Poor mama goose....

[PrairieFarmer]

I've had a very dedicated momma sitting on a nest but I think the unseasonably cold weather we've had have done in her babies. We saw one hatched on Wednesday but on Thursday morn I saw it sitting right next to her, but not under her, and it was shivering! I was able to poke momma with a stick (she aint' having ANY of me coming to close) and get the baby back totally under her but today I was able to get her off the nest (finally) and no baby to be found. Just one half-hatched egg with dead chick and another at the very bottom of nest that looked like hatched but had other eggs on top of it. It was still all slimy. When the one was hatching (and the next day) it was literally down into the 30s with a very cold wind. It was chilly! Yet momma still has about 6 eggs (with no signs of hatching) that she is so far not abandoning. I wish I had some babies I could stick under her. She is very dedicated and I'm afraid this nest was a complete loss.

 

[faykokoWV]

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I bet a lot of geese are having the same problem with the weather this spring.

 

[Moonwalker]

Have you checked at your local feed store for babies? If they don't have geese, maybe she'll take a couple of baby ducks?

 

[Moonwalker]

I have a female goose that is currently sitting on 6 non fertile goose eggs and about a dozen chicken eggs! I found her wandering the neighborhood alone and nobody claimed her so I took her right before a snowstorm. She doesn't get along with the chickens, so she is in an adjoining pen. She started laying and has been laying around 5 eggs a week. We ate a few. She was looking like she wanted to start sitting on them, and since my chickens are not the least bit broody, I decided to see if she would sit on the chicken eggs. I put a dozen in her nest and took all but one of the eggs she had. The other day I checked and she had laid another 6 eggs! SO there are her 6 and all the chicken eggs. I am hoping they didn't get too chilled before she started sitting on them. But if they don't hatch, I will try again, since unlike my hens, she seems to WANT to be a momma. Now if only she doesn't try to tech them to swim.......

 

[Miss Lydia]