Gosling hatching advice

[bigbillybagel]

Hi guys,

So one of the goose eggs I had put with a broody chook and thought had died started tapping today, so I put it back with the geese. I do however have the following problems:-

The mother (Daisy)of the 4 week old gosling we have has showed no interest in the egg, one of the other girls (Gertrude) that wanted to sit on it gets chased away by the mother (she is the dominant goose of the pack, and clearly doesn't want other girls to sit on eggs). I encouraged her to go in to the goose house earlier, she sat on the egg for a bit but then left it again.

I have just put the whole gang in the house for the night, but Daisy (the Alpha mother goose) once again chased after Gertrude and started yanking her feathers (which happens every night and upsets the 4 week old gosling), so I decided that it'd be best for Gertrude to spend the night outside of the house in the enclosure - I was worried that all this charging about could lead to damage of the egg.

I know that I shouldn't intervene regarding the hatching and let nature take it's course but I'm worried that the egg will get left and the gosling is going to die.

I listened to the gosling inside the egg and heard it squeaking so I presume it's really ready to come out? How long can this take from the point of tapping and calling?

Is Daisy likely to be willing to help the gosling out?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Put the egg back under the broody hen or in an incubator. It’s the only way it’s got a chance of survival.

From what you have described it isn’t going to work out with the geese. The goose with goslings is caring for those which will be her priority and the other would need to be committed broody to have any chance of hatching the egg.

If you can hear from inside the egg it could be another 72+ before it hatches depending how long it’s been internally pipped. Please read this guide lots of useful help ~ Waterfowl incubation guide.

Good luck with the egg

 

[bigbillybagel]

Put the egg back under the broody hen or in an incubator. It’s the only way it’s got a chance of survival.

From what you have described it isn’t going to work out with the geese. The goose with goslings is caring for those which will be her priority and the other would need to be committed broody to have any chance of hatching the egg.

If you can hear from inside the egg it could be another 72+ before it hatches depending how long it’s been internally pipped. Please read this guide lots of useful help ~ Waterfowl incubation guide.

Good luck with the egg

Well my fears have been realised, I've just got in and the egg is sitting there with another fresh egg without a goose, and it is very cold.

As you said it doesn't look like it's going to work with the geese, so I've put it back with the chooks in the hope that it's not dead and they can look after it for now.

I know intergrating goslings back to geese after being hatched by chooks is fraught with danger but I can't just lave the poor thing to die