Koop Kaos

Came home today to see a goose/gander, not sure which, let's call it Pate Junior, or PJ, sitting in the coop not getting up while the others are already out by the pool enjoying a bath. A quick look showed the left leg dangling, not sure if broken, but not moving at least. Blood on the nostrils too. So I bandaged up the leg, brought him inside, and here he sits, whining, though quietly. Best I can guess, judging by the blood on the feeder, is that he caught his foot in the feeder and couldn't get out. Hard to know exactly.

The indoor kiddie pool, formerly home to the 3-week-old goslings, is now the recovery ward. So the 6 goslings that got booted were moved to the drake dormitory, but not after the drakes were let out of course. Do you know what happens when you let out a bunch of drakes who have not "seen" a duck in 2 months? No they don't go on a wild rampage. First thing they do when they see the ducks is: fight! That's right. No time to waste! Who's the boss?! Seems that pecking order comes first, sex second.

So with all the ducks running about fighting, Pate turns into Sheriff Pate and tries to break up all the fighting. He tore a few chunks out of a Rouen, who then ran into the coop and hid in one of the nests (boy I bet his buddies were laughing at him).

This pecking order thing carried on for about half an hour at which time it was nighty-night time, so I moved them all inside. But this reintroduction of the drakes was a bit too much excitement for everyone, especially Sally Muscovy. She and Foie have been sharing nest duty for the last several weeks as you recall. Both Sally and Foie were taking their turns at beating up the drakes as they'd pass by the nest. Finally Sally just couldn't handle it anymore and chased (much bigger) drakes around the coop and raked her claws into them, pulled feathers out, and basically showed who the boss was. I removed these drakes, putting them into their former home now occupied by the goslings. This settled things a bit, but not enough. The Sheriff still wanted more law and order, so I decided he had to go and put him outside for the first time with the first-borns. It's now 11pm and I can still hear him screaming up a storm.

And inside? Also unsettled. Every time I move out of visual range, PJ starts crying/whining. Probably misses his companions.