Pilgrim Question

[AKMommaF8]

Hi Y'all! I'm back again with more questions!

Is a year old Pilgrim gander old enough to breed a hen?

Also, do they normally start sitting on eggs in late July? I ask because now that my 2 have been taking turns, sometimes co-sitting on a nest. I thought they only hatched babies out in the spring?

If they are indeed hatching babies, is it normal for them to stand in the nest and tuck hay / feathers around the eggs before sitting down?

Lastly, they seem to have decided Skully (their mishapened Toulouse roomie) is not allowed into the coop...they even chase her off the food!

Is that normal? Should I move Skully to another pen, or will they settle down and revert to the sweet birds they normally are?

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Hi Y'all! I'm back again with more questions!

Is a year old Pilgrim gander old enough to breed a hen?

Also, do they normally start sitting on eggs in late July? I ask because now that my 2 have been taking turns, sometimes co-sitting on a nest. I thought they only hatched babies out in the spring?

If they are indeed hatching babies, is it normal for them to stand in the nest and tuck hay / feathers around the eggs before sitting down?

Lastly, they seem to have decided Skully (their mishapened Toulouse roomie) is not allowed into the coop...they even chase her off the food!

Is that normal? Should I move Skully to another pen, or will they settle down and revert to the sweet birds they normally are?

At a year old, it's possible a Pilgrim gander could be fertile and breed your geese.

While my geese have only laid in spring and summer, I've heard of geese laying (usually, they stop and start again) later in the year.

From your description, the girls sound broody - the adjusting the nest, fluffing, etc., are classic signs. I'd keep an eye on the co-brooding; in my experience, it can go badly and lead to broken eggs if they're sharing a nest - they may start out besties, but that can change over time.

If your girls really are broody and going after Skully, I'd move her to a safer space away from the hormonally-addled geese. Seriously, broodies can be fiercely protective and it may escalate if they hatch goslings.

Hope all goes well and that your girls hatch some adorable goslings later this month!

 

[AKMommaF8]

At a year old, it's possible a Pilgrim gander could be fertile and breed your geese.

While my geese have only laid in spring and summer, I've heard of geese laying (usually, they stop and start again) later in the year.

From your description, the girls sound broody - the adjusting the nest, fluffing, etc., are classic signs. I'd keep an eye on the co-brooding; in my experience, it can go badly and lead to broken eggs if they're sharing a nest - they may start out besties, but that can change over time.

If your girls really are broody and going after Skully, I'd move her to a safer space away from the hormonally-addled geese. Seriously, broodies can be fiercely protective and it may escalate if they hatch goslings.

Hope all goes well and that your girls hatch some adorable goslings later this month!

I am sooo sorry for not replying last year. Our 5 yo grandson came to live with us and I've not been on here in AGES!

Thankfully, Skully (the mishapened Toulouse) was never injured. Sadly, though, no babies hatched last year.

THIS year, Simeon (the gander) is 2, & last week I was afraid he had died in one of the dogloos I have in their pen, because I hadn't seen him for quite awhile. I climbed over the fence (We still have 2 feet of snow in places around the farm!) to check, and there he was, tucked way in the back on a massive pile of eggs! I was worried because I hadn't seen him eat in awhile, so I chased him off the nest toward the food. The minute he was off them, Skully went to sit on them, but within 5 minutes, he'd chased her off and was back on the nest! Is that normal? (I ask because I only have a Toulouse gander who's never done so, but rather has left that to the females!)

If none of the Pilgrim eggs hatch this year, I'm guessing I'd better be on the lookout for another male, eh?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am sooo sorry for not replying last year. Our 5 yo grandson came to live with us and I've not been on here in AGES!

Thankfully, Skully (the mishapened Toulouse) was never injured. Sadly, though, no babies hatched last year.

THIS year, Simeon (the gander) is 2, & last week I was afraid he had died in one of the dogloos I have in their pen, because I hadn't seen him for quite awhile. I climbed over the fence (We still have 2 feet of snow in places around the farm!) to check, and there he was, tucked way in the back on a massive pile of eggs! I was worried because I hadn't seen him eat in awhile, so I chased him off the nest toward the food. The minute he was off them, Skully went to sit on them, but within 5 minutes, he'd chased her off and was back on the nest! Is that normal? (I ask because I only have a Toulouse gander who's never done so, but rather has left that to the females!)

If none of the Pilgrim eggs hatch this year, I'm guessing I'd better be on the lookout for another male, eh?

@FoodFreedomNow

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Thanks for the tag, @Miss Lydia.

I don't let my Pilgrims hatch their own eggs (though a couple try mightily ), but my impression is that ganders may cooperatively sit on eggs with a goose, rather than taking them over; for example, a gander might incubate the eggs while the goose is off the nest, and then let the goose resume when she returns. It doesn't sound like Simeon is helping as part of a "team effort" if he's chasing Skully away from the eggs.

Might seem like a silly question, but are you sure he's a gander? His behavior sounds more like a very protective goose to me.

 

[AKMommaF8]

Hi there! Thank you for taking the time to reply. I appreciate it!

When I bought the 2 "Pilgrim" geese from a nice Russian couple, Anna was 2 and Simeon was 3 months old. I assumed (I know...I know! Newbie goose owner mistake!) they were telling me the truth when they said he was a "he" and since he is white with blue eyes, I believed them.

The problem is while there has been eggs for the past 2 yrs now, when nothing hatched last year, I thought it was because "he" was simply too young. Is that possible?

I've been racking my brain to remember if Simeon did the gander holler, and while I THINK he did, I cannot recall for sure!

The only thing I can think to do is wait to see if anything hatches.

In the mean time, what hatchery / if any, would you recommend to buy a Pilgrim gander (and another girl!) from?

TIA!