Goslings of 2014 Hatch-a-long

[Starfire669]

Hi Starfire, I´ve missed some of your posts, so sorry if I repeat anything that´s already been said.  
Finding an egg in the pool isn´t anything much, they´re just youngsters and usually don´t get it together.  Also, some breeds tend to be better brooders than others.  
Are they actually broody?  Or just laying?  It´s very difficult to stop a goose from brooding, but then some have stronger instincts than others.  Is one actually glued to a nest site?

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.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I found an awesome post for angel wing that helped fix Forest's problem. I used scotch masking tape. It helps to support the wing. The tape removes easily without hurting the feathers. Maybe once you figure out why the wing is droopy, you can apply the tape as a sort of brace? The key is to use the under feathers as support so bird can still move and flap wing (at body) without wing being able to extend the entire wing. Here is a pic of Oliver. You can see the way I have his wings taped in x's. Tape goes on the inside of the wing as far up as you see on the outside so it supports wing on inside and outside. Be careful to make sure wing is in proper position when folded. Be careful not to tape small feathers on rib cage/body as they will pull out. When I taped Forest's wing, I left it on for two weeks. Changed it and left it on for another 2 weeks and wing stayed in place after that. With a sprain/injury you might need less time. not sure. once you find out where the injury is you can decide if wing needs to be taped to body or taped my way.There is lots of info online about how to tape wing to body too.
I love Oliver Snow so beautiful.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@andreacroyle Here´s a pic of the week-olds, as you asked for one.

. Not too good a pic, they were busy shaking a lettuce to bits.

 

[andreacroyle]

Bolshy emerged this morning from under our front porch with 11 babies in tow, as if 10 were not enough. Sheesh.

And looks like there´s a tegu at large... they come around this time of year, eating eggs and stuff. Last night one of the nests with just one egg in so far was raided, and another nest lost two eggs.

Tegu are big lizards right? i think i rehabbed one when i was a teenager..

I saw this post where someone took those blue plastic feed barrels and cut them straight down the middle and used them as nesting areas. i guess the ducks loved them. maybe they will work for geese?

 

[andreacroyle]

I think it only works if it´s in the last days of incubation. One of mine here had at least a week to go, so if that hatches successfully, I´ll be surprised. Goose eggs are the hardest to hatch successfully. The birds do it so much better, but in an emergency, I´m ready to have a go... you just have to accept the low chances of success. But there are some!

Okay, I understand. and no.....with a ten year old that has the biggest heart that i have ever met it's not easy to plan for little success. I think that I will save up for a incubator or start looking on craigs list to have one just in case. I have no plans at all for raising eggs. however, i dont like feeling unprepared.

At three weeks they can survive without their mom. The biggest danger is predators, and it appears that mom doesn´t make much difference there. I don´t see that the mom disappearing will make a great deal of difference to their survival one way or another. so, would you be thinking about rescuing them if they were still with the duck?

Your right.....the moms around there dont protect them from preds. but how can they when there are soft shell turtles the size of small humans, owls, hawks, osprey, coons, opossums and the occasional gator...and of course dogs and cats. it is like "wild kingdom" in that area. we visited them again today and there are still 4 of them. this will be a full week without mom. they are staying in the pond (small retention ditch) where i released one of my injured hit by car ducks. we still feed him because none of those ducks in that area are "wild" they depended on the people in that area to feed them way before we ever started walking there. I would never feed actual wild animals (other water birds, coons squirrels). The ducklings ran up to us because everyone in the complex is feeding them. Not close enough to pick up or my son would have taken them. mom did give them some survival instincts. they are definitely using each other as comfort. I would like to take them, but if they have a chance to be wild safely then i am just going to monitor them everyday the way i do with the rest of the ducks there. I would like to have them, they are going to be beautiful! mom was the prettiest duck i have seen. she is chocolate with iridescent blue feathers! I am not going to bother them though if you think they can survive. thanks for replying.

 

[Iain Utah]

Thanks, LB & Andrea!

The gander lingering behind in the 2nd picture is my favorite and most imprinted dewlap, Nutmeg, who is in my avatar picture. Bolshy and her babies are on my sidewalk, which is wet since it had just stopped raining.

LB, sorry to hear about the poor duck. Hope it isn't one of yours.

 

[jtn42248]

Okay, I understand. and no.....with a ten year old that has the biggest heart that i have ever met it's not easy to plan for little success. I think that I will save up for a incubator or start looking on craigs list to have one just in case. I have no plans at all for raising eggs. however, i dont like feeling unprepared.
Your right.....the moms around there dont protect them from preds. but how can they when there are soft shell turtles the size of small humans, owls, hawks, osprey, coons, opossums and the occasional gator...and of course dogs and cats. it is like "wild kingdom" in that area. we visited them again today and there are still 4 of them. this will be a full week without mom. they are staying in the pond (small retention ditch) where i released one of my injured hit by car ducks. we still feed him because none of those ducks in that area are "wild" they depended on the people in that area to feed them way before we ever started walking there. I would never feed actual wild animals (other water birds, coons squirrels). The ducklings ran up to us because everyone in the complex is feeding them. Not close enough to pick up or my son would have taken them. mom did give them some survival instincts. they are definitely using each other as comfort. I would like to take them, but if they have a chance to be wild safely then i am just going to monitor them everyday the way i do with the rest of the ducks there. I would like to have them, they are going to be beautiful! mom was the prettiest duck i have seen. she is chocolate with iridescent blue feathers! I am not going to bother them though if you think they can survive. thanks for replying.

You are a stronger person than I...if it were me they would all be in a nice warm coop watching soap operas and eating bon bons.

 

[servpolice]

My brown and buff African with droopy(drooping) wing :/ it started Sunday and the brown started yesterday .

 

[andreacroyle]

My brown and buff African with droopy(drooping) wing

it started Sunday and the brown started yesterday .

did you see my post of my drake? is it both wings or just one side? i noticed that my drake is drooping his wings today too. I know that they actually have to hold their wings in place with their muscles and the younger birds with less muscle development "rest" their wings by allowing them to droop. if they were my geese i would monitor them for a few days/weeks. make sure they are able to move, stretch and flap them. i know very little about geese, this opinion is coming from my duck experience.

 

[servpolice]

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