Hoppy

Its been quite a while since I've blipped my Chinese goose Hoppy but he posed for his photo this morning.

I am feeling a bit concerned (and anxious) when I am in the field with him and took this picture from the other side of the fence. If I had been with him, he would have been so close to me I wouldn't have been able to blip him.

He follows me everywhere and warns off anything/anyone that comes up to me. He has been fighting with Billy-Neil the big Muscovy duck but often comes off worse. I can usually separate them by spraying them with the water
hose. Yesterday he decided to grab my leg with his bill. I dobt think he intended to bite but he left an indented bruise.

I have just checked my rescued animal journal and found out that Hoppy plus five other Chinese geese were rehomed to us in July 2011. We also acquired Barney a Barnacle Goose. Over the past eight years four of the geese have died and now we have just the two males - Hoppy and Tintin.
Barney was a very vocal goose and a great character. He was at one time in love with a female Chinese goose and was very protective of her. She would lay an egg every other day between March and June, and if you wanted to enter the stable when she was laying and being guarded by Barney, you entered at your peril. Sadly she died after being caught in the electric fence.

Barney literally disappeared on June 2017. There had been horrendous rain and very high winds and when I did not see him outdoors, I assumed he was taking cover somewhere. Later that day I realised he was missing. There was no sign of any disturbance and we thought maybe he had been caught by the wind and carried over the fence. He could not fly, having clipped wings (by a previous owner). We searched everywhere and made lots of local enquiries but to no avail. His disappearance is a mystery but hopefully he is living free and happy somewhere. He is really missed as there was never a dull moment with him around.

Hoppy has never had a girlfriend and is a bit of a loner. Someone should tell him that humans aren't suitable mates for a goose.