GOOSE BREEDING THREAD - for breeding, incubating, hatching and rearing.

[Tivona]

I could be wrong, but I think if the parents allow it, you should try to socialize the babies with human affection sooner rather than later?

I agree. My thinking is that the sooner they get used to people being nice and safe the better as long as they imprint on the parents. I pet the female goose daily. The gander doesn't like to be petted but still likes me fairly well. I give them small amounts of treats each day and let them play nibble at the long strings for my hoodie or jackets and just generally give praise when I can.

I always work with my birds from day one. All my birds know bedtime. Most know their name if they have one. My geese know bedtime, quiet, no, be nice to the duckies, come, and their names as well as a few other things. Before this I had all but one batch of ducklings hatched in incubators and then brooded under lights. But with these goslings I want to be sure that they know who mom and dad are first. They are still imprinting is my guess and I want them to really know who is warmth and safe before I go letting them get to used to me. I would hate to see them run to me instead of their mother and me miss it causing one to get to cold.

 

[livininbrazil]

Thanks both of you. I currently have 7 goslings hatched (4 female and 3 male) and she is still sitting on them and the remaining 6 eggs. I saw one of the eggs had an air hole. Another might be bad. It has a long crack going up and down. I didn't see that crack before so maybe its just an odd hatching crack? It doesn't really look right to me though. The rest I didn't get enough of a look at to really tell. Both parents are fine with me reaching in the nest and touching the babies but I hate to try to reach under her to actually pull out an egg so I am only seeing them when she stands up for a second or two. It does mean that I can't be sure on how the rest of the eggs are doing though. Sort of frustrating and exciting at the same time.

I will see how it goes putting one duckling under her at a time. Just take it slow and see if it works. I'm hoping not to have to keep them in the brooder but if they don't want to stay with her then I can put them back in the house. So far she looks pretty careful sitting. Time will tell. I really hope she does well but if not I know she still needs to learn the process. It would be really handy to have the geese be willing to raise the babies instead of me though. My gander keeps going over and looking at the goslings and his mate. He also hissed at me today and yesterday. Very not like him to do that. I take it as a sign that he is wanting to protect them so that is good. He was fine once I was there a minute. I am thinking he should be a good dad. He even stood by me watching as I held one in my hand right against the mothers body for a minute. Both parents completely calm and happy. The mother grooming the gosling in my hand for a few seconds. Anyway I am leaving them alone now but it was cool to see and touch them. This is such a sweet breed. I really can't say enough how nice Pilgrims are.

My pilgrims are the same..let me pick up the babies no problem, and these parents I bought as adults from a farmer who never touched them! I think they´re great, too.
she´ll have a lot to look after if they all hatch. You could always pop some of the goslings in with the ducklings for now for the ducklings to imprint on the goslings, then put them back in with mum afterwards. The cracked egg´ll be no good, I expect.

I could be wrong, but I think if the parents allow it, you should try to socialize the babies with human affection sooner rather than later?

They´ll allow it, no probs.

 

[livininbrazil]

I agree. My thinking is that the sooner they get used to people being nice and safe the better as long as they imprint on the parents. I pet the female goose daily. The gander doesn't like to be petted but still likes me fairly well. I give them small amounts of treats each day and let them play nibble at the long strings for my hoodie or jackets and just generally give praise when I can.

I always work with my birds from day one. All my birds know bedtime. Most know their name if they have one. My geese know bedtime, quiet, no, be nice to the duckies, come, and their names as well as a few other things. Before this I had all but one batch of ducklings hatched in incubators and then brooded under lights. But with these goslings I want to be sure that they know who mom and dad are first. They are still imprinting is my guess and I want them to really know who is warmth and safe before I go letting them get to used to me. I would hate to see them run to me instead of their mother and me miss it causing one to get to cold.

They won´t do that. You´ll be the nice food lady, that´s all. I had a number of goslings hatch indoors due to the goose sitting heavily and thinking she had aliens coming out of her eggs! She was not doing too well with them, and I lost the first one. so, I had them in for a couple of days while they hatched and got on their little feet, while the goose continued sitting on what turned out to be dead eggs. well, she had 4 live goslings in the end, and within a day or two of them being back with her, I was demoted to being just nice food lady. Mum goose was warm and snuggly and talked to them in goose...much better.
Your goslings are already imprinting on the goose, you´ll be no threat to them knowing who they are. They´ll run to you anyway, knowing you have goodies to eat! Have fun! they´re great! How many does she have now?

 

[Tivona]

Just finished locking all the birds up for the night and I counted seven. Mommy goose Nimbo, got off the nest for the first time in over 48 hours. Four little girls and 3 little boys. Everyone was wobbly trying to walk for the first time out of the nest. Goslings falling all over, had a few land on their backs and daddy gander Cirrus hissed at me for it thinking somehow I was involved in the goslings distress. I reached over and gently righted them and he went back to being cool with it all till it happened again. We went through that pattern maybe 5 times till Nimbo decided it was time to go back on the nest. I only got to see the eggs in the nest for a minute before she went back on but my guess is all the rest are duds. I know that they had been all developing when I candled them before. I didn't have my flashlight to candle this time but no movement and no sounds. I am thinking 7 is probably all there will be this round. Guess I will see tomorrow. I might pull all the eggs in and put them in the incubator for a few days just to be on the safe side if they look like there is any possibility. Tomorrow I will also try out a duckling with them. I didn't have a chance to really sit with them long enough today to make sure it would work out and I wanted to be sure the duckling/s would be okay in all this...

