Goslings of 2015 Hatch-a-Long

Carrosaur · May 10, 2015

Some demon animal DUG UP Pear and stole two of Mango's eggs, but didn't hurt the geese. Went out and bought a trap and filled it with bait (hamburger meat, tuna, two eggs, ketchup, and A1 steak sauce to make it REALLY smell). This morning we caught an opossum. I feel like the hole leading to Pear was small enough and I feel like an opossum would steal eggs and not try to attack two full grown geese. How did he get past the hot wire? Do opossums dig?

This happened in the middle of the day yesterday, so the geese were out. I'm furious. What if my babies were out there?!

jtn42248 · May 10, 2015

Carrosaur said:
Some demon animal DUG UP Pear and stole two of Mango's eggs, but didn't hurt the geese. Went out and bought a trap and filled it with bait (hamburger meat, tuna, two eggs, ketchup, and A1 steak sauce to make it REALLY smell). This morning we caught an opossum. I feel like the hole leading to Pear was small enough and I feel like an opossum would steal eggs and not try to attack two full grown geese. How did he get past the hot wire? Do opossums dig?

This happened in the middle of the day yesterday, so the geese were out. I'm furious. What if my babies were out there?!

While not impossible that a opossum would be out and about during the daytime they are typically nocturnal plus it is unlikely that one would dig up Pear's grave. First, whenever I have a bird that I bury I always cover the grave with something heavy like bricks or a large paving stone. Partly to mark the grave and partly to prevent them being dug up. If they are not buried pretty deep predators can catch the scent and dig them out. The eggs being taken could be an opossum, raccoon, skunk or any one of several predatory birds. You will want to make certain that any nesting is confined to a secure area since something now knows there are free meals to be had. If it is inclined to do so it will go for the goslings as well until they are much larger.

Carrosaur · May 10, 2015

jtn42248 said:
While not impossible that a opossum would be out and about during the daytime they are typically nocturnal plus it is unlikely that one would dig up Pear's grave. First, whenever I have a bird that I bury I always cover the grave with something heavy like bricks or a large paving stone. Partly to mark the grave and partly to prevent them being dug up. If they are not buried pretty deep predators can catch the scent and dig them out. The eggs being taken could be an opossum, raccoon, skunk or any one of several predatory birds. You will want to make certain that any nesting is confined to a secure area since something now knows there are free meals to be had. If it is inclined to do so it will go for the goslings as well until they are much larger.

Yesterday we started the process of building a box around mango and her nest. I suppose it is unlikely it was an opossum but I've seen them all over the place during the day and at nught

8GeeseALaying · May 10, 2015

Im no longer MIA...for a while.
My new batch of ducklings are hatching. I have 4 so far and 2 look like true saxony ducklings, which is great!!
The other two are from my blue ancona type hen & the saxony drake, they are blue with white neck rings & bibs.
My goslings are due in 10 days along with 14 more ducklings.

Miss Lydia · May 10, 2015

8GeeseALaying said:
Im no longer MIA...for a while.
My new batch of ducklings are hatching. I have 4 so far and 2 look like true saxony ducklings, which is great!!
The other two are from my blue ancona type hen & the saxony drake, they are blue with white neck rings & bibs.
My goslings are due in 10 days along with 14 more ducklings.

jtn42248 · May 10, 2015

8GeeseALaying said:
Im no longer MIA...for a while.
My new batch of ducklings are hatching. I have 4 so far and 2 look like true saxony ducklings, which is great!!
The other two are from my blue ancona type hen & the saxony drake, they are blue with white neck rings & bibs.
My goslings are due in 10 days along with 14 more ducklings.

Great to see you again, hope all is well with you and yours, know you more than have your hands full...and now little ducklings as well. Would love to see pictures if you get the chance. The Blue Ancona/Saxony sound really interesting.

Iain Utah · May 10, 2015

I also would like to pop back in with hatching news. My African hatched our 1st gosling of 2015 today. Not sure if it is a brown african or grey dewlap (was dark when I got home and took a peek and it was a shared nest), but it looked healthy and was chatting up a storm. Based on personality, I'd guess male african. My goose has 3 more eggs under her, so the little one will hopefully have a companion in the next day or so.

In other news, I lost a buff dewlap goose recently so set a few eggs last week in hopes to hatch another buff girl. Looks like 5 of 6 are developing well, so fingers crossed for buff babies in a few weeks.

Chrysolinsbirds · May 11, 2015

Iain Utah said:
I also would like to pop back in with hatching news. My African hatched our 1st gosling of 2015 today. Not sure if it is a brown african or grey dewlap (was dark when I got home and took a peek and it was a shared nest), but it looked healthy and was chatting up a storm. Based on personality, I'd guess male african. My goose has 3 more eggs under her, so the little one will hopefully have a companion in the next day or so.

In other news, I lost a buff dewlap goose recently so set a few eggs last week in hopes to hatch another buff girl. Looks like 5 of 6 are developing well, so fingers crossed for buff babies in a few weeks.

Fingers crossed =)
I've got internal pips on my African eggs =) I wanted these since I started chickens a few years ago and the funny part is that the eggs are from the neighbor who inherited the geese from my previous neighbor when I lived down the street so they are the same exact geese I was coveting and now I'm hatching their babies =D

Pyxis · May 11, 2015

I've got internal pips on my sebastopol eggs! One I will be slipping under my goose Lacie this afternoon, since she lost her eggs. The other is all mine :love