It's Complicated

[Wild1]

Hi, Thanks for the reply.

That is good to know I was worried the chickens might damage the egg. I have actually constructed a shelter in the same are where she laid but today she never laid anything. She did look kind of uncomfortable walking around or maybe that was my imagination but never the less today no egg. I planned to put some eggs into the incubator but I would like to let her sit however as these are her first eggs and she is very young I was scared she would not sit or would be too clumsy and would break the eggs. Right now she does not show any inclination of being a mother hahaha. I may try the tennis ball trick, I have some false chicken eggs that I used to convince the chickens to use the nest boxes. So the tennis ball might just work. I have noticed the male is a bit more confident and aggressive, he does not do anything to me but he had a go at my 8 year old son today which is unusual for him. Normally he stays at just out of arms reach but today he stood up straight went straight for my son.
I am hoping tomorrow she will lay again.

Stephen

 

[livininbrazil]

Hi, Thanks for the reply.

That is good to know I was worried the chickens might damage the egg. I have actually constructed a shelter in the same are where she laid but today she never laid anything. She did look kind of uncomfortable walking around or maybe that was my imagination but never the less today no egg. I planned to put some eggs into the incubator but I would like to let her sit however as these are her first eggs and she is very young I was scared she would not sit or would be too clumsy and would break the eggs. Right now she does not show any inclination of being a mother hahaha. I may try the tennis ball trick, I have some false chicken eggs that I used to convince the chickens to use the nest boxes. So the tennis ball might just work. I have noticed the male is a bit more confident and aggressive, he does not do anything to me but he had a go at my 8 year old son today which is unusual for him. Normally he stays at just out of arms reach but today he stood up straight went straight for my son.
I am hoping tomorrow she will lay again.

Stephen

Sounds good. If it´s the first time she´s laying eggs, the first ones will probably be infertile, so best thing to do is make an omelette. Geese are pretty good mums. And best keep son out of the way, as the gander could get the better of him, being small, another thing, if the gander thinks he´s boss over your son, there could develop a problem. And it´ll get worse when she´s sitting and has young.

 

[Wild1]

Well it is Day 3 since the first egg and still no more eggs from my goose. Is this normal for the first time laying? I thought she would miss one day and then at a stretch maybe 2 days but this is the 3rd day gone and still nothing. She seems ok but I seeker sitting down in different places around the yard more than usual but she has not laid any where that I can find.

 

[subhanalah]

Maybe she's the ng to trick you. You can try to put a fake egg where you want her to lay and see if that will make a difference.

 

[LTygress]

To go along with Subhanalah's advice, just an FYI: I use golf balls to teach my chickens where to lay. And it works well. They are free-ranging right now, but still come back to the nest inside of the pen to lay.

For geese, I would suggest a baseball, of course. They would probably look at a golf ball and either kick it or try to eat it! But a baseball or softball would probably still work.

 

[subhanalah]

To go along with Subhanalah's advice, just an FYI: I use golf balls to teach my chickens where to lay. And it works well. They are free-ranging right now, but still come back to the nest inside of the pen to lay.


For geese, I would suggest a baseball, of course. They would probably look at a golf ball and either kick it or try to eat it! But a baseball or softball would probably still work.

this is a great substitute!

 

[livininbrazil]

Well it is Day 3 since the first egg and still no more eggs from my goose. Is this normal for the first time laying? I thought she would miss one day and then at a stretch maybe 2 days but this is the 3rd day gone and still nothing. She seems ok but I seeker sitting down in different places around the yard more than usual but she has not laid any where that I can find.

The first season can be a bit erratic, but there´s a possibility she´s looking for another nesting site, too. And they can really bury their eggs so you have no idea where they are.

 

[Wild1]

Thanks for all of your comments, I have discovered something tonight. After all the chickens had gone back to roost and the field was clear the goose and gander came back to the chicken house. She looked very interested in the nest I put for her where she laid her first egg, but would not get in it. She came and went several times to the nest but still would not get in it so I moved it to another point in the same rough vicinity but away from the exact location, then she went back again to the same place in the dirt not the nice clean nest I made for her and she sat quite content. Now it is dark so I am not sure whether she has laid or not but I will check in a couple of hours or so. So it seems that she is set on the place in the dirt. We will see how this goes.

