Bunch of eggs, overwhelmed and no clue

[SittinDuck]

Hello,

I have 3 ducks and 4 geese. White ones They're all about 2 yrs old.

I eat the duck eggs, but I have a nest of goose eggs and I have no idea what to do. Maybe 5 or 6 of them.

It's cold outside and the mother doesn't seem to be sitting on the eggs much. The eggs feel cold.

Should I take the eggs and try to make some sort of incubator with a plastic bin, heating pad, thermometer, and humidity gauge or should I leave the eggs in the nest and hope for the best.

I've read a couple how-to articles on incubating and it seems really complicated. I'm feeling overwhelmed by the amount to learn and the time is running out.

I'd like to see a baby running around.

What would you do?

Thanks!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hello,

I have 3 ducks and 4 geese. White ones They're all about 2 yrs old.

I eat the duck eggs, but I have a nest of goose eggs and I have no idea what to do. Maybe 5 or 6 of them.

It's cold outside and the mother doesn't seem to be sitting on the eggs much. The eggs feel cold.

Should I take the eggs and try to make some sort of incubator with a plastic bin, heating pad, thermometer, and humidity gauge or should I leave the eggs in the nest and hope for the best.

I've read a couple how-to articles on incubating and it seems really complicated. I'm feeling overwhelmed by the amount to learn and the time is running out.

I'd like to see a baby running around.

What would you do?

Thanks!

You can make a DIY incubator, there are many plans and guides here on BYC for home made incubators. I wouldn't say incubating is complicated, but I think it takes devotion to do it well. The better informed you are the better your chances are. The better prepared you are they better off you and your eggs will be too.

The right and steady temps, proper humidity and patience are the important things so as long as you have thermometers that are accurate, an incubator that holds a steady temp and good quality ferttilized eggs that haven't been scrambled you have a good chance of success.

Here's another article of goose incubation: http://www.kelleycreekfarms.com/how-to-incubate-and-hatch-goslings.html

If you decide to gie it a try, we wish you the best of luck.

 

[SittinDuck]

You can make a DIY incubator, there are many plans and guides here on BYC for home made incubators. I wouldn't say incubating is complicated, but I think it takes devotion to do it well. The better informed you are the better your chances are. The better prepared you are they better off you and your eggs will be too.

The right and steady temps, proper humidity and patience are the important things so as long as you have thermometers that are accurate, an incubator that holds a steady temp and good quality ferttilized eggs that haven't been scrambled you have a good chance of success.

Here's another article of goose incubation: http://www.kelleycreekfarms.com/how-to-incubate-and-hatch-goslings.html

If you decide to gie it a try, we wish you the best of luck.

Thanks! Do you think I would have a better chance with inaccurate stuff and no experience or just leaving the eggs with the mother?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks! Do you think I would have a better chance with inaccurate stuff and no experience or just leaving the eggs with the mother?

Personally I believe that mom has a better chance if you don't have an accurate set up.

 

[SittinDuck]

Personally I believe that mom has a better chance if you don't have an accurate set up.

The thing is, the eggs are cold most of the time. I've only seen mom sitting on them once in the last week. If she were a diligent mom, then I wouldn't worry. The goose incubation guide says "Now you've collected your eggs, washed them if required, weighed, marked and stored them for a maximum of 14 days in cool conditions with a daily turn." Maybe that's what mom is doing, but it's worrisome. Geese only lay once a year. I'll have to wait a year to try again.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The thing is, the eggs are cold most of the time. I've only seen mom sitting on them once in the last week. If she were a diligent mom, then I wouldn't worry. The goose incubation guide says "Now you've collected your eggs, washed them if required, weighed, marked and stored them for a maximum of 14 days in cool conditions with a daily turn." Maybe that's what mom is doing, but it's worrisome. Geese only lay once a year. I'll have to wait a year to try again.

How many are there? According to my reading on geese (in general) they usually lay 12-15 eggs before they go broody. They lay from Spring to roughly August/September.

 

[SittinDuck]

How many are there? According to my reading on geese (in general) they usually lay 12-15 eggs before they go broody. They lay from Spring to roughly August/September.

About 5 or 6. The ducks are laying in that nest as well, but I don't have a male duck. I try to keep the duck eggs out.

I don't know much about geese, but I haven't seen a goose egg since january 2015. Then I read that they only lay in late winter / early spring, so I assumed that was true. Maybe some breeds lay more than others? My geese are 2 years old, maybe they are young yet?

Thanks for helping me! I'll see about posting a picture so you can see the environment.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

About 5 or 6. The ducks are laying in that nest as well, but I don't have a male duck. I try to keep the duck eggs out.

I don't know much about geese, but I haven't seen a goose egg since january 2015. Then I read that they only lay in late winter / early spring, so I assumed that was true. Maybe some breeds lay more than others? My geese are 2 years old, maybe they are young yet?

Thanks for helping me! I'll see about posting a picture so you can see the environment.

I'm sure there is minor differences with different breeds just as there is with chicken egg production. This is the page that I was looking at. It's pretty informative: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/poultry/species/geese-raising/egg-production

 

[SittinDuck]

I'm sure there is minor differences with different breeds just as there is with chicken egg production. This is the page that I was looking at. It's pretty informative: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/poultry/species/geese-raising/egg-production

Yeah, it says "The main egg-laying period for geese is in the spring, commencing about August or September. Chinese breeds can start laying in winter." I think that is an Australian website, so maybe august is spring for them. I think I have a chinese breed. Twice they have laid in winter. They last time they laid, it was extremely cold (6 F).

I'm in Georgia, we usually don't get much of a winter. Currently it's 50s and 60s during the day with lows in the 30s at night. I'm trying to collect sap for maple syrup, but it refuses to dip below freezing.

The eggs are in that doghouse in a nest of pine needles.







It's a pond in the middle of the woods with a big net over it to keep the owls and coons out. They are mostly on their own. I don't lock them up at night or anything. I feed them once a day.

I built a lean-to coup out of some sheet metal, but they want nothing to do with it.

I'm not sure if I should leave the eggs out there with the temp and humidity bouncing around wildly or bring them in where the temp and humidity doesn't bounce as bad.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Yeah, it says "The main egg-laying period for geese is in the spring, commencing about August or September. Chinese breeds can start laying in winter." I think that is an Australian website, so maybe august is spring for them. I think I have a chinese breed. Twice they have laid in winter. They last time they laid, it was extremely cold (6 F).

I'm in Georgia, we usually don't get much of a winter. Currently it's 50s and 60s during the day with lows in the 30s at night. I'm trying to collect sap for maple syrup, but it refuses to dip below freezing.

The eggs are in that doghouse in a nest of pine needles.







It's a pond in the middle of the woods with a big net over it to keep the owls and coons out. They are mostly on their own. I don't lock them up at night or anything. I feed them once a day.

I built a lean-to coup out of some sheet metal, but they want nothing to do with it.

I'm not sure if I should leave the eggs out there with the temp and humidity bouncing around wildly or bring them in where the temp and humidity doesn't bounce as bad.

That's a nice set up. Australia is opposite us. Our winter is their summer and our summer is their winter.
I don't know. If they wait until they get an x amount it may just be a matter of time before one of them goes broody? Tough call.