 

[Tivona]

I pulled all the eggs from her nest this morning and candled. Five bad ones and one still alive. It was barely moving in the shell and no sounds. I rinsed it under hot tap water then after it was a bit cleaner I chipped a hole in the end. It started talking at that point and I can see it moving in there. I covered the hole with a double layer of wet paper towel. Its in my incubator now. Any other suggestions? I would think it would be hatching here today or tomorrow. It seemed pretty weak before I chipped the air hole but seemed stronger after getting the air. More movement and talking but not sounding distressed. Not sure what else to do.

As far as the ducklings are concerned, I tried adding one to her nest but it was a no go. It got the idea to stay under her and was happy with the plan. The goslings were fine with it. The gander was fine with it. Mommy Nimbo not so much. At first she just looked but then the nipping started. I had to take it back so she wouldn't hurt it. I might try again later today. She seemed to know that dark little one was not hers. I might end up having to do all the brooding as I had been prepared to do but at least its been worth trying.

 

[DaisyMeadow]

So I did a head count and egg hunt on Sunday. I now have 6 official goose nests (that I know of) scattered about the yard. Of my 23 geese, 3 are full time broody and have been sitting for more than a week, and three more are part time broody and I occasionally see them sitting on nests. All of them are toulouse. Not a single white bird on the nests. I find this odd. You can see what I've got in my footer.

 

[livininbrazil]

I pulled all the eggs from her nest this morning and candled. Five bad ones and one still alive. It was barely moving in the shell and no sounds. I rinsed it under hot tap water then after it was a bit cleaner I chipped a hole in the end. It started talking at that point and I can see it moving in there. I covered the hole with a double layer of wet paper towel. Its in my incubator now. Any other suggestions? I would think it would be hatching here today or tomorrow. It seemed pretty weak before I chipped the air hole but seemed stronger after getting the air. More movement and talking but not sounding distressed. Not sure what else to do.

As far as the ducklings are concerned, I tried adding one to her nest but it was a no go. It got the idea to stay under her and was happy with the plan. The goslings were fine with it. The gander was fine with it. Mommy Nimbo not so much. At first she just looked but then the nipping started. I had to take it back so she wouldn't hurt it. I might try again later today. She seemed to know that dark little one was not hers. I might end up having to do all the brooding as I had been prepared to do but at least its been worth trying.

I think you waited too long to give here the ducklings. There´s just a small window. It has to be done while she´s still brooding and is still learning the sounds of her babies. Never mind, nothing lost. as regards the last gosling, what does the membrane look like? If it has lots of veins, then leave it. But you may discover that the veins have already been absorbed, in which case it may well need help in hatching. I say this because it sounds to me like it was about out of oxygen and is ready to be out of that egg. Have a look at that membrane.

 

[Tivona]

The membrane still has blood. It looked pretty dry but when I touched super gentle with a toothpick a tiny spot of blood showed up. Still needs more time it seems. I really thought that it might have been low on air and still do in a way. The egg had been still till I did that air hole. Now its rocking in the incubator. The extra humidity, air and warmth I am hoping will save it. Mommy goose is done sitting and has started taking the goslings out of the nest for a bit at a time so I'm guessing that the egg would have gotten to cold here very soon had I not pulled it in. Do you think Nimbo will have an issue with the gosling hatched in the house, or will it be like the ducklings do you think? If its not accepted I can always put it with the ducklings.

 

[livininbrazil]

The membrane still has blood. It looked pretty dry but when I touched super gentle with a toothpick a tiny spot of blood showed up. Still needs more time it seems. I really thought that it might have been low on air and still do in a way. The egg had been still till I did that air hole. Now its rocking in the incubator. The extra humidity, air and warmth I am hoping will save it. Mommy goose is done sitting and has started taking the goslings out of the nest for a bit at a time so I'm guessing that the egg would have gotten to cold here very soon had I not pulled it in. Do you think Nimbo will have an issue with the gosling hatched in the house, or will it be like the ducklings do you think? If its not accepted I can always put it with the ducklings.

I´m quite sure she´ll accept it if you wait long enough that it can keep on its feet, and then put it under her while the others are snuggling. Maybe even abduct agosling from her for it to imprint, then it should stay close to that gosling.It´ll only take a day. Most important thing is keeping that membrane damp, as if it dries, the gosling will not be able to escape. Use a spray of warm water to keep it damp. That way you´ll easily be able to see the veins receeding. On the other hand, the goz may just be weak and you may still lose it, but it´s always worth a try. Remember, most important thing is spray that membrane so it can tear it when it needs to.

 

[Tivona]

I´m quite sure she´ll accept it if you wait long enough that it can keep on its feet, and then put it under her while the others are snuggling. Maybe even abduct agosling from her for it to imprint, then it should stay close to that gosling.It´ll only take a day. Most important thing is keeping that membrane damp, as if it dries, the gosling will not be able to escape. Use a spray of warm water to keep it damp. That way you´ll easily be able to see the veins receeding. On the other hand, the goz may just be weak and you may still lose it, but it´s always worth a try. Remember, most important thing is spray that membrane so it can tear it when it needs to.

Thanks. I will make sure it doesn't dry out. I put a few drops of water on it after seeing the dot of blood. I figured with it still having blood to it and it looking like leather that maybe the gosling was shrink wrapped. I really don't know. I know this is all iffy for this little gosling but I wanted to give it the best chance I can. There is no way of knowing till its hatched. I do wonder why its so delayed though. Hopefully its going to be okay.