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

[EeyoreD]

I think there are actually six! Possibly seven. When I looked in on them earlier, I saw one away from the nest, tired and cold and face down in the undergrowth. I wasn't sure if it was rejected or the egg just rolled away and it was just too exhausted to make it back. I held it for a while to warm it and it totally seemed to perk up. When I saw Mom lifting a wing to let the others in I slipped it in (the gander stabbed me in the neck for that). That was an hour and a half ago and I don't see it shoved out again. It's pretty reedy and brushy there but I hopefully it got warmed up under mom and is OK.

Still. You're so right, livininbrazil, after 2 years of abysmal hatches to get this many (I don't six doesn't seem like a lot but for me it is!) is just amazing! That goose IS a breeder!

Now I just have to remember which one it is...

 

[livininbrazil]

I think there are actually six! Possibly seven. When I looked in on them earlier, I saw one away from the nest, tired and cold and face down in the undergrowth. I wasn't sure if it was rejected or the egg just rolled away and it was just too exhausted to make it back. I held it for a while to warm it and it totally seemed to perk up. When I saw Mom lifting a wing to let the others in I slipped it in (the gander stabbed me in the neck for that). That was an hour and a half ago and I don't see it shoved out again. It's pretty reedy and brushy there but I hopefully it got warmed up under mom and is OK.

Still. You're so right, livininbrazil, after 2 years of abysmal hatches to get this many (I don't six doesn't seem like a lot but for me it is!) is just amazing! That goose IS a breeder!

Now I just have to remember which one it is...

Put a leg-band on her when it´s convenient. 6 or 7 is a good-sized brood for her to have. I don´t leave mine with more than 8 eggs, and sometimes just 3, depending on what I want from them. Congrats, so pleased for you.

 

[EeyoreD]

Put a leg-band on her when it´s convenient. 6 or 7 is a good-sized brood for her to have. I don´t leave mine with more than 8 eggs, and sometimes just 3, depending on what I want from them. Congrats, so pleased for you.

Leg banding is easy if there's more than just you Also, the plastic ones seem hit or miss on how long they stay on. But I'll definitely be looking into more durable ones, really just for this one. I know I'm going to want to remember this one.

As to the clutch size, really? Don't get me wrong, I'm not doubting you. But it seems like they won't even begin to brood with less than 10 or 11 (and, in fact, I pulled four out from under this one a few weeks ago already because while geese are big they're not 14 eggs big because goose eggs are big too!)

And thanks. I can't tell you how pleased, chuffed, tickled, ecstatic, other big words for happy I am!

I was beginning to lose hope!

 

[livininbrazil]

Leg banding is easy if there's more than just you Also, the plastic ones seem hit or miss on how long they stay on. But I'll definitely be looking into more durable ones, really just for this one. I know I'm going to want to remember this one.

As to the clutch size, really? Don't get me wrong, I'm not doubting you. But it seems like they won't even begin to brood with less than 10 or 11 (and, in fact, I pulled four out from under this one a few weeks ago already because while geese are big they're not 14 eggs big because goose eggs are big too!)

And thanks. I can't tell you how pleased, chuffed, tickled, ecstatic, other big words for happy I am!

I was beginning to lose hope!

Well, when I couldn´t find any bird legbands here, Ruru said that folks just use cable-ties. Make sure it´s not tight, cut it neat to the knot, and done. If you need to take it off for any reason, just snip it off. I´ve done mine on my own. Just get the goose head under your arm, body across your front, and you have two arms and hands to put it on with.
Well, maybe my geese are happier with fewer eggs. Suits me.

njoy your babies. Looking forward to pics soon.more

 

[Miss Lydia]

Dual parenting (goose on the left, gander on the right):

What a beautiful picture... Congrats EeyoreD.. look at them babies.

 

[EeyoreD]

What a beautiful picture... Congrats EeyoreD.. look at them babies.

Thank you, I was pretty pleased to capture the geese like that. I love that picture and may make it into a poster. Of course 1 second before and it and 1 second after Gander was hissing and snakenecking me like crazy. And this was an amazing hatch for me.

livininbrazil - you may have a point on the number of eggs (maybe they only want to parent so many), or I just have a doomed gosling.

That's not stopping me from, for some insane reason, trying to save it. When I went out to check there was one face down about a foot away from the nest. I've seen this happen when they're wet and they're pretty much a lost cause. But this one was dry and fluffy. And when I picked it up and warmed it for a few seconds it was floppy but started to chirp.

