Do geese always work out a system when mating and hatching?

[r4eboxer]

Last year was my first year having geese. I got 4 adults, two pair. Only they didn't act like pairs. Of course the goose would lay the eggs. Both laid eggs in the same nest. One gander became broody immediately, the other gander bred both females while the one gander sat on the eggs. Once they were happy with the number of eggs in the clutch the one gander and two females sat on the nest for the duration of incubation while the other gander acted as watch dog.

Each goose and the single gander would take turns grazing, pooping and bathing and then go back to the nest, and then when needed the next would take their turn eating/bathing etc. The breeding Gander was always the watch dog and never sat on the nest. I wonder how they worked that out? Is this normal for a group of geese to take on these roles at breeding season?

When I got them they were 4 years old, so I'm curious if they follow the same routine this year. There are 3 more geese, 1 goose, 2 ganders in the family now so I wonder how it will change.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is just the neatest thing I have heard, they must have discussed it at night while laying around talking amongst them selves
Please let us know how it goes this year.

 

[r4eboxer]

That is just the neatest thing I have heard, they must have discussed it at night while laying around talking amongst them selves
Please let us know how it goes this year.

Well, they definitely do enough talking or squawking or whatever they do. ha ha. I thought it was neat too and wondered if it was normal. I read a thread where they were discussing the goose being a good mother year after year and her offspring being a good mother. My gander that sits on the nest was just a dedicated as the "women" in raising the goslings.

When the goslings hatched all four of the geese tended to them. So awesome to watch.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well, they definitely do enough talking or squawking or whatever they do. ha ha. I thought it was neat too and wondered if it was normal. I read a thread where they were discussing the goose being a good mother year after year and her offspring being a good mother. My gander that sits on the nest was just a dedicated as the "women" in raising the goslings.

When the goslings hatched all four of the geese tended to them. So awesome to watch.

It really is something to behold, we only had ducklings hatch last year but my Embden gander took each one under his wing it was just the cutest thing.