I can't believe you can't remember Heathcliff. We've had him for 10 years 3 months. He was one of Alicia's 18th birthday gifts. We had him when you lived here - maybe you didn't get to know him because you were here mostly in the winter.
Notice all the tiny white feathers surrounding him in the summer picture? When he molts - he first drops his big wing feathers. They are about 10 inches long and he has about 30 to 50 of them. This year, they all fell out within a day or two. Then he has to grow in the new ones and the whole process just saps him of all his strength. After his wings come back, his medium feathers come out and regrow and then all the thousands and thousands of tiny ones.
Sometimes, you can see he is just desparately needing a scratch here or there and you want to just pick him up and scrub him and speed the process along, but that would be ill - advised as he does have a pretty nasty bite. Just imagine trying to scratch out every hair on your body and scratch in all new replacement hairs over your whole body - and do it without hands or arms. It is truly a remarkable feat.
3 comments:
It is absolutely amazing to me that you have had him that long! Amazing! How long does the average goose live? Hmmmm...I don't know. But, it sounds like a long time to me.
Earlene
Wow Heathcliff is huge! How old will he live to be? I have yet to meet a nice goose. What makes them good pets to keep around for 10 years?
hmm, I have no recollection of Heathcliff. But dont worry I can't remember most things...just ask my wife.
And he is huge!! what a fatty. And old too. I can't believe it.
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