can a sebastopol goose starve herself if she lays on her eggs?

[Miss Lydia]

Hi ,This morning I have just buried one of my Ebden geese who, for all you unbelievers starved herself to death, obviously this is not a common occurance or has been pointed out the breeds would die out, however just like humans have different traits,people with eating disorders who will die for lack of eating so in the animal kingdom there will variations to the norm .Despite all our efforts whatever we did she refused to eat and drink and just wanted to brood even when she was removed from the nest and the eggs taken away she still wanted to sit on the nest, so along with a previous contributor i can personally vouch for a broody goose starving herself to death, I have other geese who are just fine and got pasture this goose just gave up.

So sorry for your loss. That had to have been hard.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Don't listen to the naysayers...anything is possible. There are always situations that occur outside of the norm.
I know somebody else who this happened to as well. Sorry for your less.

 

[flockman]

Anything is possible. My dad was an dog/animal trainer and he always said when it comes to animals they will always make you a liar. Never say never.

When my dog was 6 months old she had her puppy heat cycle. She was never around other dogs at all during this time. She had a false pregnancy. She developed milk and everything. What a joy that was. We took her to the vet worried that she was pregnant. Nope. She ended up adopting my kids which was very funny.

When I was a kid we had a barn cat that would have kittens but would never take care of them. You never know with animals.

Hollington6 so sorry about your goose.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i'm so sorry, Gyburc and Hollington6. That is so sad. i didn't know this was possible. i will keep a close eye on all my broodies from now on.

 

[pete55]

It is well recorded in UK literature. The goal is to actively manage the broody goose which should be healthy before incubation. Encourage a daily break for food, water, exercise etc. This maintains health during this period.

Some are great incubators and instinctively know when to take breaks. Others take the behaviour to extremes to the extent they lose condition and succumb to ill health and starve. Its often very hard to stimulate these birds to regain appetite and they require sound care to recover. Another related example is incubating for an excessive period past the anticipated hatch date. If the clutch is wasted then break up the nest and concentrate on helping the goose regain health.

The instinct to breed is one of the most powerful behaviours in nature and in some cases it's to the detriment of the parent.

Thats my 2 cents worth and opinion, hope it helps.

Pete

 

[Miss Lydia]

It is well recorded in UK literature. The goal is to actively manage the broody goose which should be healthy before incubation. Encourage a daily break for food, water, exercise etc. This maintains health during this period.

Some are great incubators and instinctively know when to take breaks. Others take the behaviour to extremes to the extent they lose condition and succumb to ill health and starve. Its often very hard to stimulate these birds to regain appetite and they require sound care to recover. Another related example is incubating for an excessive period past the anticipated hatch date. If the clutch is wasted then break up the nest and concentrate on helping the goose regain health.

The instinct to breed is one of the most powerful behaviours in nature and in some cases it's to the detriment of the parent.

Thats my 2 cents worth and opinion, hope it helps.

Pete

It did thanks Pete.

 

[RugenerGooser]

I put a bowl of water on one side and a bowl of food on the other and once a day I add a small hand full of live mealworms pet her and tell her what a good momma she is. She can't resist the bugs moving around in her bowl, and I can always tell if she is eating her other food, but I give her a special mixture of goodies.