New to geese! Can you answer some questions?

[New2chickz]

Hey guys! So I've added 2 toulouse female geese to my flock can and I have a few questions.

1. My geese girls have spots on each of their wings like that have feathers missing but only the actual feather part of the wings are missing does that make sense? Maybe they were pulled on and ripped off does that happen?

2. They came from a flock that had a gander and they started laying a couple days after I got them. So it was suggested to try and let them keep some eggs. Cuz apparently that could turn into a few babies. So the current nest has 6 geese eggs and 4 duck eggs because that's the hot new place to lay. But no one has sat on the nest? I heard they lay about 6 eggs a clutch unless they go for a big nest. But ...I know if I'm lucky I'll get maybe 1 to hatch. What do I do now?

I took the 7th one yesterday I dont mind wasting 6 eggs just to experience someone sitting on eggs but no more than that

Also if I got a gander on the future for my ladies any suggestion that would make a good pair with them?

 

[nchls school]

Hey guys! So I've added 2 toulouse female geese to my flock can and I have a few questions.

1. My geese girls have spots on each of their wings like that have feathers missing but only the actual feather part of the wings are missing does that make sense? Maybe they were pulled on and ripped off does that happen?Could also be that they are clipped so they can't fly.

2. They came from a flock that had a gander and they started laying a couple days after I got them. So it was suggested to try and let them keep some eggs. Cuz apparently that could turn into a few babies. So the current nest has 6 geese eggs and 4 duck eggs because that's the hot new place to lay. But no one has sat on the nest? I heard they lay about 6 eggs a clutch unless they go for a big nest. But ...I know if I'm lucky I'll get maybe 1 to hatch. What do I do now?Yes, the eggs could be fertile. When I had geese I collected the eggs and replaced them with dummy eggs(I used old light bulbs for dummy eggs). Then give eggs back if the goose broods. If I remember rightly my Toulouse goose laid eight eggs to a clutch. Should the eggs get too cold they will not hatch.

I took the 7th one yesterday I dont mind wasting 6 eggs just to experience someone sitting on eggs but no more than that

Also if I got a gander on the future for my ladies any suggestion that would make a good pair with them?

Toulouse. I'd stick with the same breed, Emden Ganders are good too.

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

Here at my place, the newest eggs tended to be cleaner, but you might want to mark the current eggs with a pencil. (I like using the date.) Then you can pick up the newest eggs and leave the oldest. You don’t want to grab a partially grown baby to cook for breakfast! (That should be warning enough. No need to get gross here!)

Read up on incubating and hatching eggs. There are tons of good articles on BYC. The geese’s fertilized eggs will run out after a week or so, so perhaps wait until next week to start removing eggs. My children (20-somethings and a teen) enjoy having the occasional goose egg omelet. Attempting to blow out the egg to keep for crafts is another option. Last year I left the geese’s nests alone for a month. The idiots had five separate nests going with less than ten geese! We think a gander was sitting on one nest. At any rate, all those nests and eggs... we got 3 babies.

I was soooo disappointed! I hope you have better luck than we did last year. Now go READ!

 

[nchls school]

Once you have a brooding Mom; ducks can hatch geese eggs, block the others from laying in the nest where eggs are being brooded.

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

Hey guys! So I've added 2 toulouse female geese to my flock can and I have a few questions.

1. My geese girls have spots on each of their wings like that have feathers missing but only the actual feather part of the wings are missing does that make sense? Maybe they were pulled on and ripped off does that happen?

Sorry, so excited about you getting geese I forgot to answer your question.

This time of year most birds have grown or are growing fresh, new, warm feathers. Shorter days (or length of daylight) and cooler temperatures encourage this cycle of molting and re-growing. Just like humans lose hair everyday, things can happen to make a bird lose a feather or three. Seeing skin where feathers should be isn’t necessarily a problem. Hopefully their feathers will grow back with time and a good diet. If there is an injury that could get infected, you need to go to your bird first aid kit (you have one, right?) and get out diaper cream or some other wound-coat and apply to the wounded spots.

But, like I said earlier, there are tons of informative articles here on BYC. I like scrolling through the forums, but you can search for interesting topics and learn TONS of stuff right here. Because I read BYC on my iPhone these days, I’m not so great with posting links. I hope this helps you and your girl geese become proud Mommies!

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

unless the goose is sitting on the eggs all the time. They wont hatch

 

[New2chickz]

Thanks for all the replys guys!!

Let's see. I have taken eggs since and marked them. I know the chance is low currently but they started laying like 2 days after I got them so I let them keep them.

The ducks for sure have a male around so I let them keep the eggs there at least a couple just to test it out.

My geese arent in any pain there arent any wounds it just odd but they came from a place with a cracked corn diet I'm I'm hoping it resolves itself

No brooding moms yet!! I've got a few great breeds in there to try though. As much as it would be exciting to see a duck be broody the biggest girl I have that may be able to cover that nest is a muscovy lol