It's been a couple of years now since I have posted on the Geese forum. I've been busy the spring with a lot of ducks. My journey started 3 years ago with canada goose eggs. A predator got the momma so we gathered the eggs and put them in an incubator. One hatched and was such a joy to have. She hung around for a couple of years, have not seen her since last spring. I can only pray that she has found a mate and is living a happy life.
I then became a Wildlife rehabber for the state of MS last spring. I had 4 Canada goslings given to me that had been abandoned. They were just a day or two old. Again, had so much fun with them. I released them at the local park when they were ready to fly. That was sad but I kept going back to say hello and give them some feed. The last time I saw them was Thanksgiving.
This year we had another pair trying to nest at our pond. We have a small island that is sometimes surrounded by water. The pond level was very high so I thought for sure that she would be safe (she did too I'm sure) Well, a predator got her on day 27! I really hate when that happens, the males become so distressed looking for their mate. They stick around for days. Well, she had 4 eggs in the nest and of course we gathered them up and put them in the bator. I candled them and they all looked real good. They all hatched on Monday and Tuesday.
I'm just so amazed how quickly and efficiently they hatched. They were peeping and then they were out! Each egg was zippered around at the point where the air sac was. 2 intact pieces were left. This is so much different from domestic ducks. Seems like there is a lot of fretting and assisting when it comes to incubating ducks. I even have a Muscovy hen that was hatching a mix of eggs and she tossed a couple out of the nest that were partially hatched. I died, the other I was able to save.
I then became a Wildlife rehabber for the state of MS last spring. I had 4 Canada goslings given to me that had been abandoned. They were just a day or two old. Again, had so much fun with them. I released them at the local park when they were ready to fly. That was sad but I kept going back to say hello and give them some feed. The last time I saw them was Thanksgiving.
This year we had another pair trying to nest at our pond. We have a small island that is sometimes surrounded by water. The pond level was very high so I thought for sure that she would be safe (she did too I'm sure) Well, a predator got her on day 27! I really hate when that happens, the males become so distressed looking for their mate. They stick around for days. Well, she had 4 eggs in the nest and of course we gathered them up and put them in the bator. I candled them and they all looked real good. They all hatched on Monday and Tuesday.
I'm just so amazed how quickly and efficiently they hatched. They were peeping and then they were out! Each egg was zippered around at the point where the air sac was. 2 intact pieces were left. This is so much different from domestic ducks. Seems like there is a lot of fretting and assisting when it comes to incubating ducks. I even have a Muscovy hen that was hatching a mix of eggs and she tossed a couple out of the nest that were partially hatched. I died, the other I was able to save.
