Broody goose?

[Lucky Lemon]

About a week ago I discovered a nest with about 3 goose eggs in it from our very old (I think around 15 years old) Grey Goose. I have not gone close enough to inspect, however, she is not "sitting" on the eggs consecutively. She sits for about an hour and then gets up for several hours and then sits, if I go anywhere near the area they are (under my deck) she starts honking at me and comes over to inspect.

This is the VERY first time in all of her 15 years that I have seen her lay eggs in a nest. Do you think she is going to actually start sitting on them? Is it normal for a goose to not sit most of the day on the eggs like a hen would do?

Any help appreciated, I do not know much at all about geese!

 

[nchls school]

About a week ago I discovered a nest with about 3 goose eggs in it from our very old (I think around 15 years old) Grey Goose. I have not gone close enough to inspect, however, she is not "sitting" on the eggs consecutively. She sits for about an hour and then gets up for several hours and then sits, if I go anywhere near the area they are (under my deck) she starts honking at me and comes over to inspect.

This is the VERY first time in all of her 15 years that I have seen her lay eggs in a nest. Do you think she is going to actually start sitting on them? Is it normal for a goose to not sit most of the day on the eggs like a hen would do?

Any help appreciated, I do not know much at all about geese!

When she starts to brood it will be much like a broody chicken-full time with short breaks. I had grey geese when I was a young boy--long ago. I think they line the nest with feathers when they go broody.

 

[Lucky Lemon]

Thanks for your comment. I am hoping she is going to sit on them, it would be great to have some more geese. We are down to two geese and two ducks.

 

[Lucky Lemon]

She is finally sitting on them, I think she has 11-12 eggs under her, by a visual count, she gets up once or twice a day for a few minutes and goes down to the pond and then she goes back up to sit.

I'm so excited that she might hatch some babies!

 

[nchls school]

She is finally sitting on them, I think she has 11-12 eggs under her, by a visual count, she gets up once or twice a day for a few minutes and goes down to the pond and then she goes back up to sit.

I'm so excited that she might hatch some babies!

Good luck. I hope they hatch for you.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Pond like real pond? I hope you have gotten rid of any snapping turtles they will eat gosling ducklings and bite chicks out of adult water fowl, a member posted a few weeks ago about a snapping turtle getting all but 2 of his goslings and on the duck thread a member had one of his ducks get a big chunk of breast bit out.

 

[nchls school]

It might be a good idea to keep mom and goslings shut up for awhile. At least until they are big enough not to be on every predators menu. A fenced in area with lots of growing grass would be good. Goslings like to crop grass just like the older geese-and they grow fast.

 

[Lucky Lemon]

Pond like real pond? I hope you have gotten rid of any snapping turtles they will eat gosling ducklings and bite chicks out of adult water fowl, a member posted a few weeks ago about a snapping turtle getting all but 2 of his goslings and on the duck thread a member had one of his ducks get a big chunk of breast bit out.

Yes, we have a big pond (covers 1-2 acres). I have had her for 15 years, but she and her mate are not "friendly" with people. They have never been enclosed and won't even let me near them. The closest they come to me is about 20 feet away if I am throwing corn out.

I hope snapping turtles don't get them! That would be sad!

 

[nchls school]

Yes, we have a big pond (covers 1-2 acres). I have had her for 15 years, but she and her mate are not "friendly" with people. They have never been enclosed and won't even let me near them. The closest they come to me is about 20 feet away if I am throwing corn out.

I hope snapping turtles don't get them! That would be sad!

With a pond that size there's likely a snapper living within. You will be very lucky if none of the goslings are lost. When the goslings first hatch you will be able to get closer. If you can, pen the goslings and parents as soon as the are dried off from hatching and before they get to the pond. Once they get to the pond success at catching them is reduced. Of course, you can pen the at night. Geese eggs take 28 days to hatch. Good luck.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes, we have a big pond (covers 1-2 acres). I have had her for 15 years, but she and her mate are not "friendly" with people. They have never been enclosed and won't even let me near them. The closest they come to me is about 20 feet away if I am throwing corn out.

I hope snapping turtles don't get them! That would be sad!

Sorry to be blunt but hoping isn't going to save them if you have snappers. But baiting your pond and eliminating the snapper will go a long way to protect your newly hatch goslings, what a shame it would be for mama to sit on her eggs for 30 days only to take them to the pond and get eaten right off and nothing mama or papa can do, they attack from underneath drown the gosling then eat it. That would be heartbreaking for me.