2016 Gosling Hatch-a-long

[servpolice]

Getting ready to set some eggs in the bator. Going to steal some eggs from my girls nests. Set some duck eggs too. Not sure what I'll get from the ducks. I just took in a flock of 20 ducks that were headed to an auction. Mostly Pekin, some of the females are crested, other ducks are brown and black.

It's always a fun surprise in the end of what you get from mixes!

 

[8GeeseALaying]

It's always a fun surprise in the end of what you get from mixes!

Yes! Plus I have some people wanting ducklings so I can pick and choose. I plan to rehome some of the drakes to keep all the females safe. This new total brings my flock to 30 with 12 drakes, which is too many.

 

[8GeeseALaying]

You have to be as persistent as they are, I am not letting my geese hatch this year and I didn't last year. I only have 4 and I love them dearly but I don't want any more geese no matter how cute they are when goslings. I have a very hard time letting go once something hatches here.

Hello Miss L!! How are you!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hello Miss L!! How are you!!

Hi 8, doing well how about you and your lil one? not so little anymore I bet.

 

[8GeeseALaying]

Hi 8, doing well how about you and your lil one? not so little anymore I bet.

We are good. She's 15 months now. Running around the yard, riding the donkey and calling for chickens is her daily routine now

 

[Miss Lydia]

We are good. She's 15 months now. Running around the yard, riding the donkey and calling for chickens is her daily routine now

A little farm girl, that is the best kind. I'm sure she is mommy's helper.

 

[Iain Utah]

I ask this question a lot, but what do you all do with your babies once they're hatched? Meaning, do you keep them, sell them or give them away? I'm up to 10 geese now (from 3) and 50+ chickens! My ducks relocated themselves to the next-door-neighbor's about 4 years ago because she has a better pond, but they still come here daily for extra food. I've retired my incubator and have to snatch eggs away from the broody hens and geese, which makes me feel like a criminal. I broke down and bought 6 chicks last night to put under 3 persistently broody banty-X hens; two hens freaked out and the third gratefully adopted all the babies. Roosters are another issue altogether, as I have 10 of those. I've sold chicks and goslings from unintentional hatches in the past and really don't want to put myself or the birds through that trauma again, but some of these ladies are determined to be moms! The really ironic thing is that the minute I decide I'm going to pare down on the birds one of the elusive hens shows up with a dozen little furballs!

It is hard for me to part with geese, so I do my best to take eggs away. I sell eggs for hatching from my best quality geese and use the rest for eating or recycling back to the birds. As hard as it may be, I will toss developing embryos if I discover a goose has managed to start cooking some eggs. Despite my efforts, they still manage to hatch 1-4 babies each year, so I either re-home them or absorb them into my already large gaggle. I have not used my bator the last two years since I have been at full capacity with 3 dozen geese. Since I lost a couple prize geese last year, I'm excited to allow myself to hatch a few this year.

As for my ducks and chickens, they are easier to take eggs away from before they go broody, but my muscovy ducks are champs are setting where I cannot get to them and so they manage to hatch a bunch every year. Luckily, it is super easy to find homes for them.

 

[8GeeseALaying]

A little farm girl, that is the best kind. I'm sure she is mommy's helper.

Oh yea. She tries, mostly she's my second shadow

 

[8GeeseALaying]

I ask this question a lot, but what do you all do with your babies once they're hatched?  Meaning, do you keep them, sell them or give them away?  I'm up to 10 geese now (from 3) and 50+ chickens!  My ducks relocated themselves to the next-door-neighbor's about 4 years ago because she has a better pond, but they still come here daily for extra food.  I've retired my incubator and have to snatch eggs away from the broody hens and geese, which makes me feel like a criminal.  I broke down and bought 6 chicks last night to put under 3 persistently broody banty-X hens; two hens freaked out and the third gratefully adopted all the babies.  Roosters are another issue altogether, as I have 10 of those.  I've sold chicks and goslings from unintentional hatches in the past and really don't want to put myself or the birds through that trauma again, but some of these ladies are determined to be moms!  The really ironic thing is that the minute I decide I'm going to pare down on the birds one of the elusive hens shows up with a dozen little furballs! 

If it were me, I would get rid of all the roosters, ganders, drakes, whatever. Then no babies, no worries. Thankfully I live in an area where I have no trouble rehoming any of the them and I can keep a large number if I want. It's hard for me to rehome them but I only let them go to people who can prove they have farms. I also Never let any babies be sold near Easter.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh yea. She tries, mostly she's my second shadow