Goose still having eggs

[Badhairdo980]

I have two Pilgrim geese with a gander, one of them as prepared a nest and there is 13 eggs under. The last egg was added to her nest two days ago. She is still not sitting on the nest but she is very protective of the area, so is the gander. How many eggs could she have? How long after her last egg will she start to sit? Should I keep the other goose with the male and the female?

 

[Percheron chick]

13. Keep the flock together. They will all get stressed out if you remove one. Chances are #2 goose will also start sitting a few days later. 13 eggs are a lot for one goose to cover and she will need the help. Do not split the eggs into two nests. They will do fine sharing. It's a bonus to have both sitting because usually one is happy to sit around and finish hatching the late developers while the other one deals with the hatchlings.

 

[Badhairdo980]

13. Keep the flock together. They will all get stressed out if you remove one. Chances are #2 goose will also start sitting a few days later. 13 eggs are a lot for one goose to cover and she will need the help. Do not split the eggs into two nests. They will do fine sharing. It's a bonus to have both sitting because usually one is happy to sit around and finish hatching the late developers while the other one deals with the hatchlings.

I did what you suggested and they seem to get along much better. Now, my other goose is adding eggs to the nest so I now have 15 eggs and none of the girls are sitting at the moment. Should I let them be?

 

[Percheron chick]

Just let them be. As long as they aren't sitting, the eggs won't start developing and you won't have a staggered hatch. You can mark the eggs so if eggs are being added, you know which are which. They should start sitting any time. After a week you can candle the eggs and toss out the non developers. The flashlight on the phone is strong enough to shine through the egg.
My 2 that are sharing a nest had at least 2 hatch yesterday. Need to fire up the incubator jik.

 

[Percheron chick]

Show the girls this for inspiration.

 

[PatriciafromCO]

Geese family orientation is so fascinating..... <3 I love them... not sure what the norm is . but mine are very personally connected life long once they attach to a gander group. All the female geese help the matriarch female, the family group all lay fertile eggs in the one nest, the matriarch female , she is (for my groups) is the one that sits on the nest and hatches.. is #1 mommy to the babies The rest of the females help with the training of the babies once they hatched, especially if the babies try to wonder away from the nest after being hatched and the matriarch is still hatching the rest on the nest. They also insure while out and about the babies don't wonder off from the group. All the geese will chastise a baby not staying with it's group while walking about. And if an older hatched baby walks off a nest and starts wondering about the gander will walk with the baby and eventually gently nudge the baby back towards the nest.

Maybe I spend too much time lol but it's so endearing and cool... Geese have this family system down pat.......... It may seem like they harsh to the babies about breaking the rules they want them to learn, but they not trying to hurt them, they want the babies to learn to be safe.

(thanks for the information that they waiting for the eggs to pile up before starting the hatch time) I never thought of that, I have a good size flock putting in eggs quickly I've never seen them do that. I have figured out that the unfertilized or not the best quality eggs are put into a separate nest that is not sat on. That and some egg stealing by lower status, or unattached geese in the flock. literally push the egg under a wing and walk off with it.

Excited for you !!!!

 

[Badhairdo980]

My goose finally sat on the eggs. Out of 15 eggs...11 were viable and out of them, I got 8 goslings. So happy! Now I have another problem my goslings are 22 days old and the gander plus my two geese are taking care of them. Now, I found three new eggs in the nest. What should I do? Leave them or removed them? Will they sit on them again?

 

[Percheron chick]

Did you candle them? They usually give up on the eggs for a reason. I do keep an incubator at the ready just in case. Some years I can coax 2-3 more to hatch I've also had the abandoned eggs explode on me just picking them up.

 

[Badhairdo980]

Did you candle them? They usually give up on the eggs for a reason. I do keep an incubator at the ready just in case. Some years I can coax 2-3 more to hatch I've also had the abandoned eggs explode on me just picking them up.

I tried to incubate two of the last batch but it did not work. All other eggs were removed. These eggs are new from this week.

 

[Percheron chick]

At this point, I would gather the eggs and eat them (they make the best pasta) or sell them as hatching eggs. The girls will be too busy with the hatchlings so unlikely one will go broody.