Call me a sucker but when they get to that point I just couldn't leave it to die cold and alone 10 inches from the warmed siblings. It's in the house now, it was on my chest for a while, now it's semi-burrito'd in a heating pad with a towel insulating it from the pad and paper towel bunched up so it doesn't fully rest on the little guy. There are some bits of scrambled egg in there too if he gets hungry. It seems strong in the leg area (it's pushed itself up into my neck crease when I let the warmth gap) but its neck is not handling its head at all.

I don't have much hope. But if he goes, at least he goes warm and sheltered.

If it makes it through the night I have NO IDEA what I'm going to do. Again, sucker.

 

[EeyoreD]

Well, when I couldn´t find any bird legbands here, Ruru said that folks just use cable-ties. Make sure it´s not tight, cut it neat to the knot, and done. If you need to take it off for any reason, just snip it off. I´ve done mine on my own. Just get the goose head under your arm, body across your front, and you have two arms and hands to put it on with.
Well, maybe my geese are happier with fewer eggs. Suits me.

njoy your babies. Looking forward to pics soon.more

Oh and I usually use cable ties/zip ties. But they tend to come off within about 6-10 months. Unless it's the birds you banded for completeness sake and know who they are/don't need to know. Then those zip ties will stay on for YEARS.

*sigh*

 

[livininbrazil]

Oh and I usually use cable ties/zip ties. But they tend to come off within about 6-10 months. Unless it's the birds you banded for completeness sake and know who they are/don't need to know. Then those zip ties will stay on for YEARS.

*sigh*

Haha.
So far mine have all been good, but I only put them on the birds in about December. Possibly the ones I get here are cheap´n´nasty, so will last forever!!
Well, I can´t think of any other way of identifying her, so you´ll maybe need to put new rings on her regularly, then.

 

[subhanalah]

Thank you, I was pretty pleased to capture the geese like that.  I love that picture and may make it into a poster.  Of course 1 second before and it and 1 second after Gander was hissing and snakenecking me like crazy.  And this was an amazing hatch for me.

livininbrazil - you may have a point on the number of eggs (maybe they only want to parent so many), or I just have a doomed gosling.

That's not stopping me from, for some insane reason, trying to save it.  When I went out to check there was one face down about a foot away from the nest.  I've seen this happen when they're wet and they're pretty much a lost cause.  But this one was dry and fluffy. And when I picked it up and warmed it for a few seconds it was floppy but started to chirp. 

Call me a sucker but when they get to that point I just couldn't leave it to die cold and alone 10 inches from the warmed siblings.  It's in the house now, it was on my chest for a while, now it's semi-burrito'd in a heating pad with a towel insulating it from the pad and paper towel bunched up so it doesn't fully rest on the little guy.  There are some bits of scrambled egg in there too if he gets hungry.  It seems strong in the leg area (it's pushed itself up into my neck crease when I let the warmth gap) but its neck is not handling its head at all.

I don't have much hope.  But if he goes, at least he goes warm and sheltered.

If it makes it through the night I have NO IDEA what I'm going to do.  Again, sucker.

I would offer it electrolytes and some poultry nutri-drench.

 

[livininbrazil]

livininbrazil - you may have a point on the number of eggs (maybe they only want to parent so many), or I just have a doomed gosling.

That's not stopping me from, for some insane reason, trying to save it. When I went out to check there was one face down about a foot away from the nest. I've seen this happen when they're wet and they're pretty much a lost cause. But this one was dry and fluffy. And when I picked it up and warmed it for a few seconds it was floppy but started to chirp.

Call me a sucker but when they get to that point I just couldn't leave it to die cold and alone 10 inches from the warmed siblings. It's in the house now, it was on my chest for a while, now it's semi-burrito'd in a heating pad with a towel insulating it from the pad and paper towel bunched up so it doesn't fully rest on the little guy. There are some bits of scrambled egg in there too if he gets hungry. It seems strong in the leg area (it's pushed itself up into my neck crease when I let the warmth gap) but its neck is not handling its head at all.

I don't have much hope. But if he goes, at least he goes warm and sheltered.

If it makes it through the night I have NO IDEA what I'm going to do. Again, sucker.

I was only talking about the number that mine like....others raise a lot more. I don´t think her putting it out has anything to do with the number of them. It probably has something srong with it anyway, hence the head thing....Geese are tougher than we are, eh? We try to save them, and they die slowly. Geese push them out, and they´re gone overnight....
Just pop a little mirror in there with it so it feels it has company, and keep it warm....