Collecting goose eggs?

[Englishable]

Our French Toulouse goose has started laying eggs. This is our first spring with them and we aren't entirely sure which route to take. We can either leave her to it, or collect her eggs; however, there's a few things to consider.

It's February; where we live, we can get blizzards well into April, so I think it's just way too soon for her to try to hatch her own eggs. I also read that once she decides to sit, she'll stop laying. We were considering putting a handful of her eggs in the incubator later this spring (after a couple of batches of chicken eggs - we only have the one incubator). So we're leaning towards collecting her eggs for now and letting her sit on a clutch in 4-6 weeks, if she's still laying then.

However.... if we collect her eggs, how long will she continue laying? Will she still be laying in April? Secondly, she's built a nest in the coop right now, which is perfect. I don't want her to start trying to find a more hidden spot to build a nest. If we collect the eggs, I know she's likely to move her nest. Is there anything we can do to prevent this, like collect all but one egg every day?

So if it were up to you, would you collect the eggs or let her sit? Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't think I'd let mine sit this time of year, let her keep laying and remove the oldest egg and leave the newest and just keep doing that till you feel that when she starts to brood in 28-30 days it will be nice enough for goslings. My goose when she was laying started in Feb and laid all the way till May. every other day.

 

[Englishable]

I don't think I'd let mine sit this time of year, let her keep laying and remove the oldest egg and leave the newest and just keep doing that till you feel that when she starts to brood in 28-30 days it will be nice enough for goslings. My goose when she was laying started in Feb and laid all the way till May. every other day.

Awesome, thanks! We'll probably set a batch of her eggs in the incubator in April and after that, we'll let her collect a clutch. If they hatch in May, I don't think we'll get any more snow

 

[Gray Farms]

If she is laying but not setting and its still getting below freezing at night the eggs won't be any good anyhow. So I'd take her eggs until the temps get higher then let her set if she is still laying.

 

[Englishable]

If she is laying but not setting and its still getting below freezing at night the eggs won't be any good anyhow. So I'd take her eggs until the temps get higher then let her set if she is still laying.

Sounds good, thanks! For now, we'll just eat the eggs. One egg is practically an omelet!

 

[Gray Farms]

I've been eating my Sebastopol eggs for about 6 weeks now, just started letting them set in the last few days.

 

[donkeydew2farms]

I have 4 geese laying I can' t eat them fast enough any one hard boil there eggs if so how long do you cook them for. I am not letting them set this year .

 

[Gray Farms]

Hard boiled goose eggs - 20 minutes roughly

 

[Miss Lydia]

I've never hard boiled my goose eggs but boy they sure make a great omelet.

 

[donkeydew2farms]

It is funny no one wants to try them. you think these people grew up eating stuff like this. I can't even get them to eat duck eggs I have small ducks that lay smallest eggs I stick them with the chicken eggs the people never no the difference . don't tell them lol.