fostering goslings

[ntiveheart]

i have pilgrim eggs hatching in the bator today. i also have a pilgrim goose sitting on a nest of dud eggs. and i mean she is stuck like glue to these eggs. she's a first time mama and unfortunately didn't catch on until it was too late. i'm wondering if i can slide these little hatchlings under her with any possibility she will take them as her own. i know chickens will foster chicks, but geese? anyone have any experience with this?

thanks in advance!

 

[Kim65]

I would say go for it BUT wait until the babies are a little older and hardier. My flock of Toulouse took right away to four month old goslings I "gave" them. Even the ganders were tender and protective (the one that chased and chomped on ME, especially tender).

First time mamas aren't experienced, and hatchlings are delicate, so I'd grow them for a couple of weeks before you give them to her. My flock had no broodies at the time they adopted, so I don't think they are like chickens, they don't reject or harm the young.

Once you are ready to give them to her, let your adults "see" them through chicken wire, just to guage how they'll behave. The first time I put my babies out behind a piece of chicken wire, the adults would not LEAVE them, lol.

Once in a while, a gander is not a good parent, but you should know that right away. My flock was mostly ganders, but all were kind and watchful

In fact, I couldn't get close to those babies again LOL once I handed them over.

Go cautiously (to protect the babies) but chances are very good you'll have success and a very happy mama goose.

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

I fostered geese last year. Same type of situation - I did wait until the were about 2.5 weeks old. The entire flock made a great big deal over them....the lead gander came over and lowered his head over the babies and made a bunch of noise and talked to them. By day two in the goose pen - all the adults were chasing away even the most harmless barn cat - who was on the outside of the pen. They became very protective very quickly. They even lead the babies into the little hutch that I lock them in every night - due to the ever growing coon population here.

Good luck with your effort - I hope it works out for you too. Enjoy your babies.

 

[ntiveheart]

thank you very much for your responses.

i was hoping ya'll would tell me to slip 'em in under cover of darkness tonight so i could avoid the messiness of brooding goslings (yuck!) story of my life *eye roll*

i guess i'd better get going and drag the brooder out and clean it up!

thanks again!

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
I once adopted 4 muscovy ducklings in late august. Since the outside temperature was brooder temperature I just stuck them in some chicken wire while I went to get the brooder ready. By that time of the year the drama of goose hatching was long over with since the spring hatchlings were almost full size. The chicken wire was surrounded by my flock of geese and the boss goose (female that produced no goslings that year was doing her best to get to the babies. they were gathered on their side of the wire as close as they could get to the boss goose. Since the muscovies were more of a rescule than anything I really wanted I just lifted the wire and let the babies scoot under. They formed up to what I like to call the gosling convoy formation. Boss goose leading, muscovies in a roll and the boss's favorite gander bringing up the rear while the rest of the flock covered the sides. They went slowly (as fast as the ducklings could handle) down to the barn and into the stall that the geese had reserved for their use. Of course the boss had picked a rear corner for her nest that spring and thats where they ended up. Later I went down with a water and feed dish of a size the ducklings could use. I had a fright since I couldn't see the ducklings but sure enough the would pop their heads out from the goose. Checked them again about night fall and they were under the goose and they actually snored! Put the brooder stuff away for another year. No guarantee that it will work for you but it is worth a try?

 

[jojo@rolling acres farm]

goosedragon...great story!

 

[goosedragon]

jojo@rolling acres farm :

goosedragon...great story!

If you live long enough you have some good stories. Geese are just great parents in most cases. I have seen them ignore (not care for) some adoptions but never seen them attack a young one of any breed.​

 

[Kim65]

what a great story Goosedragon

I could totally see the "convoy"

That's what is so special about geese, their yearning to parent.

Ntivestory, BTW, if you only brood the foster goslings for a couple of weeks, you'll be giving them to the adult flock just at the time they are REALLY getting messy

I have three Rouen ducklings who have beat any gosling I ever had HANDS DOWN for utter messiness/playing in their water and turning their feed into sludgeness/stink!!! The weather has sucked so bad I just couldn't put them outside yet (going to give them to the geese).

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

my goose recently tried to kill some baby mallards, month old babies, were fine for over a week, then he ripped all the feathers out of their backs until they bled... so be careful!

 

[shelleyd2008]

I have 3 adult geese, 1 goose and 2 ganders. The goose and one gander have only been here about 6 weeks or so, and I wasn't totally sure about their sexes (the gander, yes, the goose, no) until I got some goslings. I've recently started putting them outside during the day, and the goose (whom I now believe, in fact, to be a goose) stays by their pen the whole day, not even going to the pond with the other 2 when we take them down there. I have full confidence that if I were to pen her and these goslings together, she would gladly take care of them. Geese are not like chickens; you have to 'trick' a hen into taking new babies usually. Geese will take care of goslings whether they are sitting eggs or not. I've heard many stories of ganders raising adopted goslings. I don't think you'd have any trouble with giving her the babies

ETA: I had a bantam hen that hatched 2 ducklings, when the goslings weren't outside, the goose would be next to the hen and her ducklings' pen