Broody goose wont get off the nest.

[K.Riggs]

My first time broody goose is on the nest sitting on two eggs and two rocks she found and put in there. She laid about 4 eggs this season before the nest got flooded so I took them and ate them as they were under water.

Then she laid the next two and hasn't laid another for a few days. The first two days she was sitting full time on the nest I was finally able to raise to a dry spot I got her off to eat each day but today she won't I spent ages trying to push her off but she just kept pulling herself back on. I thought she would lay a full clutch before sitting full time? She already looks pretty shabby as she hadn't washed in about four days. Should I put on jeans, gloves and a jacket and make her get off for ten minutes or leave her alone?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I actually picked my goose up and sat her at the food bowls or she wouldn't leave. She never tried to bite me. I guess not all are so complacent.
Do you think her eggs will hatch have you candled? If there isn't a chance I'd take the eggs and rocks away destroy the nest and let her get on with her life they can go down hill pretty fast if not taking proper care of themselves.

 

[K.Riggs]

I actually picked my goose up and sat her at the food bowls or she wouldn't leave. She never tried to bite me. I guess not all are so complacent.
Do you think her eggs will hatch have you candled? If there isn't a chance I'd take the eggs and rocks away destroy the nest and let her get on with her life they can go down hill pretty fast if not taking proper care of themselves.

I haven't candled yet i doubt I would see anything. I do know her previous eggs were fertile they had the bulls eye. I see no reason why they won't hatch she has not got off them and they are warm and on dry straw.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How long into incubation are these. Usually around day 6-7 you can see development .
If you think they may hatch then make sure she comes out at least 1X a day to eat and drink and bath. It's important for her health.
She may have been going into broodiness before and after laying these 2 her body said it was time. Hard to figure them out sometimes. My goose usually laid 8-9 before going broody full time.
But Missy was just 5 yrs old this past April and never laid one egg this year.

 

[K.Riggs]

How long into incubation are these. Usually around day 6-7 you can see development .
If you think they may hatch then make sure she comes out at least 1X a day to eat and drink and bath. It's important for her health.
She may have been going into broodiness before and after laying these 2 her body said it was time. Hard to figure them out sometimes. My goose usually laid 8-9 before going broody full time.
But Missy was just 5 yrs old this past April and never laid one egg this year.

I think day 4 and 5 respectively tomorrow. She was broody with the last four in the nest before it flooded when we had severe downpours. But she wasn't sitting full time I think those four were the beginning of the clutch and she tried to replace them with the rocks after I took them. I will work harder to get her off tomorrow.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So won't be long till you will know I hope she can get some goslings out of these 2. The rocks well we both know that won't happen lol Bless her heart.

 

[K.Riggs]

Yes I hope she does poor chook she looks a bit stressed. I feel bad about her other four eggs but nothing could be done they wouldn't have developed.

 

[K.Riggs]

I picked her up and took her off the nest and locked her in the other pen, she had a good feed of grass and did a few days worth of poop. I followed her around with a big bucket of water and she had a big drink. I threw away the rocks in case she tries to keep sitting on them later down the track. She is now back on the two eggs. I kept her off for 1O minutes the amount of time recommend in my incubator manual for cooling duck and goose eggs is 15 min per day.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just saw this. You did good how are things going today? have you candled yet?

 

[K.Riggs]

Just saw this. You did good how are things going today? have you candled yet?

She is doing way better now, I took her off for a few days in a row now she is getting off twice per day so I'm really happy with that. She even got in the pond and had a quick swim and preen today and took some wheat.
I have not candled yet. I plan to but want to leave it a while so it's easy to see and I can get in and out quickly as they aren't going to like it lol