Question about African geese????

[bantamsumatras]

My female African goose and gander are both very happy and loved (not as good of watchdogs as Chinese but I digress) but yesterday she laid an egg?! We live in ky and as I understand it they breed in late winter/early spring time. I would love some goslings and she has been broody before but she’s relatively young (about two) any ideas or advice???? I am a chicken breeder but I have very little experience with geese. I have raised a goose and a duck together one year but that was because they had been colored for Easter and it broke my heart….so obviously their pair bond never resulted in offspring! Thanks in advance everyone!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's interesting. Mine quit laying around the end of June and are currently molting. They won't lay again until next year in March or April. I personally would wait until next spring if you want them to hatch. Not sure if a late season egg would be incubated properly or not.

 

[bantamsumatras]

I may end up letting her incubate them then put them on a light or I may take the eggs and incubate them inside…..that’s another thing neither of them are molting but all my chickens are! Should I be worried?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Do your geese get any artificial light? Generally the lessening of daylight that happens after the summer solstice will trigger molts.

 

[bantamsumatras]

Not unless they molted before they came here to live (they ver a month or longer ago) and the light would be used to offset the fall and winter temperatures

 

[bantamsumatras]

Typically I don’t think they need a light in summer

 

[bantamsumatras]

Google says they need a heat source until they’re six weeks away old

 

[Sondraa]

My female African goose and gander are both very happy and loved (not as good of watchdogs as Chinese but I digress) but yesterday she laid an egg?! We live in ky and as I understand it they breed in late winter/early spring time. I would love some goslings and she has been broody before but she’s relatively young (about two) any ideas or advice???? I am a chicken breeder but I have very little experience with geese. I have raised a goose and a duck together one year but that was because they had been colored for Easter and it broke my heart….so obviously their pair bond never resulted in offspring! Thanks in advance everyone!

What does coloured for Easter mean? Meant to be cooked for Easter?

 

[KathiQuacks]

What does coloured for Easter mean? Meant to be cooked for Easter?

No, it’s colored for Easter. Some breeders dye chicks bright colors in order to make them “cuter” so they’ll sell better. It’s not a good / healthy practice, and many birds end up abandoned once grown.

 

[Sondraa]

No, it’s colored for Easter. Some breeders dye chicks bright colors in order to make them “cuter” so they’ll sell better. It’s not a good / healthy practice, and many birds end up abandoned once grown.

That is terrible. I never heard of this practice.