kimmybur
In the Brooder
- Jul 8, 2023
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Hi everyone! i am new to this forum but I have been a lurker for quite a while. It's been a valuable resource for me so I am hoping more experienced goose lovers can help me out.
I have a 1 year old Chinese goose who has gone broody. She's sitting on several duck eggs at the moment, as she quit laying eggs about 3 weeks ago. For a while, I would remove the duck eggs but I felt kind of guilty about it as she seems very committed to sitting on them. Usually, my goose is very friendly, energetic and social. Always excited to greet me and get her evening snack. She also interacted more with her fellow geese and the ducks.
Ever since she started sitting, her demeanor has become rather aloof. She will come out of her house for a few hours every day, but she doesn't seem particularly interested in snack time. She will take a few nibbles of grass here and there, and I understand that geese kind of put themselves on a bit of a diet when broody so that doesn't surprise me. What does is how depressed she seems, almost withdrawn. She still will come up for snacks, but will take a few bites and meander away to go be on her own. Eventually, retreating to her house to sit on her nest. It may also be worth mentioning that I am quite sure she is molting right now because her feather situation isn't as pristine as it usually is. She still bathes and preens though.
Is this aloofness, seemingly depressed and withdrawn behavior normal for a broody goose? Will she begin to act more like herself when the broodiness has passed?
Thanks for any insight in advance!
I have a 1 year old Chinese goose who has gone broody. She's sitting on several duck eggs at the moment, as she quit laying eggs about 3 weeks ago. For a while, I would remove the duck eggs but I felt kind of guilty about it as she seems very committed to sitting on them. Usually, my goose is very friendly, energetic and social. Always excited to greet me and get her evening snack. She also interacted more with her fellow geese and the ducks.
Ever since she started sitting, her demeanor has become rather aloof. She will come out of her house for a few hours every day, but she doesn't seem particularly interested in snack time. She will take a few nibbles of grass here and there, and I understand that geese kind of put themselves on a bit of a diet when broody so that doesn't surprise me. What does is how depressed she seems, almost withdrawn. She still will come up for snacks, but will take a few bites and meander away to go be on her own. Eventually, retreating to her house to sit on her nest. It may also be worth mentioning that I am quite sure she is molting right now because her feather situation isn't as pristine as it usually is. She still bathes and preens though.
Is this aloofness, seemingly depressed and withdrawn behavior normal for a broody goose? Will she begin to act more like herself when the broodiness has passed?
Thanks for any insight in advance!
How long has she been setting? This is very likely normal behavior, but excessive broodiness can debilitate a bird. I'd check her weight.
