Luzy Goosey will be 4 months old soon. When will she go "broody"… and what can I do to assist her?

[joya250]

Hola everyone,

It's been a while since I have posted.

I have a single brown Chinese goose. She will be four months on the 20th of June. Ella esta mi corozon!

Due to where I live, getting her a companion is not in the cards at the moment. (Landlords would fall over, and have made it clear they are being very lenient in allowing me to have her in the first place.)

So… I now know Luzy is a female. I also have read about females going "broody"… but I do not know what I need to do for her when this happens, or at what age this will come about. So… I am hoping to get some guidance on this. Many thanks in advance.

Just FYI, she is an indoor/outdoor goose. She stays out in the yard all day, and sleeps inside at night in a playpen. We are very happy.

Here's a picture of us swiming together today!

Gracias para su ayuda!
Joy

 

[shiro5]

I can't help but what a stunning photo

 

[buggymuffin]

Since she doesn't have a mate, there isn't really anything you need to do for her. When she starts laying, just collect her eggs. You can eat them, sell them, throw them away, whichever you prefer. Though she may build a nest, she won't truly brood if she doesn't have eggs to sit on. You may also want to feed her a layer feed once she starts laying so that she doesn't suffer from any calcium deficiency. Soft shelled eggs are a mess to clean up and you don't want her bones to get fragile. Once she quits laying for the year, you can switch her back to whatever feed you normally feed her.

If you ever do get her a mate, you will want to make sure that she has a secure place to nest, possibly outside as she will not want to leave it for more than a few minutes at a time once she decides it is time to sit on the eggs.

 

[joya250]

Thanks, BuggyMuffin.

I am toying with the idea of getting her a mate… but again, need to clear it with the landlords.

Thanks for the input. In reading around this forum, it seems I won't have to worry about her starting to lay until she at least one year old. So I have some time with her still as "my baby" before she enters "womanhood."

She has started to test her boundaries, and we had a bit of a disciplinary session the other day. But she has left my feet/boots alone since. I followed the advice on a previous thread about the steps to discipline… I felt horrible "kicking" (not really kick, but strong nudge against her chest) --- I had to do this several times, as she kept coming back to attack. Ended up with a bruise from a strong bite on my arm… (when I tried to restrain her)... but I was the "victor" and she knows her place. This is more info than is needed…. I'm just head over heels for her, so any chance to talk about her… I go on and on.

Thanks to all -- and to this forum, which has been invaluable thus far!

Joy & Luz