Goslings of 2014 Hatch-a-long

[andreacroyle]

These are the latest two hatched with their mom. They´re Pilgrim x , not too easy to see through the wire, though.

Aww they are soo cute! what a nice family! I absolutely love the pil x on the bottom! her white coloring is so beautiful.

aww that one closest to the camera, does he have a half yellow half gray beak? do you think mom will get more white on her face as she gets older?

I will see what i can do but scotch tape will be a good way to help! And no it is just one wing on both birds

I hope someone else sees your pic that has more experience. Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[andreacroyle]

Okay guys, I need some advice,

Forest is afraid of Oliver Snow. He talks gosling chatter just like her and it interests Forest but she looks at him like he is another duck ( I assume because she is imprinted). When he walks near her she honks and runs toward us like "save me! save me!" I have tried treats but it seems to make him closer to her and she gets scared. Yesterday I decided to pick her up and hold her while she watched him. That went good so I had my son hold Forest and I picked up Oliver and we sat together. Oliver was very scared being held and kept trying to hide his head under Forest. Forest loved it! She kept chatting her content noise and started to preen Oliver's neck.

Today, whilecshe was on the ground she was just as scared of him.

Since Forest is a special case, and reacted well with them being held, and I bought Olly for Forest. I am more concerned about her comfort.
How will being held affect Oliver long term (until Forest gets comfortable with him)? Will it make him more scared of us or is he likely to get use to being held?

Does anyone have more tips that I should be trying?

 

[livininbrazil]

Okay guys, I need some advice,

Forest is afraid of Oliver Snow. He talks gosling chatter just like her and it interests Forest but she looks at him like he is another duck ( I assume because she is imprinted). When he walks near her she honks and runs toward us like "save me! save me!" I have tried treats but it seems to make him closer to her and she gets scared. Yesterday I decided to pick her up and hold her while she watched him. That went good so I had my son hold Forest and I picked up Oliver and we sat together. Oliver was very scared being held and kept trying to hide his head under Forest. Forest loved it! She kept chatting her content noise and started to preen Oliver's neck.

Today, whilecshe was on the ground she was just as scared of him.

Since Forest is a special case, and reacted well with them being held, and I bought Olly for Forest. I am more concerned about her comfort.
How will being held affect Oliver long term (until Forest gets comfortable with him)? Will it make him more scared of us or is he likely to get use to being held?

Does anyone have more tips that I should be trying?

It´s understandable that Oliver doesn´t like it, but it won´t hurt him. Keep at it, he´ll get used to it. Nice pics.

 

[livininbrazil]

Aww they are soo cute! what a nice family! I absolutely love the pil x on the bottom! her white coloring is so beautiful.

aww that one closest to the camera, does he have a half yellow half gray beak? do you think mom will get more white on her face as she gets older?

The babies are Pil x, not the goose. And yes, her face should get lighter as she gets older. The little one nearer the camera is a little female, and has a darkish bill. The males have quite a light-coloured bill.

 

[andreacroyle]

The babies are Pil x, not the goose. And yes, her face should get lighter as she gets older. The little one nearer the camera is a little female, and has a darkish bill. The males have quite a light-coloured bill.

One day I will get my breeds and genders straight! I get so confused. Well regardless that goose is so beautiful with her white coloring and the babies are very cute.
Thanks for the tip on Forest

 

[Crazforbirds]

Does anyone have any young geese available in the North Carolina area? I'm having a snake problem and a friend said that some geese would help.

 

[livininbrazil]

One day I will get my breeds and genders straight! I get so confused. Well regardless that goose is so beautiful with her white coloring and the babies are very cute.
Thanks for the tip on Forest

Does anyone have any young geese available in the North Carolina area? I'm having a snake problem and a friend said that some geese would help.

I´m not convinced so much about the geese. we do get water snakes in the marshland where they are, the geese just stare at them. Folks around here keep horses and cows around to keep snakes away!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Does anyone have any young geese available in the North Carolina area? I'm having a snake problem and a friend said that some geese would help.

Muscovy's are actually better at getting snakes... I have 2 drakes 4 ducks that I am wanting to find good homes for.

 

[livininbrazil]

For about 4 nights I have had to go and physically lift Peaches off the nest. The first night I thought she was dead in the nest and she totally scared me! The past 2 nights I have had to do the same with Ebony. Both hissed at me when I first touched them. So I am thinking both are feeling the urge to brood.

My mom asked me today to let them hatch babies, she wants to see little fuzz butts running around. I am torn, I really, really didn't want hatchlings this winter, but my mom hasn't been feeling well and I'd like to make her smile. I could put up a dog playpen fence up and section off a piece of the goose coop at night, and open it up in the morning, but I don't know if that would be good enough for Peaches and Ebony. I also don't know if a goose and duck would mind nesting so close together. They lay their eggs that close, but hatching babies might be a different story. Anyone have ideas or suggestions? If I do let them nest, what's the minimum number of eggs to give them? Both would have to sit on goose eggs, the Cayuga ducks aren't laying yet or I'd let Ebony have some of those.

Well it sure sounds like they´re broody! you could let them, but the chances are not very good of their raising goslings. If you wait til next spring, you have a better chance of them raising goslings for you, although they´ll still be young and silly. I´d be surprised if any eggs laid now would come to anything. My yearlings are laying silly-sized eggs. Next year they´ll be worth bothering with.
Also, goose and duck together lowers the slight chances of success even more. I´ve left one of my silly yearlings on one egg. she´s happy. I doubt she´ll hatch anything.

 

[Starfire669]

Well it sure sounds like they´re broody!  you could let them, but the chances are not very good of their raising goslings.  If you wait til next spring, you have a better chance of them raising goslings for you, although they´ll still be young and silly.  I´d be surprised if any eggs laid now would come to anything.  My yearlings are laying silly-sized eggs.  Next year they´ll be worth bothering with.
Also, goose and duck together lowers the slight chances of success even more.  I´ve left one of my silly yearlings on one egg.  she´s happy.  I doubt she´ll hatch anything.

Some of the goose eggs are duck sized, but some are the size of my fist. If they get bigger than that I really feel bad for those goose bums! I had hoped my flock would be too young to be interested in brooding until next year.

I'd prefer to wait till next spring to be honest, and even then I was going to use purchased eggs in a Bator and then see if anyone felt like adopting. But I guess I can let them have a couple eggs and see what happens.