3 nests, 1 goose

[Sheepheart]

So I discussed this briefly on my first hatch a long thread. But since that ended I now have three goose nests with multiple eggs in the one dogloo. There is always one goose trying to warm most of them, so I havnt been able to get an egg count every day. Today one of my nicer broody geese has charge of the eggs so I got to look inside and I can now see there are three nests going. I suspected this before because most of the time at night there will be three geese inside. They do have a second nesting “box” which they laid in when I gave it to them but stoped after one night.

im going to try and candle the eggs and see if any are developing, I’m hoping so but doubtful. Seven geese and one gander. I’m also going to be removing some, ones that arnt good for hatching like doubles and torpedos, and probably some that are really dirty.

here are some pictures

 

[sourland]

Hopefully some are viable. What you see in the pictures is what frequently happens with multiple geese laying in the same area. Eggs are scattered and not evenly incubated resulting in very low viability. If you really want goslings, you may want to collect eggs as they are laid - when you have the desired amount use an incubator. Good luck.

 

[Sheepheart]

Hopefully some are viable. What you see in the pictures is what frequently happens with multiple geese laying in the same area. Eggs are scattered and not evenly incubated resulting in very low viability. If you really want goslings, you may want to collect eggs as they are laid - when you have the desired amount use an incubator. Good luck.

Yea, I had a full incubator and none of them hatched, a few went bad and one got dark and cloudy, so far doesn’t look like any have been consistently laid on to start, found a few that the shells are cracked but the membrane isn’t ruptured, one that’s bad and one that’s dark and cloudy. And probably half a dozen, maybe more torpedos. Still have to check the ones she’s sitting on. But I feel like they are going to be the same, that third nest usually doesn’t have anyone on it during the day.

I had started letting them set when one girl went broody, which was a few days after I filled the incubator. Now i have at least three girls that are being a little broody, taking turns with the eggs. And the gander does seem to be like these are my geese, as he comes to check on them once or twice a day. Currently he is watching me check eggs from a safe distance.

 

[sourland]

Good luck. Hopefully some are viable. Do they have access to swimming water? This facilitates breeding.

 

[Sheepheart]

Wow, got to watch the goose lay an egg. Quite remarkable! I now see how some eggs get broken when laid if there isn’t a well cushioned nest.

 

[Sheepheart]

Good luck. Hopefully some are viable. Do they have access to swimming water? This facilitates breeding.

Thank you. I have five pools around the property for them. I do see them breeding, I think right now the favorite of the gander is a late layer, so hopefully I have some better luck when she starts.

 

[Angel07]

I had 2 ducks sitting on the same nest and while one was sitting the other would wander around with the rest. But none of the eggs hatched because they weren’t sitting on them properly and half of them would be left out then the other half when they swapped.

Hopefully your geese hatch.

Be careful with the old boy because he can get really grumpy if you upset the girls or the nest.

 

[Sheepheart]

18 torpedos
49 regular
And from all of the 67 eggs three were cracked and two were bad.

they had been laying for about six or seven weeks,
On a few occasions I had removed doubles or torpedos that I could see and I know that they had broken a few and probably ate most of the yolk and shell.

 

[Sheepheart]

I had 2 ducks sitting on the same nest and while one was sitting the other would wander around with the rest. But none of the eggs hatched because they weren’t sitting on them properly and half of them would be left out then the other half when they swapped.

Hopefully your geese hatch.

Be careful with the old boy because he can get really grumpy if you upset the girls or the nest.

Ya, he went and gathered up the rest of the girls and now they are all staring at me, well all but one who is starting to build a nest.