American(Buff, Blue, Lavander,etc.)goose thread! Post pics!

[flockman]

My blues I think are done laying she laid a total of 7 eggs. Do to the weather I pulled them . My question is will she lay more this season? this was her first clutch she is young. This week like tomorrow we are in for some bad weather buy next week I think it will start warming up. Will she lay all of her eggs then sit on them? I want her to do the incubation if not I will get a incubator has any buddy heard of the little giant brand. TSC has them Thanks.

She will likely lay more.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My lil Buff just turned 9 months old on the 1st and she laid her first egg today.

Missy is working on her 3rd today as I type.

 

[flockman]

My lil Buff just turned 9 months old on the 1st and she laid her first egg today.

Missy is working on her 3rd today as I type.

Congratulations!

 

[Mi Ranchito]

My Am Buff laid her first egg today! A little muddy, but there it was in her nest. She is 9 months old. I am going to wait until next year before having her hatch goslings. No sense in having teen parents on the farm, lol!! Anyway, I love eating duck eggs and am looking forward to eating goose eggs!

 

[buff goose guy]

the yolks are gigantic, everytime i check to see if an egg is fertil, im so amazedat how big the yolk is and how much egg white is in the egg as well.

 

[mightymax]

Just a quick update...
Gus' mystery 'lump' on the side of his face has all but disappeared

but Gabi has yet to lay her first egg and I'm wondering when it is that I should begin to worry

.
Does anyone know if it's normal for a goose's appetite to increase before she begins to lay? Gabi's feed consumption has gone up in the last month or so. I wouldn't call it a dramatic increase, but I'd probably call it a substantial.one. Is that considered 'normal' since she'll be expending more nutrients and energy once she starts to lay, or should I look for other reasons. I mean, it's not like she's too fat or stands around and eats all day. In fact, within the last 5 or 6 weeks she's actually grown closer to me than she ever has been before and will even let me stroke her wings as she eats snacks from my hand, something that Gus has always allowed me to do, but she never did...until now. I wonder if it's a nurturing mother thing because now she 'talks' more to me and follows me all over the yard, watching what I'm doing with what appears to be great interest and basically just makes whatever it is I'm doing into the top priority for her to be doing at that very moment also...lol !!! Whereas Gus is now the more standoffish one who likes to hang back a little and get a feel for what's going on around him and his goose before he makes any attempt to be friendly, which is so not like he used to be.around me or my partner. But right now, he dislikes my partner sooo much that when she does dare to venture into 'his' inner sanctum (which he believes to be our entire property...lol !!!) he'll fluff his feathers up and shake them all out to make himself look bigger, then he'll lower his head and neck until they're parallel to the ground and start charging at her, all the while letting out this hissssss that could melt ice...in Antarctica !!! I tell her not to run, to stand her ground and make him be the one to back off, but of course, she doesn't listen to me. Why should she? I'm only out there with them everyday (that's 365 mornings and late afternoons a year) for hours on end. Feeding them, Watering them, talking and playing with them, grooming them and even medicating them if the situation requires it, but hey...you go ahead and run my dear, because, what do I know...lol !!!

@buff goose guy ...I haven't heard anything about the outcome of Tiny's surgery and was wondering how she was getting along. I assume they probably had to wire her beak shut somehow in order for it to heal properly, but then again, IDK. Any word or even pictures, perhaps? I think about her every morning when I do my first round of feeding for the day and I wish her well and hope that she enjoys a speedy recovery !!!

@Miss Lydia ...When am I going to get my first egg, gosh darn it...lol !!! I'm seriously losing what little patience I was born with and there are no more reserves to borrow from, so Gabi better get to a laying and stop all of her playing, cuz Easter's right around the corner ya know...and I'm not threatening...I'm just saying !!!

