Topic of the Week - Managing Brooding Geese

[poultry person]

Do Embden geese..... lay eggs well, are they calm?

I haven't gotten any eggs from mine yet so I'm sure, they're pretty calm as long as you don't make them angry but if you are looking for geese I suggest Sebastopol geese, they will protect your chickens!:

 

[Rondack]

Yes, but they are expensive.....

 

[Iain Utah]

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This week I would like to hear how you all handle and manage broody geese. Specifically:

- What do you do when you have a broody goose and what are the signs that she is broody?
- Housing and feeding for brooding geese and new families.
- Do you separate new mothers and goslings, or let them raise their young with the flock?
- At what age do mothers wean their young?

Anything you'd like to add.

I make sure my goose is in area that is protected, both from elements and other geese, and either relocate, add shelter or even temporary fence if necessary. Depending on goose, I offer food and water nearby. I often offer hay/straw for extra bedding.

Signs are usually building up nest with feathers (note the loss of chest feathers on both goose and gander) and hanging around nest in colder weather, but sometimes they go broody without much warning.

Feeding is normal grain mix of mazuri, whole corn and flockraiser. Offer eggshells or oyster shell.

I do not separate goslings from parents. If I hatch goslings in bator, I try to get a goose pair to adopt and raise babies for me. Depending on goose/gander, I will use temp fences to protect family from other geese.

Most offspring stay with parents until the following spring, but some parents lose their over-protectiveness when offspring are only 6 months.

Geese are extremely individual (like human females) when it comes to desire to brood and/or raise babies. I have geese that act like laying is a chore and could care less about a nest, much less sitting. I have geese that will brood on a rock for months. Then there's everything in between the two extremes.

 

[hereorthere]

I do not separate goslings from parents. If I hatch goslings in bator, I try to get a goose pair to adopt and raise babies for me. Depending on goose/gander, I will use temp fences to protect family from other geese.

How do you work on the adoption? Prep the goose with fake eggs? Slip goslings in at dark of night? Just curious....thanks!

 

[Iain Utah]

It depends on the situation. I've been able to slip babies with broodies that are overdue, just given up sitting, or just hatched babies. Other times, I set up small brooder inside pen with geese. I've even brought a goose into house into a pen with goslings to force adoption. As soon as I see goose act protective, I free them into group. It usually does not take more than a couple of days to make the transition.

 

[hereorthere]

It depends on the situation. I've been able to slip babies with broodies that are overdue, just given up sitting, or just hatched babies. Other times, I set up small brooder inside pen with geese. I've even brought a goose into house into a pen with goslings to force adoption. As soon as I see goose act protective, I free them into group. It usually does not take more than a couple of days to make the transition.

A couple days!?! How nerve racking! I'd worry that if the babies weren't accepted by the next morning, I'd be looking at a dead/injured baby waterfowl before the 2nd night, but I'm thinking chicken mamas and not goose mamas so I may be comparing apples to oranges. But it seems like what you've tried was successful, especially if you were ready to toss a pen within your house for closer monitoring.

 

[Iain Utah]

It can test patience, but I know my geese well and have a lot of faith in certain girls. I do not leave babies outside unless weather is warm enough, which is why it is sometimes easier to bring goose inside to the babies where they have pen with heat lamp.

It is not always successful, but it usually works. Timing is key.

 

[Mayfiel511]

I have 3 male and 7 females in our Embden and Touluse flock. Organic grain when pasture is not enough but otherwise they jusy get grass. We have 1 very broody embden goose that stays on her nest, and at least two others, 1 Toulouse and 1 other Embden, that sit often on 3 of the 4 nests in their coop. The other females would force her up by pulling at her then lay and/or sit themselves. So with the two nests they created and I created two more and separated eggs into them because the one that was most broody couldn't cover all the eggs the girls kept laying. I have since found 2 goose and 1 chicken eggs kicked into the middle of new coop but 3 of the 4 nests are being used I think. I have to bring food and water to the most broody gal and stand guard to keep the others from eating her food because I'm not sure that she is getting off the best much at allall. She hisses and bites me and calls for the others if i get too close but after a few mins. They realize that I protecting her while she eats and the settle down and just stand next to me until I leave then go after her food, though she tries to fend them off from her food while still on the nest. We likely have about 30-40 eggs in the 4 nests. 2 of the genders have already been badly hurt by the male Toulouse and have to be separated out at night, when possible their mates stay with them. I'm still trying to work out hot to get the genders to get along. I cannot have 3 goose coops, and the 2 isolated genders cannot go together. I'm sooo hoping we to get goslings this year. They are all under 1yr old. Oh the DRAMA of mating season! LOL

 

[Miss Lydia]

You got that right! I’ve only had to deal with 4 at one time and only 2 now. But I can tell ya you need to get your most broody up an off the nest so she can use her legs and eat an bathe( humidity) wear heavy clothing an gloves if you have to and close the door so the others can’t get inside if your worried about that. But she needs to get up walk around eat an poop and bathe.

 

[Mayfiel511]

You got that right! I’ve only had to deal with 4 at one time and only 2 now. But I can tell ya you need to get your most broody up an off the nest so she can use her legs and eat an bathe( humidity) wear heavy clothing an gloves if you have to and close the door so the others can’t get inside if your worried about that. But she needs to get up walk around eat an poop and bathe.

Thank you!