Is it ok to remove eggs from nest?

[sarah78]

I have a pair of toulouse geese that we believe are a male/female pair. We got the geese last spring as goslings so this is the first time we've had to deal with them laying eggs. Just this past weekend the female made a nest and started laying eggs. She laid her first egg on Saturday and another this morning.
I would like to prevent the eggs from hatching as I live in a residential neighborhood and am only legally allowed to keep the two geese I have. Is it ok to remove the eggs from the nest or will this stress her out? She is not sitting on the nest so does that mean that the eggs aren't fertile? I would like to remove the eggs and dispose of them, but don't want to inadvertently kill any developing goslings in the process. Any basic egg laying info you guys can provide would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Sarah

 

[TennesseeTruly]

You can remove the eggs. She will continue to lay the eggs until she's ready to sit. Being her first year, she could possibly lay up to 10 eggs. One of the things you may have to do when she's done laying is break up the nest. Geese have been known to sit on a nest, even where there are no eggs in it. Even if the eggs are fertile, they don't start to develop until the mother sits on them or you put them in the incubator. It's okay to dispose of them.

Laurie

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Yep that is the best birth control method and yes it put stress on the goose, she wants goslings to carry on for her. They usually lay every other day (not every day) so if you find more eggs than that consider that both geese may be females and the eggs are not fertilized. Geese will lay anyways and IMHO it is better to pick up the eggs as they are layed so she does not go broody for nothing. The normal pattern is to lay 8-10 eggs and then start to sit on them constantly (go broody) until she goes broody no real activity will take place in the egg so you don't have to worry about killing developing goslings. This is Nature's way to start off all the eggs at the same time so they will all hatch at the same time which is important to their chance to survive. Good Luck and I can answer other questions if they come up.

 

[Silver Spring Waterfowl]

Don't throw the eggs away! Pick them up as soon as possible after they are laid and use them. The whites don't whip for meringue like chicken eggs do, but that's the only real difference, aside from a richer flavor. One goose egg is about the same as 3-4 chicken eggs. Goose eggs are wonderful for baking and make the best bread puddings and custards! Some geese lay every other day, some every 3. My toulouse laid, on the average, every 3rd day in their first season. You can also freeze eggs. Blend them a bit, and store the egg in ziplocks in the freezer. Mark the bags with the date, volume, and how many eggs (average) it took to make that amount. I tell you this because we did not do that. It's a whole lot easier to equate 3goose eggs to 9 chicken than 1.5 c of general egg. (How many's THAT? Uh-oh...) It looks weird when it thaws, but it's okay. I thought DH had microwaved it first time I used some he had defrosted! Use them like you would Eggbeaters or one of those other convenience products.

You can use eggs even if they're fertile. Nothing's going on in there until the incubation process starts. If you are worried about cleanliness or sanitization issues, just wash them in a gallon of water with a couple capsful of bleach. It won't hurt anything or affect the flavor at all. That's also the main reason to pick the eggs up ASAP. They stay cleaner. You can also use 4 or 6-pack cartons from hard cider, bottled beer or malt beverages to store them in your fridge until you're ready to put a batch up. They also make marvelous quiches and omelettes.

Enjoy! Don't be afraid, let your girl(s) pay you back a little on her upkeep. And think of the wonderful colored Easter eggs you can make! You won't be sorry!