White chinese goose doesn't lay eggs

[skagithoneybee]

Hello! I am wondering why my 2 year old white Chinese goose has never laid an egg.

I have 2 geese and 1 gander, they are all the same age and I am absolutely positive of their sex.

One of the geese started laying when she was 7 months old (January 2022) and started laying again this season on March 15th. She has laid very consistently since then. The other goose has never laid.

Everything I've read led me to believe 1 gander to 2 geese was a good ratio. Is it possible she needs a gander of her own? However, even if he wasn't mating with her, shouldn't she just lay the (unfertilized) eggs anyway?

I am lost! I'd appreciate any insight or advice.

Thanks!!

 

[nuthatched]

What's her diet? Could she have a hidden nest?

 

[skagithoneybee]

What's her diet? Could she have a hidden nest?

They eat MannaPro Duck & Goose layer pellets (I attached a photo of the bag). There isn't anywhere that she could be hiding her eggs in their enclosure, but I do check often in case she's sneaky. I am stumped!

 

[Goosebaby]

Could she be laying in the same nest as the other? Geese often lay in communal nests.

 

[skagithoneybee]

Could she be laying in the same nest as the other? Geese often lay in communal nests.

This is exactly the possibility I've come up with but couldn't find any information on whether they lay in the same nest. Thank you soo much for bringing that up! I get an egg everyday, is that common for geese to lay each day or is it possible they alternate days they lay?

 

[Goosebaby]

This is exactly the possibility I've come up with but couldn't find any information on whether they lay in the same nest. Thank you soo much for bringing that up! I get an egg everyday, is that common for geese to lay each day or is it possible they alternate days they lay?

I have gotten an egg a day briefly but that was abnormal, usually it is every other day.

 

[skagithoneybee]

I have gotten an egg a day briefly but that was abnormal, usually it is every other day.

Okay, I think you may have solved the mystery then! They must share the nest, and just happen to lay on opposite days (which is why I have an egg to collect each day). I appreciate your help! Do you currently or have you raised Chinese geese? I've read they rarely go broody but I'm wondering if that's accurate from someone with experience raising them.

 

[Goosebaby]

Okay, I think you may have solved the mystery then! They must share the nest, and just happen to lay on opposite days (which is why I have an egg to collect each day). I appreciate your help! Do you currently or have you raised Chinese geese? I've read they rarely go broody but I'm wondering if that's accurate from someone with experience raising them.

I have no chinese unfortunatly, though you might try asking the community in another post, there are lots of Chinese owners here.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I raised Chinese geese for a few years, but now raise a different breed. I had just one goose (and two ganders ). I took her eggs away daily, so she didn't go broody, but that's probably not a good indicator of what you can expect from the breed, in general.

 

[JanR1]

Okay, I think you may have solved the mystery then! They must share the nest, and just happen to lay on opposite days (which is why I have an egg to collect each day). I appreciate your help! Do you currently or have you raised Chinese geese? I've read they rarely go broody but I'm wondering if that's accurate from someone with experience raising them.

I'm pretty sure that is what is happening. I have the same ratio of geese that you have but my females are African. I don't know how they manage the laying cycle but I get an egg a day and I know they only lay every other day. I know which one has laid that day because one covers the nest up and the other one leaves it open. It was the same last year. The one that covers the nest is the one with maternal instincts. Apparently the other is just satisfied laying her egg and going away. We're trying to see if we get any hatched this year but I'm not sure the eggs are being sat on long enough to start the process.