HELP! Goose layed eggs in pond!

[bizzeeb60]

I just got my pair of African Geese from my friend on Friday. They have been real adventurous, enjoying their new habitat, the larege pond huge yard area and have been good so far in learning that twice a day I take them some grains out to put in their dish when I feed the chickens and cows. Each morning over the weekend they would wander up to the front yard and "announce" they were awake.

This morning, they did not come to the front yard, so I decided to go check on them since we do get pretators like fox, bobcats and the occasional Florida panther crossing through our property. The male (Clyde) was pacing in one area and I did not see the Femaile (Bonnie) at first then I noticed she was right at the edge of the pond but was not moving. Concerned I watched for a while, even tried, from a distance to coax them up to their food. After a few moments she swam out into the pond and proceeded to lay an egg!

After they both swam to the other side, I was able to wade out into the pond with the fishing net and after some work, retrieved the egg. I did not touch it with my hands, I kept it in the net, carried it over to the nesting coop we had built for them and used kitchen tongs to remove it from the net and place it in the box.

I then went to the other side of the pond to see if I could coax them to go over to the coop so she could see where she should lay the eggs, that did not work however, and she dropped another egg but it was very soft (no hard shell). Sorta feels like a water ballloon

So should I leave the retrieved egg in the coop and hope she decides to set in there in the next few days and what about the "unfinished" egg? Do I just toss it?

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated, This is the first time I have had Geese and I really do not want her to loose all of her eggs in the pond.

 

[goosedragon]

Since Africans usually lay only every other day I think your goose was egg bound and used the pond to help get the bound egg out of her. The unshelled egg would normally be laid later with a shell but the blockage messed up the system. Both eggs are a loss I suspect but you can try to use the one you got out of the pond as a nest egg to indicate where she might lay. Since she didn't lay it there she may ignore it. Keep a close eye on her until she is laying normally since egg bounding can be fatal! ~gd

 

[bizzeeb60]

Thank you for the help goosedragon, I greatly appreciate it

I will keep an eye on her for the next few days, So she actually should not lay again until Wednesday or Thursday?

I figured she was off cycle since her surroundings are new I just didn't know she could be "egg bound"

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

we lock ours up in the breeding pens while they are laying or the eggs end up in the pond or the woods no matter how many nest boxes I have. If you want the eggs, I would leave them in the pen for half the day at least because they usually lay in the mornings.

I just readyour post again. So she layed 2 eggs in the same day? Our call ducks do that sometimes and the second egg is always soft shell but they usually go back to laying like they did before.

 

[goosedragon]

The two eggs in one day was the big reason I thought she was egg bound. I never had trouble with geese laying in the water (ducks will lay anywhere!) The water helps the egg slip out and the weight distribution is different in the water. A pan of warm water is what most experienced waterfowl people try first if they suspect a egg bound problem. the other solutions are much more messy and dangerous to the bird.~gd

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

Quote:
I agree with you, she could have been eggbound......We have eggbound calls now and then and the go in the bathtub with warm water. I have a goose that will lay an egg in the kiddie pool every few eggs, she needs to go.

 

[bizzeeb60]

Well Bonnie seems to be doing better this afternoon than she was this morning.
I just walked out on the back porch and she was up by the nesting box finally eating the grain and letttuce & bread scraps that I had put out for he @ breakfast time. She seemed to peek into the box so hopefully the egg I put in there will help to get her to lay there from now on. I would really like for her to set them so we can get some little ones.
I have a friend that will trade me baby ducks for baby geese if I get some.

Oh on another note, I know they eat the grass, and I have been giving them some scratch grains (had them left from feeding the chickens through the winter months) Should I be giving them laying mash too?

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
The laying feed can't hurt, it should be fortified to help egg laying ( which the scratch grains won't have.)

 

[bizzeeb60]

Thanks again for the help. I will be giving her the same laying pellets that I give to my hens!