Is it a good idea to get goslings for our bonded pair of female geese.

[Sara Bear]

Is it a good idea to buy goslings for geese that were never able to hatch their own eggs?
My dad was an Animal Control Officer and rescued two geese - big white geese (possibly White Embden Geese) laying in the parking lot at Walmart. One had an injured wing - the other goose was fine but wouldn't leave her friend. I've had them both for about 4 years now. A couple times a year one of the geese will lay eggs and will sit on them forever but the eggs never hatch.
I was wondering if I bought goslings would our bonded pair raise them as their own? Is it a good idea to give them goslings since they tried to hatch their own eggs but are unsuccessful (I believe they are both females). Our geese were cool with the other ducks my dad rescued. However, they dislike all Canadian geese that try to stop over. It literally sounds like our geese are cussing the Canadian geese out telling them they don't want them around. If it's a plausible idea how many goslings would you suggest?

 

[jtn42248]

That would not do anything to stop the brooding instinct. Females will always lay eggs and sometimes go broody and sit the eggs until they give up and go back to "normal". Having young to raise will not stop that instinct and you may end up with gander(s) which would add an entirely new aspect to your goose adventure, perhaps one you really would not want. If they are health and happy I would suggest just leaving things as they are.

 

[Sara Bear]

I just felt bad for her not having her own babies - all that work and all. However, if it doesn't matter than I will consider other foul for our needs. Our geese are part of the family pack and are a great alarm system as well.

 

[Sierra G]

If you collect her eggs she'll keep laying for a month or so but won't try to sit on them since she won't sit for just one or two eggs. The eggs are edible, but some people don't like the way they supposedly taste "more like eggs than chicken eggs do". I'm not sure what that actually means because I've never eaten one. The other thing you can do is give her some fertile eggs to hatch. They don't have to be goose eggs, she should be happy raising ducks too. They would probably even hatch chicken eggs, but don't expect the swimming lessons to go well.

 

[Leader Bee]

Could you not invest in an incubator and try to hatch them yourself after they lay?

 

[Sierra G]

Could you not invest in an incubator and try to hatch them yourself after they lay?

Did you miss the part where neither goose is a gander?

 

[Leader Bee]

Did you miss the part where neither goose is a gander?

Ahh, i see... Yes i spotted that but i didn't immediately make the connection the egg wouldn't be fertilised.

 

[The goose girl]

If you collect her eggs she'll keep laying for a month or so but won't try to sit on them since she won't sit for just one or two eggs.

While this may be true for some geese, many will keep laying for a lot longer than that, and many will also sit on two, one, or even no eggs. My previous goose would keep laying for 3+ months and then decide to sit on one or two. My current goose decided to sit on first three, then one egg. I've just read about a goose trying to hatch three rocks.

I always collect the eggs since I don't have room for goslings. But to make sure she doesn't move the nest, I keep one or two fake eggs or golf balls in it. When she goes broody, I let her sit for about a week. I make her get off the nest once or twice a day to ensure she gets a little food and water. Mostly, she does that herself, but I occasionally have to carry her out. When the week is up, I remove the fake eggs while she is out, and when she gets back, she'll spend a little while searching for them, and then she'll be done.

Sitting on the nest takes a toll on a goose's body, and as long as she's not hatching anything, there's no reason to let her sit 4, 5, or 6 weeks.

I once put two day-old goslings under my broody goose. It was a great succes, and it was wonderful to see her bonding with them and fiercely protect and parent them. I so much want to see my geese be parents again some day - but I really, really don't have the space right now. If you decide to try it, make sure you have a plan for the goslings. How many do you want? Will you keep them? What if there are more than one male and they fight? Or will they go to new homes? Do you have space for them if new homes bail? Or will some or all be Christmas dinner? How will you cull them? Who will cull them?

 

[bird-brain]

I once put two day-old goslings under my broody goose. It was a great succes, and it was wonderful to see her bonding with them and fiercely protect and parent them.

I wish that had been my experience with trying to have my girls raise goslings that they didn’t hatch. All of mine would as soon attack them as look at them.
Emdens are particularly broody geese. Mine won’t sit if I collect eggs daily. They are in an enclosure so I have no issue finding new nests. I eat goose eggs all season. They make the best French toast!