Broody Goose seems to spend a lot of time off her eggs help

[danalister]

Hi
My goose has laid about 7 eggs over the past month, a few times during the last week I thought she had started sitting on the as she would go to sit on them at night so I locked her up with them for the night as its not safe to leave her out in the open (she has laid them in a converted dogs kennel) then when I opened up for her in teh morning she shoots out and doesnt come back until the end of the day, the last few days she has been sitting on them for much longer but still spending a lot of time off the eggs, is this normal? How soon can i candle the eggs to see if they are growing?
Help!

 

[DuckLady]

It doesn't sound like she is broody at all.
If she was broody, you wouldn't be able to get her off the nest.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Are the nights starting to be cool where you are? I have seen muscovies sit on the nest at night without seting the nest. in other words they don't have their warm brooding surfaces on the eggs and they aren't warm enough to start developing. and the duck is not at all broody, just protecting her eggs through the night.

 

[danalister]

Hi
no it is spring here, so not too cold, I'm not sure what she was up to but maybe as you say she was not setting the eggs, just looking after them, I didn't know they could do that, and was worried that they would start developing, and then die, now she is sitting full time on them, how long do goose eggs take to hatch and when can you candle them?
Thanks!

 

[rainplace]

I don't know the answer to your question, but thought I'd say

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Would I be out of Line to say G'day Mate ? Anyways I have only seen one of my small tufted Roman geese pull that little trick but muscovies do it alot. Geese take about 30 days depending on the breed. If she will let you, try at least 7 days into the cycle. Frankly I never had much luck with goose eggs because the shells are thick, the eggs themselves are thick and my geese tended to get very upset if You messed with their nest. I always let my geese hatch and raise their own goslings so candleing was not that usefull to me. Good Luck!

 

[danalister]

Not quite, right hemisphere though I'm in south africa! Yes I don't think I'm going to try and look they have gone quite rabid since they laid their eggs! Think I'll just let them be. Thanks for the tips.