Goose Nest and a dead gander :(

[WhattheHill]

Hi! I got a mated pair of American buff geese and they laid their nest under the steps to our front porch. They wouldn't leave the nest and I took the risk of letting them tend to it and woke up this morning to my gander, Aries missing. I found his body out in the pasture, something got him. Now I have a mourning goose, Athena who won't leave her nest. I'm trying to figure out how to keep her safe and let her hatch her nest. Has anyone had luck in moving a nest? I want her to be able to hatch them so it helps with her mourning but I don't want to leave her unprotected. I can put up some boards and wire to secure the area as best as I can but if I can move them I would prefer. Any advice?

 

[AGeese]

Hi! I got a mated pair of American buff geese and they laid their nest under the steps to our front porch. They wouldn't leave the nest and I took the risk of letting them tend to it and woke up this morning to my gander, Aries missing. I found his body out in the pasture, something got him. Now I have a mourning goose, Athena who won't leave her nest. I'm trying to figure out how to keep her safe and let her hatch her nest. Has anyone had luck in moving a nest? I want her to be able to hatch them so it helps with her mourning but I don't want to leave her unprotected. I can put up some boards and wire to secure the area as best as I can but if I can move them I would prefer. Any advice?

That's unfortunate. Geese need a safe shelter to sleep and nest. I would get one built, fill it with straw and put the eggs there. You can use wire generally speaking, but with this situation I'd look for a roll of 1/2 inch galvanized hardware cloth and tac it down tight. You can get away with larger spaced hardware cloth, or welded wire, but smaller predators can get through that, and larger ones can reach in.

I'd bring her in tonight with the eggs if that's possible, whatever got the gander is probably still out there.

 

[WhattheHill]

That's unfortunate. Geese need a safe shelter to sleep and nest. I would get one built, fill it with straw and put the eggs there. You can use wire generally speaking, but with this situation I'd look for a roll of 1/2 inch galvanized hardware cloth and tac it down tight. You can get away with larger spaced hardware cloth, or welded wire, but smaller predators can get through that, and larger ones can reach in.

I'd bring her in tonight with the eggs if that's possible, whatever got the gander is probably still out there.

We have a run that's super secure and a large chicken coop. These geese refuse to go in the coop and prefer to be outside. Last night was the first night I couldn't get them in because they decided not to leave the nest. They got really hostile with me so I let them be. The gander was actually in the pasture behind the coop so he left the nest. The female is laying on the nest directly under our front door. I'm going to just enclose the bottom of the porch and leave her be. I put up flood lights and plan to leave the radio on the porch and I'll probably not sleep and sit outside with her since I wasn't able to secure the area, crazy I know but I feel really bad. I want her to hatch the eggs and hopefully break her mourning. I'm afraid to move the eggs in case she won't take to them again.

 

[deer trail duck farms]

if under front porch keep the light i find predators will stay away from lighted areas unless they truly are desperate

 

[WhattheHill]

if under front porch keep the light i find predators will stay away from lighted areas unless they truly are desperate

I've been leaving the porch light on, bought additional flood motion lights, and I've been putting my Bluetooth speaker on the front porch playing Joe Rogan podcast all night. So far no issues. I did put up game cams and caught what I think might be a dog. If it's a dog I'm putting up fencing around her.

 

[Jenbirdee]

i’m wondering why you can’t move her and the eggs? is she in a spot under there that’s impossible for a human to reach? if that is so, then if she does stay there and eggs start hatching, how will you get food and water to her goslings? will they be safe living under there too?

 

[WhattheHill]

i’m wondering why you can’t move her and the eggs? is she in a spot under there that’s impossible for a human to reach? if that is so, then if she does stay there and eggs start hatching, how will you get food and water to her goslings? will they be safe living under there too?

Bc she won't sit if I move them. That's why. She rejects a nest that's been moved. Obviously if moving them were an option I would have. She broke them all so it doesn't really matter anymore, thanks for the help.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Bc she won't sit if I move them. That's why. She rejects a nest that's been moved. Obviously if moving them were an option I would have. She broke them all so it doesn't really matter anymore, thanks for the help.

i’m so sorry about all the broken eggs.

 

[Tennessee Great Granny]

We have a run that's super secure and a large chicken coop. These geese refuse to go in the coop and prefer to be outside. Last night was the first night I couldn't get them in because they decided not to leave the nest. They got really hostile with me so I let them be. The gander was actually in the pasture behind the coop so he left the nest. The female is laying on the nest directly under our front door. I'm going to just enclose the bottom of the porch and leave her be. I put up flood lights and plan to leave the radio on the porch and I'll probably not sleep and sit outside with her since I wasn't able to secure the area, crazy I know but I feel really bad. I want her to hatch the eggs and hopefully break her mourning. I'm afraid to move the eggs in case she won't take to them again.

Just having a light on does not work. I was doing my canning outside to keep the house cooler and often ran into after dark hours. It made no difference to a huge hunkin possum that I was still outside or the lights were on outside or even having a movie running on my laptop. That possum didn't care one bit. It came for snacks regardless. And there was also a raccoon. That I could scream into leaving but even rats from the woods were coming onto my work area in case I might leave out something they found tasty like beet peels or apple peels. Make sure your female has nearby access to food and water and fresh greens. Use small hardware cloth with 1/2 inch holes. The varmints will climb through any hole they can squeeze their bodies through. Rats will eat your eggs and the goslings too.If need be and she does reject the eggs you can hatch them out yourself. Incubate at 100 degrees. Turn them by hand (super clean hands with no soap residue) 6 times a day. By the tenth day of incubation they need to be sprayed with warmed distilled water with every turn. I always kept a spray bottle inside of the incubator which kept my water at 100 degrees. Lock down at day 25. They hatch around day 28. Don't assist hatch because so many have caused the babies to bleed out prematurely by trying to rescue a baby that didn't need rescuing. They'll come when they are ready. Momma won't retake them after people hatching, but if she rejects them they'll at least have a shot at life. I had a female sebastopol who lost all her eggs but one. They literally were rotting and exploding. We took the last one and finished it off in the incubator because I candled it and it was alive. The mother even today rejects her own daughter but wow is she a beauty and our only baby to make it last year. We would love it if all our moms could hatch out their own. BTW if the mom abandons the nest, don't worry even if the eggs sit without heat for a time. I have hatched out abandoned turkey eggs and chicken eggs with an incubator failure and abandoned duck eggs. Many do recover and while hatching can wind up slightly delayed, they often will hatch out healthy babies. Just never throw in the towel until you've tried.