-kim-

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just a quick update...
Gus' mystery 'lump' on the side of his face has all but disappeared

but Gabi has yet to lay her first egg and I'm wondering when it is that I should begin to worry

.
Does anyone know if it's normal for a goose's appetite to increase before she begins to lay? Gabi's feed consumption has gone up in the last month or so. I wouldn't call it a dramatic increase, but I'd probably call it a substantial.one. Is that considered 'normal' since she'll be expending more nutrients and energy once she starts to lay, or should I look for other reasons. I mean, it's not like she's too fat or stands around and eats all day. In fact, within the last 5 or 6 weeks she's actually grown closer to me than she ever has been before and will even let me stroke her wings as she eats snacks from my hand, something that Gus has always allowed me to do, but she never did...until now. I wonder if it's a nurturing mother thing because now she 'talks' more to me and follows me all over the yard, watching what I'm doing with what appears to be great interest and basically just makes whatever it is I'm doing into the top priority for her to be doing at that very moment also...lol !!! Whereas Gus is now the more standoffish one who likes to hang back a little and get a feel for what's going on around him and his goose before he makes any attempt to be friendly, which is so not like he used to be.around me or my partner. But right now, he dislikes my partner sooo much that when she does dare to venture into 'his' inner sanctum (which he believes to be our entire property...lol !!!) he'll fluff his feathers up and shake them all out to make himself look bigger, then he'll lower his head and neck until they're parallel to the ground and start charging at her, all the while letting out this hissssss that could melt ice...in Antarctica !!! I tell her not to run, to stand her ground and make him be the one to back off, but of course, she doesn't listen to me. Why should she? I'm only out there with them everyday (that's 365 mornings and late afternoons a year) for hours on end. Feeding them, Watering them, talking and playing with them, grooming them and even medicating them if the situation requires it, but hey...you go ahead and run my dear, because, what do I know...lol !!!

@buff goose guy ...I haven't heard anything about the outcome of Tiny's surgery and was wondering how she was getting along. I assume they probably had to wire her beak shut somehow in order for it to heal properly, but then again, IDK. Any word or even pictures, perhaps? I think about her every morning when I do my first round of feeding for the day and I wish her well and hope that she enjoys a speedy recovery !!!

@Miss Lydia ...When am I going to get my first egg, gosh darn it...lol !!! I'm seriously losing what little patience I was born with and there are no more reserves to borrow from, so Gabi better get to a laying and stop all of her playing, cuz Easter's right around the corner ya know...and I'm not threatening...I'm just saying !!!

-kim-

Kim how old are your geese? Missy and Toots laid at around 9 months old I'm sure some geese have laid earlier than that and some later just have to be patient. I know not easy to do. And I think yes they do start to eat more I noticed it with mine Missy has even put on some weight which she has always been on the slender side. So all these are signs eggs are on the way. Try getting your partner to use a long pole like a mop handle or broom handle can still have the broom part attached when Gus starts after her she can put the broom out to stop him. Get his attention off of her. Of course don't leave her out there on her own she needs moral support when dealing with a gander this time of year.

Awesome news about Gus, makes me wonder if it wasn't some kind of bite. Just happy to hear what ever it was it's gone!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Am Buff laid her first egg today! A little muddy, but there it was in her nest. She is 9 months old. I am going to wait until next year before having her hatch goslings. No sense in having teen parents on the farm, lol!! Anyway, I love eating duck eggs and am looking forward to eating goose eggs!

They make awesome omelets. and the other day I used one to make brownies it called for 2 large eggs so I used my gooses first egg which was just a little larger than 2 extra large chicken eggs. turned out great.

 

[mightymax]

@Miss Lydia ...
...Thanks for the the words of eggcouragement...lol !!! Patience is most definitely not one of my stronger suits. Both my geese will turn a year old this coming May 5th (cinco de Mayo babies, although neither one speaks a lick of Spanish

!!!). Good idea about the broom. Should be easy to accomplish since my partner's been known to occasionally use one for transportation...LOL !!! And leaving her alone with Gus isn't even close to being an option because as soon as he see's her, he let's out a SCREAM that I'm certain has caused entire portions of the population to go deaf !!! So there's really no chance, with the way our property is set up, that she could inadvertently wander into their pen and fall prey to his 'romantic', albeit rather barbaric, inclinations...

