Is it almost time for your geese to lay their eggs?

[kuntrygirl]

Just wondering when do your geese begin laying eggs. My geese usually start laying eggs the last week in december. It's almost time and I have to set up their large dog houses that they usually use. I had a terrible hatch this year (NONE), so I am working super duper hard to get a few babies for 2011. My geese are so rough that they tend to step on all of the eggs and break them. And not to mention that the entire bunch wants to sit on the eggs, including ALL of the males. I have no idea why.

Anyone looking forward to new goslings in 2011?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Our geese generally start some time towards the end of March beginning of April - they are White Chinese.


Do you offer your geese oyster shells? Our goose eggs are so hard, I can drop them and they do not break.



Yes, looking forward to goslings, added two girls to our flock of 4, so we are now up to 4 girlys and 2 boys. Mmmmmmmm goose

 

[kuntrygirl]

No, I never thought about adding oyster shells but I think that I will pick some up from TSC today. If you can drop your eggs and they do not break, then that's one tough cookie, oops, I mean tough goose egg.

I wonder why my geese lay so early.

 

[StevenW.]

How old does a goose have to be until she lays?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Your geese may lay earlier than mine due to our areas - you are a bit more lush and green than me, supporting a family sooner. My girls do not even go broody until late June/July. Mine love oyster shells.


My geese tend to be 10 months to a year before laying and do not start to brood until their second year.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
That makes sense to me. It's 74 degrees today where I live, so i guess the warm temps also helps with the early laying.

 

[pips&peeps]

My birds usually start laying at the end of February.

 

[seabreeze]

Well, I was looking forward to my White Chinese male and Tolouse female producing something, anything and we've had them for well over 9 months. The lady we got them from said they had had eggs before but had stopped laying because of predators in the field next door. That baffled me but they have been free ranging in a predator proof pasture and NOTHING, NADA. Is it time to put them in the freezer or give them another chance? If another chance, how much longer? I live in wet western Oregon (Willamette Valley).

Thanks!

Kristi

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
How old are they? If it were me (and that's just my 2 cents worth), I would give them a chance. As I'm learning, they may lay at a different time of the year based on where you live. I think that I would give them a year or so if not longer. Can you post a pic of your geese and your set up? Where will they be able to go to lay eggs? Is it a safe and secluded area? My geese like to lay their eggs WAY out of the way from anything and anyone.

 

[TennesseeTruly]

Some of my geese (2) are laying now. The rest will probably start to lay next month. I have eggs that are fertile in the incubator and one of my geese is sitting on fertile eggs. Not only do we offer oyster shell, but we offer kale and mustard greens that are calcium rich too. Our goose eggs are extremely hard to break too.

Laurie