More brooding questions

peafowl_Lover

Crowing
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Hi, i really want my pair of geese to hatch goslings. My goose has never sat she is around 5. Each year I have taken the eggs as I didn't want them to brood. This year I would like her to sit so I'm leaving the eggs. She laid 2 eggs and hasn't laid another in 3 days, I'm worried by the time if she does sit the eggs will be gone rotten or non viable?
 
You can pick eggs up, and store them for a week or so before beginning to discard the older eggs. They don't often set right away in the season, and can take a while before those hormones set in enough to encourage them.

Usually the first month here is laying, than they start to try to clutch up. So if I want to hatch I gather eggs, mark them and rotate until you see them setting more. It can be hit and miss sometimes, but I have a gaggle, so competition may play into it. Even when they start to set it isn't always consistent. It's one reason why I like to hatch eggs under chickens and give them back to the geese after a bit.

I would also make sure to date every egg laid even if you decide to let the eggs stay in the nest, and remove the older ones if she keeps laying. I have left all eggs in the nest and have had troubles with rotten eggs, when there are too many of them, so you will want to whittle the clutch down to a reasonable amount. I personally like 6-10. More than that and eggs don't get rotated or covered well.
 

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