before Easter, an event I had long been waiting for finally took place!  Polly’s eggs began hatching!

I had noticed her standing over her nest when I went to close the barn door on Friday.  I thought it odd, but didn’t understand what was going on…  Later I would realize that her eggs were talking to her and she was listening!  Little minute piping sounds were coming from inside and just audible to only her!

Next morning I came out to open the barn door and there she was standing over the nest again.  Reaching down with her bill, she kept adjusting the eggs vigorously.  So vigorously, in fact, that I thought she would shatter each and every one!  I needn’t have worried as it turns out.

Here with few words are Saturday and Sunday’s main event on the Farmlet… NOTE:  All pictures are clickable for a closer look if you like.  🙂

It began as a small hole

A tiny bill is just visible through the top of the opening… It’s a GIRL!   (I will explain how I know this at the end of the post.)

I would visit many times throughout the day.  The process was painstakingly slow!

It’s a BOY!

Aww…  It’s a Boy, a Boy, a Boy, and a Girl!

“Here, drink this, this is good!”

When you are only less than 24 hours old then everything must be taught.  What to drink and what to eat are important lessons!

Polly’s bath made puddles for the goslings to explore.

Hatching and learning all about your world is hard work!  Time for a nap.

Polly brings the babies out about once an hour to eat and drink.  While out of the nest she calls to them constantly.  Interesting to watch, and when they get too far away (for her comfort) she calls more loudly and the flaps her wings quite hard!  The gust of wind she creates sends all four hustling back to be right underneath her.

As Promised

I mentioned that there was a way to distinguish between the boys and girls, and with the Pilgrim Goose it is quite easily done!  This heritage breed is sex-linked meaning that the males and females are different colors from birth.  Pilgrim goslings with dark bills and darker gray down are the girls, while the goslings with lighter coloring on their bills, and more yellow in their down are the boys.  EASY!

I chose the Pilgrim Goose breed for this as well as the following reasons:

1. They are smaller in stature
2. More docile (with people, though apparently not chickens!!!)
3. They are on the critical list for domestic breeds.

I love how Polly will follow me about, though not at the moment, and talk to me.  Perhaps with the babies this will change?  We’ll see.

To find out a bit more on this wonderful goose bread please go here:  http://albc-usa.org/cpl/waterfowl/pilgrim.html