- Jul 30, 2013
- 7
- 2
- 45
View attachment 1386999 Hi! I have some questions about goose "natural childbirth".
I have one young (first year laying) Toulouse/Chinese mix named Ducky. She was/is visciously protective off her eggs so early-on we decided to allow her to manage her eggs in her coop. Honestly, we didn't think any would hatch so were stunned when 3 hatched yesterday. They are healthy and she's allowed us to check them, give sips of water and we return them to her afterwards and they snuggle under her. The gander (also her dad or maybe her uncle) is Chinese, kind and protective of her and the babies though a bit clutzy so at a safe distance. She still will not let us near the remaining eggs without creating havoc so we're unable to candle them. Can anyone suggest how long to allow her to continue sitting on them?
Our Toulouse, Ducky's mom, is also fiercly defensive of her egg s as well. None have hatched but this morning while hissing at me one of the eggs exploded! It looked like a hard boiled egg inside. My daughter and I managed to lift Lucy out so I could clean up. She has five remaining eggs. Three feel heavy and two lightweight, all feel warm. Possible hers may hatch? I don't want to distress her further by moving her again to candle the eggs.
Once the goslings are old enough to go into the pen, will we need to keep our other gander and Lucy away from them? When Ducky was young (incubator) both she and her gander mate were not nice to Ducky. It took months to get them to accept her. Ducky's mate was fine from the beginning.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
I have one young (first year laying) Toulouse/Chinese mix named Ducky. She was/is visciously protective off her eggs so early-on we decided to allow her to manage her eggs in her coop. Honestly, we didn't think any would hatch so were stunned when 3 hatched yesterday. They are healthy and she's allowed us to check them, give sips of water and we return them to her afterwards and they snuggle under her. The gander (also her dad or maybe her uncle) is Chinese, kind and protective of her and the babies though a bit clutzy so at a safe distance. She still will not let us near the remaining eggs without creating havoc so we're unable to candle them. Can anyone suggest how long to allow her to continue sitting on them?
Our Toulouse, Ducky's mom, is also fiercly defensive of her egg s as well. None have hatched but this morning while hissing at me one of the eggs exploded! It looked like a hard boiled egg inside. My daughter and I managed to lift Lucy out so I could clean up. She has five remaining eggs. Three feel heavy and two lightweight, all feel warm. Possible hers may hatch? I don't want to distress her further by moving her again to candle the eggs.
Once the goslings are old enough to go into the pen, will we need to keep our other gander and Lucy away from them? When Ducky was young (incubator) both she and her gander mate were not nice to Ducky. It took months to get them to accept her. Ducky's mate was fine from the beginning.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
