Goose Sitting on Unfertilized Eggs for Over a Month Now...

[creiser]

Hi everyone,

My dear goose, Frenchie, laid 12 eggs (her first year laying), but they are definitely unfertilized. She has been sitting on them for nearly 6 weeks now. She is still very healthy, eating, and gets up to stretch and run/fly to the pond for a quick bath every couple of days.

I am unsure of what to do. Would you wait for her to abandon them (I figured she would have abandoned them already - 6 weeks is a long time!) or take them the next time she goes for a bath? It all feels awful for some reason.

If it helps, we plan to get two new goslings for her to raise. She is alone right now as her female friend died in a tragic accident a few months ago. (I do spend a lot of time with her every day, so she is not so alone).

Thank you for any help you can provide!

 

[Jenbirdee]

Hi everyone,

My dear goose, Frenchie, laid 12 eggs (her first year laying), but they are definitely unfertilized. She has been sitting on them for nearly 6 weeks now. She is still very healthy, eating, and gets up to stretch and run/fly to the pond for a quick bath every couple of days.

I am unsure of what to do. Would you wait for her to abandon them (I figured she would have abandoned them already - 6 weeks is a long time!) or take them the next time she goes for a bath? It all feels awful for some reason.

If it helps, we plan to get two new goslings for her to raise. She is alone right now as her female friend died in a tragic accident a few months ago. (I do spend a lot of time with her every day, so she is not so alone).

Thank you for any help you can provide!

i think take away the eggs as they are rotten now and if one breaks it going to stink really bad! perhaps you can put one or two fake goose eggs in there instead I understand it feels terrible to take them away so that’s what I do. I hope you can get the goslings soon I’m not sure how you would go about introducing them, but I think @Goosebaby will have some good advice

 

[Jenbirdee]

Please accept my sincere sympathy for the loss of your other goose ..
Are you in the United States? Are you anywhere near Maryland?? My Pilgrim goose is sitting on fertile eggs right now and I may have a couple of goslings that will need new homes. I plan on keeping one female. The eggs are due to hatch around May 9.

 

[creiser]

i think take away the eggs as they are rotten now and if one breaks it going to stink really bad! perhaps you can put one or two fake goose eggs in there instead I understand it feels terrible to take them away so that’s what I do. I hope you can get the goslings soon I’m not sure how you would go about introducing them, but I think @Goosebaby will have some good advice

Thanks!!

 

[creiser]

Please accept my sincere sympathy for the loss of your other goose ..
Are you in the United States? Are you anywhere near Maryland?? My Pilgrim goose is sitting on fertile eggs right now and I may have a couple of goslings that will need new homes. I plan on keeping one female. The eggs are due to hatch around May 9.

Thank you for your condolences, it was so sad.

I wish I was closer by! I am up in NW NJ. I hope you find some great homes for your new goslings.

 

[nuthatched]

Do not let her sit any longer, being broody is hard on a bird.

 

[Goosebaby]

I agree with @Jenbirdee, you should take the eggs before one of them explodes. She’ll be upset about it for a day or two but she’ll get over it. Goslings will thrill her!

I’m sorry you lost your other goose, it’s very hard losing such sweet birds.

 

[creiser]

Thank you, and to everyone for your advice and condolences. We miss our sweet goose every day. They are amazing!

I removed the eggs, as suggested. She seems to be doing ok, I think she is finding some happiness by being back swimming, bathing, and hanging out by the pond (her favorite spot).

I can’t wait to get the new goslings for her and have been doing a lot of research from this incredibly helpful site to make the transition as easy as possible!

Thank you to everyone again!!

I agree with @Jenbirdee, you should take the eggs before one of them explodes. She’ll be upset about it for a day or two but she’ll get over it. Goslings will thrill her!

I’m sorry you lost your other goose, it’s very hard losing such sweet birds

 

[JRies]

Most geese will happily except goslings and raise them if there a few weeks of hatch. If you can find any. Usually under 3 weeks. Just a thought.

 

[creiser]

Most geese will happily except goslings and raise them if there a few weeks of hatch. If you can find any. Usually under 3 weeks. Just a thought.

Great to know! Thank you.