illegal to hatch canadian goose eggs?

[bernie131]

I found 3 goose eggs which I think are from a Canadian goose,..is it illegal to hatch the eggs?

 

[Pyxis]

If you're in the United States, yes. They fall under the Migratory Bird Act and it is illegal to take adults, goslings, or eggs from the wild.

 

[ILuvMyFlock]

Helping and taking in other animals like injured deer can be illegal too but that wouldn't stop me from doing just that, illegal or not I would doctor them. Same with an egg I found I'd incubate it.

 

[bernie131]

I put them in with my duck eggs so everything is about the same except a little more humidity late in the process?

 

[Pyxis]

Just to warn you, they are covered under the Migratory Bird Act, which is federal law. So by having them you are breaking federal law. If caught, you will be fined and even possibly face jail time. I want you to know what you're getting into.

Plus, when they hatch, you would need to either pinion them, which just advertises to the world that you are keeping them illegally and a game warden may come knocking for permits you don't have, or build a completely covered pen so that they can't fly out, which, again, will possibly attract attention. You can't let them fly because they will try to leave at migration time when their instincts tell them to. But, Canada geese learn the routes from their parents on their first migration. So they won't know the routes, they won't make it, and they will starve to death.

If you want to help them and not get in trouble, you can hand them over to a wildlife rehabilitator that can legally care for them. Which is the same thing you should do if you find an injured deer or any other wildlife.

 

[JJRS]

I found 3 goose eggs which I think are from a Canadian goose,..is it illegal to hatch the eggs?

Why would you ask for advice if you intend to disregard it anyway?

 

[ILuvMyFlock]

Why would you ask for advice if you intend to disregard it anyway?

He technically didn't ask for advice, he just merely asked if it was illegal or not to hatch the goose eggs. He was told it is, and he decided to put them in the incubator which he has every right to do. I would have done the same. Just like if I had found another wild animal hurt, law or no law I would do what I gotta do. I think the law is silly. They don't want anyone taking in a wild animal claiming they're protecting the species yet in reality they're denying the species any chance for help. They tell people to contact someone so they can take the animal and you know what they do right? they typically put them down... they'd rather see the animal / eggs die than someone hatch the eggs successfully / rehabilitate the animal, it's a tad ridiculous. Then again the whole system is ridiculous with all of the silly rules and regulations.

 

[ILuvMyFlock]

I put them in with my duck eggs so everything is about the same except a little more humidity late in the process?

Yea duck / geese tend to need more humidity it seems, I put water in my incubator and I mist the eggs daily in case.

 

[SouthernPride]

Yes, it is illegal but that is how I got involved in Wildlife Rehabilitation. I would not pinion or cage them when grown, that would be a really big NoNo.

There are two kinds of Canada Geese in the US, migrating and residential. What you have is residential and they will not migrate. The geese we see here year round are residential.

How rehabbers do their job will vary on the species and their state. Here is MS we do not destroy the eggs if given to us. We would hatch, raise and release. I've been very successful in raising them. Some stick around 6-9 months, some a year or more. Once they can fly, I let them decide how captive they want to be. In other words, some come back to be locked up at night, some don't. If you are in an area where there a lot of geese, it won't take them long before they answer the call of the wild.

I think it's a bit harsh to think rehabbers will but down all wildlife. That is the complete opposite of what we do.

 

[JJRS]

Quote:
Sooo, laws are silly and ridiculous. Got it.