Egg Development

[Vaughnr007]

Hey All, we a gaggle of 24 geese. We're on a farm that has a 2 acre pond that the geese live by. 4 are older geese and the other 20 are 7 month old White Chinese. They're getting frisky and we're wondering how long it takes an egg to develop and laid. We've looked all over the internet but can't find anything.

 

[Welshies]

It depends.
Generally speaking, egg laying requires a few things:
-Adequate sunlight- 10 or 12 hours or more.
-A place to lay the eggs. Preferably a coop, but birds often lay anywhere till they get the hang of a coop or nest boxes.
-An egg laying breed. Make sure your geese don't require a gander to produce eggs.
-Environment. Your geese may take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months to begin laying in a new home.
-Calcium. Layer feed (18% to 20%) should be provided or maintenance feed of that protien level with calcium (oyster shell) provided on the side.
-Age: Some breeds take longer than others to begin laying. If your birds were hatched in fall, they may not start laying till springtime.
What feed are they on? Geese aren't typically productive layers unlike chickens. Geese only lay 20-100 eggs per year, and many geese go broody. If you want eggs, I suggest ducks or chickens. Ducks do well alongside geese, and breeds like the Welsh Harlequin, Indian Runner, Cayuga, and medium sized breeds lay well.

 

[Iain Utah]

For geese, egg laying does not need sunlight. All geese lay eggs without ganders. The only reason for a gander is for fertilized eggs. Geese have a seasonal breeding cycle and the length of time in home makes no difference, unless you move a goose while laying and that may briefly disrupt laying cycle. As a general rule, geese will lay the first spring after hatch as a yearling. Production breeds generally lay 30-60 eggs (at most) in the spring, and may sometimes have another much shorter laying round in the fall. Breeds like dewlaps tend to only lay 25-30 eggs (maximum) in spring only.

It is very common for 7 month old production breeds to get frisky in the fall, but you likely won't see eggs until next spring.

 

[Welshies]

For geese, egg laying does not need sunlight. All geese lay eggs without ganders. The only reason for a gander is for fertilized eggs. Geese have a seasonal breeding cycle and the length of time in home makes no difference, unless you move a goose while laying and that may briefly disrupt laying cycle. As a general rule, geese will lay the first spring after hatch as a yearling. Production breeds generally lay 30-60 eggs (at most) in the spring, and may sometimes have another much shorter laying round in the fall. Breeds like dewlaps tend to only lay 25-30 eggs (maximum) in spring only.

It is very common for 7 month old production breeds to get frisky in the fall, but you likely won't see eggs until next spring.

Didn't know about geese not needing a gander. Wasn't sure so I thought I would mention it.
Sunlight determines seasonal egg laying, not temp or another factor. When the days lengthen they will start laying giving the appearance of a "seasonal" layer.

 

[Vaughnr007]

Thanks all for your replies. My mother-in-law found an egg in the field and believes it is new. Now I'm thinking it is an old one

Robert