Goose lovers – please help!!

[Miss Lydia]

Hi

Marty I am doing great. but wish someone would explain why they think goose season is going to be weird this next year.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Someone is me Lydia, and its because geese all over are laying already and shouldnt be. I could write it off and not be concerned if it was just some chinese (they are high volume layers), but its 2012 Dewlap Toulouse, 2011 production Africans, a Sebastopol, and I believe I saw mention of an American. They are all over the country as well, so not limited to one region or another. Just concerning to those who run larger flocks and this isnt a hobby for. I hope its just a fluke and nothing more.

 

[psue]

I put this one in the fridge for eating. IF it's fertile and she continues to lay.... should I think about hatching? This late in the year would probaly mean I'd be wintering the babies.

I really hope it's a fluke and she'll lay 3 or 4 and quit till spring

.

Speaking of babies, what should I use to mark very young gooslings? I've one bator and 3 breeds.

Marty, I bet hubby would love hot pickled goose eggs! Send the recipe please

edited for spelling.

 

[pete55]

Hi PSue - late Autumn clutches are often small and the geese quickly go out of breeding condition as the day length shortens - its not unusual but its often the Chinese that have the late clutches. You hit the nail on the head with the idea of over-wintering the youngsters. It can be done but not seen as ideal as the weather turns and goslings do seem to thrive better in sunshine and access to good graze.

If any babies are hatched then simple cable ties can be used on their legs and replaced easily as they grow

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Paula...... time to get a couple of hatchers built over winter to keep the breeds separate. lol I mean come on Jerry needs something to do while the snow flies anyways. Start checking the target dollar area for plastic bins and baskets to use for egg separation at lockdown. They work very well, toss in dishwasher to clean and reuse. We are turning the bators back on, but for duck eggs and will be hatching right into next June now. We dont have winter to worry about though.

As Pete said, cable (zip) ties of different colors work well. Just be sure to stay on top of changing them often since goslings grow so fast. We wing band everyone and record the number and breed and parents, but still use zip ties for visual ID. I bought goose snap leg bands, and the juveniles took them off this year. back to zip ties in a rainbow of colors.

Left leg - blue for boys, pink for girls

Right leg - breed color and second band for parents/pen the gosling is from

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

FYI - I order our Pink and Blue zip ties by the 1000 and they cost $0.035 each in that quantity for 8" lengths. Would be happy to order extra boxes and subdivide for those who dont need 1000 at once.

 

[Iain Utah]

Paulla, I got assorted color zip ties, which had pink and blue, at home depot. 500 for $8, if I recall correctly. I had tried the butt end metal bands, but prefer the zip ties.

Pete, welcome to the thread! Thought you may found a thread about rescuing 80+ dewlaps of interest. Assuming you have not scrolled through the 100 pages of this thread to see the pics, I would love to show you a few and get your opinion.

 

[psue]

Hi PSue - late Autumn clutches are often small and the geese quickly go out of breeding condition as the day length shortens - its not unusual but its often the Chinese that have the late clutches. You hit the nail on the head with the idea of over-wintering the youngsters. It can be done but not seen as ideal as the weather turns and goslings do seem to thrive better in sunshine and access to good graze.

If any babies are hatched then simple cable ties can be used on their legs and replaced easily as they grow

HI Pete

We missed you all summer. Hope it was good to you. The small clutches is what I'm worried about and we tend to have no grass and cloudy days from Dec. til March. Not idea for babies that love grass and sunshine. Jerry might fuss but I'm thinking these fall eggs are going to be for eatting. We also have the whole group together and while the other two ganders (boy I'm I glad we only have 3 pair this year) are both this springs hatches Squishy on 3-11 and Halloween on 4-23 and PROBALLY dont have it all together we have seen Squishy try.

Paula...... time to get a couple of hatchers built over winter to keep the breeds separate. lol I mean come on Jerry needs something to do while the snow flies anyways. Start checking the target dollar area for plastic bins and baskets to use for egg separation at lockdown. They work very well, toss in dishwasher to clean and reuse. We are turning the bators back on, but for duck eggs and will be hatching right into next June now. We dont have winter to worry about though.

As Pete said, cable (zip) ties of different colors work well. Just be sure to stay on top of changing them often since goslings grow so fast. We wing band everyone and record the number and breed and parents, but still use zip ties for visual ID. I bought goose snap leg bands, and the juveniles took them off this year. back to zip ties in a rainbow of colors.

Left leg - blue for boys, pink for girls

Right leg - breed color and second band for parents/pen the gosling is from

I have done the bowl trick with chickens and if these sizes hold for the eggs I'll be great till I have fussy butts. Zip ties it is, is the 1/4 inch wide ones ok for new hatch?
I'm gonna have to get good at sexing arent I....... the Embdens are nice on that part. Band them the first week

FYI - I order our Pink and Blue zip ties by the 1000 and they cost $0.035 each in that quantity for 8" lengths. Would be happy to order extra boxes and subdivide for those who dont need 1000 at once.

Thanks for the offer.

Paulla, I got assorted color zip ties, which had pink and blue, at home depot. 500 for $8, if I recall correctly. I had tried the butt end metal bands, but prefer the zip ties.

Pete, welcome to the thread! Thought you may found a thread about rescuing 80+ dewlaps of interest. Assuming you have not scrolled through the 100 pages of this thread to see the pics, I would love to show you a few and get your opinion.

I usually get them at at the farm store. Thanks for the imput on the metal bands.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We still use metal butt end bands as well as wing bands for permanent ID since they stay on forever. if you need lots of colors for separating though they are costly at 1 color per each 25 per size needed.

HD is good, except when you need lots of 1 color and its a mixed bag of colors and you run out of the one color used most.


DONT buy the cheap poultry spiral leg bands (you see on many hatchery newly hatched ducks/geese), they cut the legs open and can grow into the flesh on the leg quickly.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

I cut all zip ties off before shipping birds (normally) and replace with blue vet wrap (on ganders only) for the new owners to ID on arrival. Since we use the permanent bands as well, it is easy to list the band number - gender - parents