Over the course of this fall semester, we have had the wonderful pleasure of interacting with a new member of our community. Interactions with this individual are not of the usual variety. You might say there is somewhat of a language barrier. This is because our new member is, in fact, a goose.
Walter, as he has come to be known, is a Canadian goose with quite a unique personality. While the average goose does not seem to particularly care about the presence of us humans and often have enough entitlement to be offended by our presence at times, Walter is of a different sort. With the mood swings of a preteen, Walter has been known to approach students on the Walton Patio to ask for food and drink, make noisy comments or betray his innocent guise by biting at anything and everything his beak can reach. He may not be our mascot, but he seems to have made his way into the role of our campus pet.
Of course, if he is going to be a pet, it would be a good idea to feed him properly. Fortunately, our sometimes lovely Dining Commons is right next to the patio, and they have several goose-friendly options to choose from. The main diet of a goose is greens, although not all are created equal. The most common in Walter’s diet is grass. He can also eat romaine lettuce and kale; however, it would be best to avoid spinach. As Fall and Winter approach, geese tend to add more grains to their diet to maintain weight. From the DC, this could include whole or rolled oats, without additives or flavorings, as well as cooked brown rice. Avoid things like bread and cereals, which have very poor nutritional value for geese. When considering what veggies he might like, stick to things like fresh or thawed chopped carrots, cucumbers, or even plain green beans. In small amounts, Walter can also have millet seeds, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, bananas and apples (but not the seeds!).
We must also consider that we have a few foods that are bad for Walter and should be avoided. These include chocolate, caffeine, avocado, raw dried beans and salty or sugary human snacks. Finally, you may have noticed that Walter is always parched. Give him some water! Pouring water straight from your water bottle can do the trick in a pinch, but it is best to give them water in a bowl of some sort. Geese need to dip their beaks fully in the water to help with digestion and to clear their nostrils. You might think an obvious solution is to use a styrofoam bowl from the DC. Be careful with this! Walter, like other geese, is prone to curiosity and is likely to nibble and eat bits of the bowl, which is very bad for digestion. Try to use something made of plastic, metal, ceramic or rubber.
Please take good care of Walter. He is a wonderful creature, even if he may be missing a tool from the shed. We are looking forward to continuing to interact with this adorable, confused little goose.