The comment above about burying the eggs, is this a normal goose procedure?

How long can the eggs stay ok with out being sat on? If I decide to leave the eggs with her and then she takes 3 days every time to lay an egg by the time the last egg is laid the first ones may be off. What do you all think of this?

Leaving the eggs for us is also a risk because we have monkeys come and steal the eggs, this is why we have the geese in the first place and then there are huge monitor lizards as well, that if they get the smell of an egg will climb walls to get at them but I am not sure what the geese will do to a monitor lizard. I saw the goose 2 days ago kill a small snake so again all in the learning curve for us.

I would like to leave the eggs for her so not sure what to do yet.

Stephen from Malaysia

 

[livininbrazil]

Thanks for all of your comments, I have discovered something tonight. After all the chickens had gone back to roost and the field was clear the goose and gander came back to the chicken house. She looked very interested in the nest I put for her where she laid her first egg, but would not get in it. She came and went several times to the nest but still would not get in it so I moved it to another point in the same rough vicinity but away from the exact location, then she went back again to the same place in the dirt not the nice clean nest I made for her and she sat quite content. Now it is dark so I am not sure whether she has laid or not but I will check in a couple of hours or so. So it seems that she is set on the place in the dirt. We will see how this goes.

The comment above about burying the eggs, is this a normal goose procedure?

How long can the eggs stay ok with out being sat on? If I decide to leave the eggs with her and then she takes 3 days every time to lay an egg by the time the last egg is laid the first ones may be off. What do you all think of this?

Leaving the eggs for us is also a risk because we have monkeys come and steal the eggs, this is why we have the geese in the first place and then there are huge monitor lizards as well, that if they get the smell of an egg will climb walls to get at them but I am not sure what the geese will do to a monitor lizard. I saw the goose 2 days ago kill a small snake so again all in the learning curve for us.

I would like to leave the eggs for her so not sure what to do yet.

Stephen from Malaysia

Hi Wild. When a goose lays her eggs, she´ll usually drag any greenery around her into the nest and then she´ll cover the eggs with it every time she leaves them, whether one, or ten. She obviously likes her spot. Now, have you thought about digging down intto the dirt, then putting your nest into the hollow? It could be that your nest is too high for her to approve. Usually the first eggs aren´t much use. Here, I don´t hatch any of the first season eggs, as I prefer to wait until the eggs are bigger, second season. However, you´ll find that she´ll be a bit sporadic at first, then she´ll probably lay every day to 2 days. The eggs are fine up to 2 weeks, even more. Depending on the breed, they´ll lay a lot, or just 6-8, like mine do. Just leave that bit to the goose, what comes naturally is fine. It works.
Now, if you keep picking up the eggs, she´s not likely to go broody. So if you want her to sit, you need to leave some there...maybe 4 or so. But I´d be worried about monitor lizards too, not just because of the eggs. A goose is no match. We have tegu lizards here, nothing like monitors, but they´ll steal the eggs from right under the goose! Really it´d be best to erect a very strong fence if you want her to incubate with all these threats around.
If you put some eggs in an incubator, wait until she´s laid a number of them. The later eggs are more likely to be fertile..and bigger...means bigger, stronger gozzies.

 

[Wild1]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply, as a matter of interest it is 9pm here right now and I have just been to see the birds. It is surprising at night they are silent I talk to them and they are making murmuring sounds not like the shouting and carry on the do during the day. She still has not laid but she is not venturing far from the site and when I left just now she was sitting back in the same place so I guess yes she has her spot. I will do as you say tomorrow and deepen the depression a bit then pull some hay and dry grass into the place. We have the whole yard surrounded with double layer heavy fencing but the monitors can get in if they want to so I think natural brooding may not be possible. I hope she lays tomorrow, keeping geese is quite exciting and a totally new experience for us.

Stephen