I'm trying to teach her (my partner that is), to stand her ground and then with a stern and decisive voice, say "GUS NO !!!" when he starts in on her, because both of my geese already know what the 'NO' word means. The only issue is getting Sindee to say it like she means it. I've recently added another term to their 'vocabulary', and that's 'LEAVE IT'. I use it after 'NO' if they continue to be infatuated with whatever it was that I told them 'NO about in the first place. They're supposed to just continue on along their merry way after I say that... They're catching on...Sort of...Well,I think they are...IDK. But you know how geese are...if there's any little thing 'different', or 'out of place' in 'their' yard, they'll not just notice it...Noooo. That's not good enough for them. First they'll have to freeze in mid stride and stand poised at attention. Then they'll have to honk at it and stare menacingly at it with one eye while keeping the other eye focused on the sky, scanning for a potential assault by air, then they'll poke and prod at it and then finally, when all other methods of identification have either failed or been used up, they'll do the inevitable...they'll put it in their mouth and try to figure out what it is tactally !!! And as hypervigilent and OCD as I am about (well, just about everything), but anyway, about leaving anything out that they could possibly get in to, it can, and occasionally does, happen. So I've instigated the 'LEAVE IT' term to help deal with the times that they put something in their mouths that I don't want them to have. It also works well to steer them away from tasting your potted plants. They just a keep on a movin' !!! Speaking of moving, it's good to hear that Gabi won't need to be taking up aerobics or attending any Overeater's Anonymous meetings in the foreseeable future, and that for all intents and purposes, eggs should be on the way very soon! On a final note, I, too, think that Gus' lump was either...
a) caused by a fairly innocuous spider or bug biting him. OR
b) the end result of one too many tasty bumblebee snacks (the bees finally got wise to him !!!)
Either way, it's all cleared up now, so mystery solved !!!

-kim-

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Miss Lydia ...
...Thanks for the the words of eggcouragement...lol !!! Patience is most definitely not one of my stronger suits. Both my geese will turn a year old this coming May 5th (cinco de Mayo babies, although neither one speaks a lick of Spanish

!!!). Good idea about the broom. Should be easy to accomplish since my partner's been known to occasionally use one for transportation...LOL !!! And leaving her alone with Gus isn't even close to being an option because as soon as he see's her, he let's out a SCREAM that I'm certain has caused entire portions of the population to go deaf !!! So there's really no chance, with the way our property is set up, that she could inadvertently wander into their pen and fall prey to his 'romantic', albeit rather barbaric, inclinations...

I'm trying to teach her (my partner that is), to stand her ground and then with a stern and decisive voice, say "GUS NO !!!" when he starts in on her, because both of my geese already know what the 'NO' word means. The only issue is getting Sindee to say it like she means it. I've recently added another term to their 'vocabulary', and that's 'LEAVE IT'. I use it after 'NO' if they continue to be infatuated with whatever it was that I told them 'NO about in the first place. They're supposed to just continue on along their merry way after I say that... They're catching on...Sort of...Well,I think they are...IDK. But you know how geese are...if there's any little thing 'different', or 'out of place' in 'their' yard, they'll not just notice it...Noooo. That's not good enough for them. First they'll have to freeze in mid stride and stand poised at attention. Then they'll have to honk at it and stare menacingly at it with one eye while keeping the other eye focused on the sky, scanning for a potential assault by air, then they'll poke and prod at it and then finally, when all other methods of identification have either failed or been used up, they'll do the inevitable...they'll put it in their mouth and try to figure out what it is tactally !!! And as hypervigilent and OCD as I am about (well, just about everything), but anyway, about leaving anything out that they could possibly get in to, it can, and occasionally does, happen. So I've instigated the 'LEAVE IT' term to help deal with the times that they put something in their mouths that I don't want them to have. It also works well to steer them away from tasting your potted plants. They just a keep on a movin' !!! Speaking of moving, it's good to hear that Gabi won't need to be taking up aerobics or attending any Overeater's Anonymous meetings in the foreseeable future, and that for all intents and purposes, eggs should be on the way very soon! On a final note, I, too, think that Gus' lump was either...
a) caused by a fairly innocuous spider or bug biting him. OR
b) the end result of one too many tasty bumblebee snacks (the bees finally got wise to him !!!)
Either way, it's all cleared up now, so mystery solved !!!

-kim-

You should be a writer I enjoy your posts so much. I have taught my gander the word no also. I have to say it loud though right before he bites me. Which gets him time out on the ground on his belly.