Broody chickens on goose eggs! Help and advice needed please!

[anlawrence]

About 36 days ago a friend gave me two goose eggs (which she did not know were fertile or not) to put under my broody hen in an effort to distract her while I re-introduced her injured pal into the coop. I have only two chickens.

It worked like a charm - and the injured hen even started laying again (only to have her eggs snaffled by the broody and added to 'her' clutch - as soon as I found out I removed them)

All was well until a couple of days ago when the injured hen (now fully recovered and laying well) ALSO went broody and now both girls are atop a goose egg each - and no chicken eggs for me!

As it is now day 36 since the Goose eggs went under I suspect it's time to remove them and get my two girls back to normal again. However I am reluctant to do so IN CASE there are a couple of goslings in there!

I have had a go at candling them this afternoon and there is a large white space in the top quarter (rounded end) and the rest is completely dark. Same for both eggs. At one time they seemed quite heavy and rolled together in the nest when separate but are now much lighter.

What should I do? Wait a few days longer? I really want to get my hens back to laying again and getting out in the sunshine etc but it would break my heart

if the goose eggs had goslings in them who died as a result of my intervention.

Please advise!

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I think there was a good chance they just were not fertile. Goose eggs take less than 36 days of incubation, so I don't think those are going to hatch for what ever reason. It is time to get rid of the goose eggs and hopefully get your hens back to normal soon.

 

[anlawrence]

I think there was a good chance they just were not fertile. Goose eggs take less than 36 days of incubation, so I don't think those are going to hatch for what ever reason. It is time to get rid of the goose eggs and hopefully get your hens back to normal soon.

Thanks scratch'n'peck! I think I kinda knew that deep down - just needed someone to confirm/support etc!

Tomorrow I will boot the girls out of the coop first thing and close them out all day. Then I'll remove the goose eggs; thoroughly clean the coop (it's a plastic Eglu one so won't take long!

) and only let the girls back in at bedtime. Then I'll just keep doing that each day until things are normal again. Hopefully it won't take too long!

I don't have the facilities to put them in Broody Jail so am hoping this will work.

Once again - thanks so much for your help and advice!

Warm regards
Angie
Isle of Man
Great Britain

 

[anlawrence]

Just a quick update (particularly for Scratch'n'peck)

I turfed the girls out of their Eglu this morning and cleaned it all out and then firmly shut the door. After some initial grumbling and broody clucking they gave up and just pecked around the garden and dustbathed as usual. Now they are both lying in a corner of the garden where I have put a little bit of hay and are still puffed up and complaining. I'm hoping after a couple of days enforced fresh air and exercise (!) they will return to normal. Sure am getting the hairy eyeball though!

Of course I could not resist checking the goose eggs and was delighted to find that they were both completely devoid of any sort of embryo. Phew!

Thanks again for your advice!

Warm regards
Angie
Isle of Man