Time to Remove Eggs from Nest

I have a goose (named Annee) who is about two or so years old. I got her about 4 moths ago. Before that I only had a male for about two years. When I got her they told me she had not laid eggs before. She made up for that because she must have laid 30 eggs this year. I am new at this goose raising thing.

I was not well versed in this but was told at some point to leave her eggs alone and she will nest. I must admit I enjoyed cooking with them and eating them also. I left her eggs alone and when she had about 8 she started to nest. I mean not leave the nest at all. She has been doing this for about 30 or more days now. I have taken an egg now and then and checked it with the flashlight to see if there is anything there. On the last two nothing. I have thrown those away. She has five left. In checking two of those I can not see through the egg like on the others. The egg seems all dark and the light does not shine through at all.

So that is the basic history of my Annee and her nesting. I have read a lot here to try to get a better understanding of what should happen because I am new at having geese.

So I wanted to know how do I really tell if she has goslings in the eggs if I can not see anything through the egg? How do I take the eggs from her? I mean do I just take one at a time until they are all gone? Will she just come off the nest when she's ready? I have given her greens and water to make sure she's eating/drinking. Every now and then I'll see her off the nest but as soon as she knows I'm there she runs back. For the most part she is not leaving the nest at all.

Any advice or knowledge is appreciated. I guess I just want to know when she is done and what do I do with the eggs. I know she can't sit there indefinitely but I have read about people having to remove the goose from the nest.

In the picture Annee is in the pool and Dudley is well showing off to me. lol. I will get pictures of her nesting but boy she and Dudley throw a fit when I go in their pen. lol

Charles

At this point in development, the eggs should be dark with just the air cell showing. Unless you are POSITIVE that she is on day 30, let her go a bit longer just in case the eggs are viable.

The last egg I marked with the date was 7 June. All the other eggs came after that point. I guess I should have dated them too but didn't. I removed that egg, looked at it with the flashlight and didn't see anything inside. I did one more with the same results. Now the last two I have checked I can not see through. I marked those to show I looked at them. I will wait longer. Any suggestions on how long?

BTW thanks for the reply.

Charles

Well you marked an egg on 6/7 . If she added new eggs for another 2 weeks prior to setting fully (highly unlikely). that would give her a 'start date' of 6/21. 7/19 would be 28 days from then. It's looking doubtful that these eggs are viable. You might try floating them in warm water - movement of the egg would indicate a living embryo. At most I would wait until the end of the week and then remove all eggs and the nest. Annee and Dudley are going to be ticked off, but will get over it hopefully to have better luck next year. Have you witnessed them mating?

Yes I have seen them mating.

This morning I saw an egg that was not on the nest. Kinda on the side. That is gone now and whatever was left inside is on the ground.
Some milky looking junk that smells like old fish. She still has three more eggs under her. I'll do what you say and at the end of the week take care of it. Well I had high hopes. I do enjoy having them. I hope to have more by birth or buy.

I just took this picture of her on the nest. Got a shot in before she hissed and run me off. lol.

Thanks again.

Charles

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If you are able to locate some goslings now, it is very likely that your geese will 'adopt' them. As a kid I had a human imprinted gander as a pet. I bought some goslings, and he immediately knew that he was really a goose. He adopted them within 24 hours and I was no longer 'important'.