Thursday, February 27, 2014

How About A Guard Goose...?

Anyone that has ever had a goose or two, or even been around them much will tell you the same thing. Geese can be mean!

Many different sources will tell you just how good a goose is as a guard animal. Heck, many homesteaders could probably tell you some pretty good horror stories along the same lines! These are not the animals you want to mess with, believe me!

Geese Are The Best Guard Animals In History
By Morris M. on Tuesday, February 25, 2014

In Ancient Greek myth, the entrance to the underworld was guarded by Cerberus: the meanest, ugliest, most ornery, three-headed dog that underworld money could buy. But it turns out that Hades, the ruler of the land, missed a trick. From the two birds that saved Ancient Rome to their modern equivalent guarding Brazilian prisons, history has shown that even Hercules would likely have been flummoxed by a simple guard goose.

Remember that scene in Lethal Weapon 3 where Mel Gibson manages to bust up some bad guys after befriending their guard dog? Well, had those cocky gun-runners gone with a guard goose, things may well have turned out differently. According to National Geographic, geese are literally the best guard animals in existence.

For one thing, their eyesight is incredible. Not just when measured against dogs, but measured against humans too. Thanks to an extra light sensor in their eyes, geese can see further and in clearer detail than any of us could ever hope to. They’re also super-territorial and—unlike dogs—can’t be paid off with a packet of biscuits you happen to be carrying. Try and distract a goose and it just honks louder, alerting the nameless goons next door to their incoming comeuppance.

So, why do we never hear about these wonder guards? Well, we do. In 390 B.C., two geese alerted Rome to an impending Gaul attack, potentially saving the city from destruction. For generations after, the event was commemorated by having a pampered goose watch the city’s treacherous guard dogs get crucified. In modern times, too, these super-birds have their uses: Chinese cops in the Xinjiang province use them to guard police stations, while at least one Brazilian prison has them patrol the grounds in case of a mass breakout.

In fact, in just about every head-to-head contest geese put our canine friends to shame. Need to stop those pesky kids next door from messing up your lawn? It’s time you bought a goose.

If you don't want to take my word for it, you can see more information over at KnowledgeNuts or at National Geographic. Just be careful around strange barnyards, ya hear?

Coffee in the kitchen again this morning. Wet and cold here this morning!

13 comments:

Chickenmom said...

Wow! Didn't know that, Mr. Hermit! Better than a guard dog and you get a bonus with fresh goose eggs! Coffee in the kitchen is fine - I bring some Lorna Doones

linda m said...

I had heard that geese could be mean. And I once was walking past a house that had guard geese. I should pass this info on to my daughter-in-law who has goats and chickens. She wants a guard animal, so this is a great idea. Coffee inside is good on a very cold morning like today.

Anonymous said...

I've read that at least one Swedish prison have them too. They stopped people to throw drugs over the fences :-)

Having had a neighbor that had geese I know how wonderfully mean they can be :-)

Have a great day!
Christer.

Barney, The Old Fat Man said...

Running around pelicans will make you wonder which one is meaner the goose or the pelican.

Mamahen said...

My best friend in my teen years had a pair of geese as well as guines .....Trust me geese can be mean, but for the pure alarm factor, you can't top 4 - 5 guines...Warm kitchen sounds good. Haven't had Lorna Doones for years :))

JO said...

I have seen them chase kids too and that was not funny, they threw entire bags of bread down to stop them and it didn't work.

It is chilly here too but no rain.

I'll join you all in the kitchen.

JO said...

I have seen them chase kids too and that was not funny, they threw entire bags of bread down to stop them and it didn't work.

It is chilly here too but no rain.

I'll join you all in the kitchen.

Caddie said...

I bet sone of our country's economic problems could well be alleviated if we'd do like the Chinese and Brazilians, etc. Just think of the $ Millions that could be saved. Guards could still have a job, but at a lower payscale - cleaning up geese droppings! Eh?

Sun here but bitter cold. Coffee and a Nutty Bar is my fare this morning.

TROUBLEnTX said...

Guineas do the same

Dizzy-Dick said...

I had a couple of geese at one time and they sure were the meanest critters I know. They are also fearless and full of dirty tricks. I was sitting in a lawn chair and one jumped up on my lap and quickly jumped back down but not before it left a pile of doo-doo on my lap. Dang geese!!!

HermitJim said...

Hey Phyllis...
Sounds like a win-win situation, doesn't it?

Thanks for coming by this morning!



Hey Linda M...
Sounds like this would be just the thing for her!

Thanks for the visit this morning!



Hey Christer...
I guess that you have to go with whatever works!

Thanks for dropping by, my friend!



Hey Barney...
I knew that seagulls could be aggressive, but I didn't know about pelicans!

Thanks, Barney, for coming over today!



Hey Mamahen...
I've heard that guineas could be noisy, but haven't been around any!

Thanks for coming over today!



Hey Jo...
Chasing things and people seems to be a fun pastime for geese!

Thanks, sweetie, for the visit!



Hey Sissy...
Guess that there isn't enough kickback using geese in prisons.

Thanks for the visit today!



Hey Trouble...
That's what I've heard, so I reckon that some of both would be good!

Thanks for coming over today!



Hey Dizzy...
That is a pretty mean trick! Hard to trust them after that, right?

Thanks for coming over!



Anonymous said...

We have geese, and precisely because you cannot shut them up by throwing them a steak.

HermitJim said...

Hey Herlander...
Guess the stories are true then. Good to know!

Do you get eggs from them as well?

Thanks for coming by this morning!