Can I introduce goslings to broody goose?

[stumpdog]

We have a single goose that's gone broody. Her longtime partner died last fall so it's unlikely she'll hatch anything. Can I order some day-old goslings and slip them under her? Will she adopt and care for them?

 

[sourland]

In my experience geese have readily fostered goslings.

 

[Isadora]

No way to tell for sure but a lot of time geese are very accepting of new babies. When my goose hatched a gosling last year, the whole flock took part in raising them and protecting them.

 

[stumpdog]

Should I "sneak" the goslings into the goose's nest, or just go ahead and introduce them?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Should I "sneak" the goslings into the goose's nest, or just go ahead and introduce them?

My 2 accepted goslings but because my goose had lost her only gosling before it hatched I waited 2 weeks before leaving them for good with them. I took them out every day so they could all be together it just took my goose a while to get over her loss. [we both heard the gosling chirping inside the egg]

 

[stumpdog]

Interesting anecdote Miss Lydia. Thanks for the info.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Once she sees the gosling I bet she’ll be in love!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

My 2 accepted goslings but because my goose had lost her only gosling before it hatched I waited 2 weeks before leaving them for good with them. I took them out every day so they could all be together it just took my goose a while to get over her loss. [we both heard the gosling chirping inside the egg]

Aw, that's so sad about the gosling.

 

[telandra2]

I brought home some goslings and had a partially sitting but no feathers in the nest goose. Goslings in a wire dog crate brooder in the main coop -- look but no touch. Night 1 Ethel slept next to the crate and stuck beside it day 2. I opened the door and she immediately ran inside. That night they had a mommy. The whole gaggle was a bit scared of these tiny things chasing them trying to cuddle, so I kept the hotplate and checked on them often to make sure the babies were warm.

She did go broody for real about a month later.