Are my geese getting ready to sit

[redchick652]

I have two goose, when I show them a chicken egg the gather stuff like twigs and leafs and things. The female goose has found a spot and she tried to smooth out the dirt with her feet and bottom.Are there any other signs that tell when they want to sit and how? How do goose breed to? How to tell male from female I'm confused?

 

[DiYMama540]

Welcome to BYC!
Very beautiful geese! My guess on breed is Pomeranian mix. The coloring on the one with more grey has the saddleback, but a bit too much grey on the neck. If you got the geese at the same time, from the same place, I would say it's the same breed for both.

As far as gender, I can't really tell from your pictures, but someone else may be able to.
Do you know the age of the geese?

Also, geese are seasonal layers. This means they will only lay eggs during their mating season. This is from late winter into spring. The one making a "nest" may just be practicing or making itself a comfortable bed.

 

[redchick652]

When I check the nest early today there was an egg cover up how will i know if it's firtile because I've never seen them mate. And age I don't know they were given to us when they were older because the person house burnt so they could'nt keep them.

 

[DiYMama540]

Hmm...do you have any pictures of this egg? I'm thinking it must be one from your other birds. Do you only have geese and chickens, or do you have ducks as well? Ducks love to hide their eggs in the dirt!

 

[redchick652]

I have geese and chickens and ducks but its to big to be duck or chicken. I have an egg from last year look

 

[Miss Lydia]

Does she even have a safe place to lay and brood an hatch? Unless your in spring it may not be hers although I have heard of Chinese laying in Fall.

 

[Isaac 0]

The egg in the picture to me looks like a duck egg but then again it might just be smaller since its her first egg.Just a guess but they look like two females to me.Just because she is making a nest doesn't mean she is going broody, she may simply be making a nest.

Unless she starts laying on the nest for a few hours a day i wouldn't consider he broody just yet.But any aggressive behavior towards you or other ducks/chickens may point to broodiness.

Geese usually mate in water ,Females will lay flat on the water whilst the male climbs on top of her holding her neck with his bill for balance , then he fertilizes her cloaca with his penis and just because you see two geese mating doesn't always mean its a male and female. Females will often hump each other as well as males.

Sexing Geese articles -


http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/arthonks.htm

https://www.metzerfarms.com/SexingBirds.cfm

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

I agree looks like a duck egg to me.

A goose egg would be gigantic, and it’s unlikely that they’ll lay this time of the year.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Agreed. It appears to be a duck egg. Geese don't generally lay in the fall, although I did have a Chinese goose that did. My Buffs certainly aren't laying, but Georgia enjoys rummaging through nest boxes, pulling out hay, year-round, much to the chickens dismay. She also occasionally builds a shallow 'nest' at night if she chooses to sleep inside the shelter. Generally the two goof balls prefer to just lay out in all manner of weather.

 

[redchick652]

Welcome to BYC!
Very beautiful geese! My guess on breed is the Pomeranian mix. The coloring on the one with more grey has the saddleback, but a bit too much grey on the neck. If you got the geese at the same time, from the same place, I would say it's the same breed for both.

As far as gender, I can't really tell from your pictures, but someone else may be able to.
Do you know the age of the geese?

Also, geese are seasonal layers. This means they will only lay eggs during their mating season. This is from late winter into spring. The one making a "nest" may just be practicing or making itself a comfortable bed.

1 year for both