Toulouse Geese Thread

[Miss Lydia]

My Toulouse goose was setting on 7 eggs for the past 3 weeks and I noticed her out and about for a long time today so I went to check her nest and only see 3 eggs!!?? Any idea what could have happened?? Did I read on here that they bury the eggs? I'm afraid she has just quit setting in them for some reason. I also have hens who lay every day so not sure how her eggs would have disappeared. She had them in another coop all by herself and her gander is always on patrol. We would have definitely have heard about it if anything out of the ordinary had happened. It is really puzzling me and also why she would stop setting in the three that are still there?? I was going to candlenthem this weekend to see if they were viable

@atmaclean you need to get in there and go down into the bedding yes they do cover them. I have no idea where the other 4 could be if they aren't down in the bedding unless a predator slipped in and took them [Rats] for one.

Has she been off her nest all day or just long enough to eat and bath? Candling would be a good idea too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well latest update

One nice shelled egg , one squashed egg, one no shell egg. I think the squashed egg was real thin. I should have pulled them last evening but she was wanting on the nest so I waited until this morning.
So because of the squished eggs I totally removed the nest material , managed to get frozen bedding that was around the water bucket and shook out the rest of the bedding . Guess I'll see if I've upset everyone beyond repair .
They didn't look good this morning but the greens were gone and most of the pellets so I know they're eating. I can see weight loss in the one goose . They both got into the fresh pool and were preening.
Wish this wasn't so hard for them . I feel bad.

@equustears I really don't think they will be upset with you for long. When my goose lays I take most of her eggs she just kept on laying every other day like normal.
I'd like to encourage you to pick up some Calcium citrate most pharmacies probable carry it. And put it into their drinking water. I bought it in capsule form and just open them up and put into their drinking bucket. I don't have the bottle in here it's in my feed room so if you decide to get some I can tell you tomorrow what dose to give them.

What do you mean they didn't look good this morning?

 

[atmaclean]

@atmaclean
   you need to get in there and go down into the bedding yes they do cover them.  I have no idea where the other 4 could be if they aren't down in the bedding unless a predator slipped in and took them [Rats] for one.

Has she been off her nest all day or just long enough to eat and bath?  Candling would be a good idea too.

Yes she has been off most of the day. Usually she just gets off to eat and swim quickly and goes right back to her nest We have sand in floors of all our runs/coops but I had put some shavings in there for her. The visible eggs were pretty cool when I checked them. I doubt a wild predator got in. Our maremma and Aussie are pretty protective - killed a big coyote a few weeks ago and skunks,etc a lot. We shut the geese up in the coop at night but they free range all day. After reading about a pup getting the eggs on here, I'm gonna keep an eye on our Aussie.....A couple years ago I remember seeing her with an egg one day.....

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes she has been off most of the day. Usually she just gets off to eat and swim quickly and goes right back to her nest We have sand in floors of all our runs/coops but I had put some shavings in there for her. The visible eggs were pretty cool when I checked them. I doubt a wild predator got in. Our maremma and Aussie are pretty protective - killed a big coyote a few weeks ago and skunks,etc a lot. We shut the geese up in the coop at night but they free range all day. After reading about a pup getting the eggs on here, I'm gonna keep an eye on our Aussie.....A couple years ago I remember seeing her with an egg one day.....

That maybe your pred then. I know my dogs would be scarfing up eggs if they could get to them. Might have upset your goose enough to keep her off the nest too.

 

[equustears]

Miss Lydia
They looked wet !! Their coop is dry but they looked wet. Their feathers were a mess. Maybe they had been playing in the bucket of water but they didn't look like the geese that went into the coop the night before.
They are still eating and vocal. Just don't look right to me , can't put my finger on why they look like this

 

[atmaclean]

That maybe your pred then.  I know my dogs would be scarfing up eggs if they could get to them.  Might have upset your goose enough to keep her off the nest too.

True! She adores the dogs and before I got her a gander friend, she slept with the dogs and followed them around. She is especially fond of our maremma! I hate that I have lost those eggs though. I wonder if I could still incubate them or if they are a lost cause now.....

 

[Miss Lydia]

True! She adores the dogs and before I got her a gander friend, she slept with the dogs and followed them around. She is especially fond of our maremma! I hate that I have lost those eggs though. I wonder if I could still incubate them or if they are a lost cause now.....

Depends on your temps if they have been uncovered for 12-24 hrs. They maybe gone. Candle and see if you see any movement.

@atmaclean

 

[equustears]

Miss Lydia
Attached are pictures of the geese before and now .
Feathers are not neat and in place. I just watched them in the pool together. They hook necks , and bite each other's feet under the water, not nice biting either , their toes on the outside if their feet are getting sore .
No one was climbing on each other but the onegoose was rubbing its head on the others back.
Now I would think this was courting but the goose that was doing the rubbing was the one that was on the nest when I opened the house this morning .
Oh and I had a nice pretty white egg buried in the nest

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[Miss Lydia]

Miss Lydia
Attached are pictures of the geese before and now .
Feathers are not neat and in place. I just watched them in the pool together. They hook necks , and bite each other's feet under the water, not nice biting either , their toes on the outside if their feet are getting sore .
No one was climbing on each other but the onegoose was rubbing its head on the others back.
Now I would think this was courting but the goose that was doing the rubbing was the one that was on the nest when I opened the house this morning .
Oh and I had a nice pretty white egg buried in the nest

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@equustears I would think if you had a gander in those 2 you'd be seeing some serious mating going on. Congrats on the perfect egg today. When my female wants to mate she is the one that initiates the mating by biting on Sam etc. So I'm thinking you maybe seeing a frustrated goose.

Look between both their legs do they look the same is there a pouch hanging and is it the same on both geese?

Let me know if you find an egg tomorrow.

 

[equustears]

Miss Lydia
No egg this morning