Help needed concerning Chinese geese eggs

[ILCasey]

I'm a city girl but recently moved to the country so I need lots of help/advice. About three weeks ago, we had four Chinese geese show up at our pond. We figured they'd move on like everything else but they didn't. My Newfoundland dog didn't even scare them away. They even hang out in our front yard. Long story short, they seem domesticated, I start feeding them corn and goose pellet food (after calling a local hatchery to ask what to do). We have wheat fields around us so they're not going anywhere. We discovered their nest so we left a huge twenty foot patch around it unmowed. I checked it on. We've got eggs, sometimes I found some broken shells but the eggs seem to be adding up and both females have started staying on them. Last night we had massive flooding and our pond overflowed taking out most of the nest. It's morning the eggs were down the side if the hill. I picked up the nine I could find and put them back in the nest. The moms wouldn't move and I didn't know if I was helping or hurting but I just couldn't leave the eggs out in the open with all the rain. About seven hours have gone by and two of the eggs are out of the nest again. I know they will roll eggs but with the flooding, their nest is partially collapsed so I'm not sure what's flooding and what's rolling away. Should I put the eggs back or let Mother Nature run her course?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm a city girl but recently moved to the country so I need lots of help/advice. About three weeks ago, we had four Chinese geese show up at our pond. We figured they'd move on like everything else but they didn't. My Newfoundland dog didn't even scare them away. They even hang out in our front yard. Long story short, they seem domesticated, I start feeding them corn and goose pellet food (after calling a local hatchery to ask what to do). We have wheat fields around us so they're not going anywhere. We discovered their nest so we left a huge twenty foot patch around it unmowed. I checked it on. We've got eggs, sometimes I found some broken shells but the eggs seem to be adding up and both females have started staying on them. Last night we had massive flooding and our pond overflowed taking out most of the nest. It's morning the eggs were down the side if the hill. I picked up the nine I could find and put them back in the nest. The moms wouldn't move and I didn't know if I was helping or hurting but I just couldn't leave the eggs out in the open with all the rain. About seven hours have gone by and two of the eggs are out of the nest again. I know they will roll eggs but with the flooding, their nest is partially collapsed so I'm not sure what's flooding and what's rolling away. Should I put the eggs back or let Mother Nature run her course?

At this point the eggs may not even be any good if they have been out of the nest 7 hrs. put them close to the nest and if the mamas want them they will roll them back under them. if not then just let nature run her course. Sorry this has happened, We had a pair of Canadas make a nest on a small island in the mt. river below out home, she was sitting for about 2 weeks when we got heavy rain and flooding and her nest completely disappeared. It was heart breaking to see them hanging around down there trying to figure out what happened. I hope some of the eggs hatch

 

[ILCasey]

This is going to sound ridiculous but will they roll them uphill? They made the nest next to a fence but the eggs have gone under. I just feel so invested in these guys. Ugh

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is going to sound ridiculous but will they roll them uphill? They made the nest next to a fence but the eggs have gone under. I just feel so invested in these guys. Ugh

They may depending on how hard. I know they will roll them around a bit. If the eggs have been under water for a while that may have contaminated the eggs too. But if you have only the 2 and they are both females the eggs won't be fertile anyway.

 

[ILCasey]

Well, I left the two eggs alone. This morning there were nine total out of the nest so I left them. Maybe she was rolling out the bad. We have four geese that showed up--two male and two female. Should I just leave the eggs alone? Will predators eventually get them? I was surprised at how heavy they were when I first moved them yesterday.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well, I left the two eggs alone. This morning there were nine total out of the nest so I left them. Maybe she was rolling out the bad. We have four geese that showed up--two male and two female. Should I just leave the eggs alone? Will predators eventually get them? I was surprised at how heavy they were when I first moved them yesterday.

Predators will for sure smell them out and your geese will be vulnerable to attack, if they are still out today I'd remove them, and they may have developing goslings in them but If they were under water for a long period of time they probably won't make it and the geese know best. Sad but this stuff happens. If you could set up a secure pen for your geese so they would be safe from preds then when they go to lay again next year they would probably do better with sitting and hatching. If I left my geese/ducks or chickens out at night they would be wiped out in less than a week here. I'm talking at night, they free range during the day. which is dangerous enough .

 

[ILCasey]

Oh Miss Lydia, I'm so worried right now. I went to move the eggs yesterday and mama had moved them back to the nest. I just got home today and the nest has collapsed again but she's sitting on the eggs where they are which means she's close to the drainage ditch and road. Honestly, I'm scared to try and move her to move the eggs again but now everyone is vulnerable. Since I have zero experience with geese and these four showed up a few weeks ago, I'm just scared how to approach this. Advice? I'm not sure if I should look for some wood or something to build a barrier next to the fence but if we get rain again like we're supposed to tomorrow, her nest will collapse again. She is just not the smartest in nest building.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh Miss Lydia, I'm so worried right now. I went to move the eggs yesterday and mama had moved them back to the nest. I just got home today and the nest has collapsed again but she's sitting on the eggs where they are which means she's close to the drainage ditch and road. Honestly, I'm scared to try and move her to move the eggs again but now everyone is vulnerable. Since I have zero experience with geese and these four showed up a few weeks ago, I'm just scared how to approach this. Advice? I'm not sure if I should look for some wood or something to build a barrier next to the fence but if we get rain again like we're supposed to tomorrow, her nest will collapse again. She is just not the smartest in nest building.

When she gets up maybe you can shore up the nest some or build it up with some boards or wood. Most likely if you try to move the nest any distance she will abandon it. You may just have to do what you can and just wait and see, if the rains come again and the nest is lost, there wasn't much you could have done.