First goose egg!! (Mine & my goose's!)

[CelticOaksFarm]

geese dont use nest boxes, just a corner in their stalls here with lots of hay in it. Today we had an African climb into the PVC nest house our chickens use to lay in and laid us an egg.

All the ducks and geese get their own stall or house with lots of bedding. During season they are kept separated with temp yards fenced off and we collect the eggs daily marking where they came from.

If they are allowed to free range all over, you will have an egg hunt on your hands for sure. Ducks are notorious for laying in water if not kept penned up to learn where they should lay (aka where you want them to lay).

 

[Going Bhonkers]

Well, a couple of days have passed and we havent found anymore eggs

Maybe it was just a fluke, or practice for my goose? In any case, what month do geese begin to lay (Chinese goose, in Florida)? January?

I'm going to try to set up a nest area with a golf ball in their goose coop where they stay overnight to see if that will direct my goose to lay there, instead of all over the place (they free range during the day) once she starts laying eggs regularly.

Is it a good idea to put set it up inside their coop - i'm not sure since they only go in there for bed time? And, um, what does a nest area / nesting box look like?

 

[The goose girl]

My goose would sometimes lay during the night (or at least before I woke up) so there'd be an egg in the morning when I let her out of her pen. She had access to her pen all day and would go there to lay. Sometimes she went in early at night. Then I wouldn't have to move her in the middle of laying; I could just close up the pen at dusk.

I don't know if other geese will trample eggs during the night?

 

[Going Bhonkers]

Thanks for responding, Goose Girl. I only have a pair of geese, so I dont believe egg trampling will be an issue (i hope!). But one of the things you mentioned is that your goose had access to her pen during the day, whereas when I let my geese out of their coop/house, I close their door so nothing else goes in while their out, and they dont go back in until early evening. I'm going to attempt to make a little nesting area for her in there anyway, maybe she'll use it?

In the meantime, she laid her second egg in the same spot outside where we found the first one! I hope she'll continue laying in that area in the future, it'll sure make it easier to find the eggs.
This is such a learning process!!

 

[SummerChick]

I am in total amazement and quite a little shocked as well.....my Lucy who I thought might be a gander because she is dominant and larger than my other goose (Elly). But this morning I noticed Elly standing in an area near the pen which is also next to a shed where we have a wheelbarrow propped up against the shed, but I didn't see Lucy anywhere and they are always together. I started looking and finally found Lucy inside the area where the wheelbarrow was propped... I talked to her a few seconds, asked her why she was there but she had intentions of coming out, I let her be. I went about doing thingsoutsidethen went inside for about an hour. I went back out and Elly was still waiting for Lucy to come out from her hiding spot. I thought this very strange for Lucy ..... I started looking at Lucy and talking to her when I noticed an egg!!!! OMG!!! I guess Lucy is not a gander after all!
I was not expecting eggs this soon. Lucy and Elly are african geese.

Bhonkers... Congrats on your eggs! How many have you gotten so far?

Laurie

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Our Africans were laying in December last year. This year she hasnt missed a beat since she started. We get an egg every other day like clock work starting 1 week ago.

 

[Going Bhonkers]

YAY!!! Congrats, Laurie!! Are you thinking that Elly might be a gander now, or what if it turns out that both your girls start gifting you with eggs?!

So far, my goose has laid a total of three eggs, the most recent one was yesterday, again in the same spot. This means you should be on the look out for another egg sometime this weekend!

Celtic, if your Africans started laying in Dec last year, when did they stop? I dont know how long egg laying season is.

 

[SummerChick]

Thanks Bhonkers, Today there was a tiny egg in the swimming pool, I am a bit perplexed though, the goose who i believe is laying the eggs is acting weird. I just saw her on top of the other goose (Elly). I just do not understand why is she acting like she's mating when she is a goose??? I felt sorry for Elly because she didn't look too happy

I'm soooo confused right now

Laurie

 

[Going Bhonkers]

Thanks Bhonkers, Today there was a tiny egg in the swimming pool, I am a bit perplexed though, the goose who i believe is laying the eggs is acting weird. I just saw her on top of the other goose (Elly). I just do not understand why is she acting like she's mating when she is a goose??? I felt sorry for Elly because she didn't look too happy

I'm soooo confused right now
Laurie

well, ive read that sometimes geese will attempt to mate with another goose of the same sex as an act of dominance, so I think Lucy (female goose) is reaffirming her role as the leader and Elly as the follower. And sometimes the roles will change!