Anybody else having an odd breeding season with their geese?

[Cottage Rose]

Nope...no supplemental light

 

[pips&peeps]

My first batch of eggs was pretty fertile for being the first ones laid, they are due this weekend. I had 12 out of 16 or 18 develop.

My second batch was poor. I only had two out of around 22 develop.

I just sat my third batch of 12 eggs and won't be candling until next week.

My oldest female just started to lay and all my younger gals are finished. I have one setting on a clutch of 6 pet quality eggs and I'm just going to let her be and see what happens. I probably won't put any eggs under another gal that has gone broody since the only eggs I am getting now are far to valuable to risk. Maybe she can have a baby out of my second batch when they hatch in a couple weeks.

 

[ironjerry]

I have three White Chinese, 1 male, and 2 female. I am in Ohio about 50 miles from Cleveland. Mild weather in December and my geese started laying for about 3weeks then nothing January and the first 2weeks in February. I also noted not much breeding in their daily frolic in the stream. I have now been getting eggs since mid Feb. and I do see some breeding. Put 19 in the incubator about ten days ago and will candle today or tomorrow as actual breeding has been less than last season. My geese are loose in the barn and walk the property daily. Last year they had nest in old doghouse in yard but lay in the barn in a corner.

 

[Hillside]

Lighting may be a bigger part of this picture than we think. It reminds me that a friend was having a weird year but thought nothing had changed. Turns out that sometimes evening chores were being done with lights on though only took about 20 minutes and not every day had to be done that way. She wasn't thinking they had had supplemental lighting but this might have been enough to throw things out of wack? I don't know. A new yard light or anything different might be at fault. Lack of worming or worming with Ivermectin too close to laying season can affect egg production. A diet would have to be really bad to affect egg production at this time of year though it doesn't have to be far off at all to affect libido and fertility or hatching rate. Ganders in a flock mating or individually penned but too close to each other can inhibit normal breeding. Geese are highly social and if there is a new bird on the place this has caused problems for some people until the next season. I have had people mention this who had added new birds of either sex. It might also just be a really strange year when nothing seems to go right.

 

[feathersandfluff]

My Sebastopols were 3-4 weeks late on starting their laying. Now I am hitting close to 90% fertility.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Quote:
That's alot of variables.
I don't suppose I'll ever figure out what went wrong this year.

 

[Soccer Mom]

But it's just weird that so many of us, flung far across the country from one another, have experienced a strange year.

Don't suppose we'll ever know why.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Quote:
Yes that is weird.
Maybe its the weather.
Who knows???

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Mine STILL haven't laid at all, yet....although my muscovies were for a while but since the snow last week haven't laid again...

 

[Cottage Rose]

My Muscovies are breeding normal and so far good fertility.