Goose hatching eggs/gosling

[Vyraal]

Apologies if this isnt the right section, but i was wondering if anyone knew of any well known places that sell geese hatching eggs and or goslings as im looking to purchase one.

 

[Going Bhonkers]

Here's a list that may help you out https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/2013-waterfowl-breeders-directory

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

1 gosling wont be a happy gosling or adult goose, they need another of their species to be truly happy. You wont find anyone willing to sell and ship 1 gosling as that is not safe for them and they end up arriving dead because they cant stay warm enough.

What are you wanting geese for? That will help find a source for a pair of goslings.

So you know:

Geese NEED to free range and graze as it is 90% of their diet
Geese will NOT guard your chickens
2 ganders and 2 geese can live together just as happily as 1 gander and 1 goose
Geese do not require a large in ground pond, kiddie pools work well too
They only lay a small number of eggs during a limited breeding season each year (typically spring in most areas)

 

[Vyraal]

Thank you both very much! I was planning on buying a few hatching eggs and hatching them myself, so it hopefully wouldnt just be one gosling if things go right.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

goose eggs are hard to ship and not have major damage, they are hard to hatch and after shipping you may not get any to hatch or may get just one. if you really want a couple of goslings it is best to select a breed now and get on a waiting list with a breeder so you can have them shipped in the spring.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

If you do prefer to get hatching eggs, buy at least 4 if not 6. I shipped eggs all over the US last season and people had anywhere from 25% to 75% hatch. Celtic is correct though: The bigger the egg the higher the risk of shipping damage: Damaged or detached air cells in particular. Some with just damaged air cells can still be hatched, but those with completely detached ones rarely work out.

The USPS has been VERY rough on eggs this year. Every order I have gotten except one that didn't go very far, was pretty badly damaged. The last order of Cornish eggs I got (had good hatch rate from this breeders eggs last year) were so damaged that only 1 out of 13 even developed: One even had the yolk scrambled. Now, how hard do they have to shake a box to do that?

Anyway, their are plenty of good people on the list posted above that will sell you either goslings or eggs. Good luck either way you decide to go.

 

[Vyraal]

Good god, MrsMagoo thats awful, im VERY sorry to hear. And for the getting on breeders lists, i dont have any money to do so yet and wont until a bit into 2013, we havent even bought our new coop yet. I hope very much i can find a toulouse breeder either local on on the list that still has stock when everything here is set and ready.

And seriously, the USPS has been having worse and worse issues, its awful.

Edited for typos, oops

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Vyraal, avoid anyone who requires money to be on a waiting list. Waiting lists should never require you to put money down.

 

[Vyraal]

Oh, alright. Usually for reptiles people ask for money to be on waiting lists, birds might just be different.

 

[1MrsMagoo]

Oh, alright. Usually for reptiles people ask for money to be on waiting lists, birds might just be different.

I have never asked for, nor been asked for money for a being on a waiting list. I mean nothing in the future is certain. If you take a deposit and then something wipes out your flock, or they don't lay well, a person would have a ton of refunds to make. Aside from that, people's situations change all the time. Just because you want eggs in December for the following spring, doesn't mean that when spring arrives you can still take them either.

Just keep track of the breeders you contact though so you can check back with them (if you haven't heard from them) around the time-frame they estimate they will begin selling eggs. When I take a pre-order, I will message the person when my flock starts laying and again when I fill the order ahead of them to make sure that they still want the eggs, and that they can take them at that particular time.

Oh, and one last thing. You need to decide what quality of birds you want. In most cases, egg prices vary dependent upon the quality of the parent stock. For instance, if you get eggs from Celtic for Sebbies, you are getting top of the line birds and that costs a bit more than some eggs from a random seller who just has a pair of geese: She has years of time, effort, higher feed costs for the best possible diet, and selective breeding invested in her birds and her stock shows that. Also, hatching eggs from better quality birds should produce goslings that are healthier and better looking as adults. Just my two cents.

Good luck and happy hatching!