Questions! First goose on a nest.

[cottontail farm]

I didn't see one of my African geese this moring first off. When I went to check on here I found this!!! She made it overnight. I am beyond thrilled but full of questions.
First, I don't see an egg under her. She appears to be sitting on and fussing with.... Wait for it... A heel of bread *smacks head with hand* Is she just practicing? I mean, she'll figure it out, right? BTW please don't think my geese have a diet of Wonderbread. I bake our bread here about 5x a week: wheat bread w flax and chia seeds. I had thrown a stale hunk to the birds as a treat.
2) I've read that the firat couple eggs are not usually fertile. True or false?
3) I would like some eggs for the kitchen. How do I take them? As she lays each one? Will that confuse her?
I so am excited. Even after the chickens, quails and ducks geese seem so different!

 

[Rickba]

That's a good looking goose you got there. I can't help you, I have my 1st geese eggs in my incubator. Your post peeked my interest.

 

[cottontail farm]

That's a good looking goose you got there. I can't help you, I have my 1st geese eggs in my incubator. Your post peeked my interest.

Thanks! Hopefully we can learn together.
Update: I saw her getting a drink so ran outside to check. No egg, unless it's really deep in the straw. A chicken had flattened the nest and eaten the bread.
We'll see what tomorrow brings I guess.

 

[Miss Lydia]

She's getting ready. Give her at least 2 weeks after she starts laying then eggs should be good to brood. When she comes outside to eat and drink go in and mark the eggs you can use A or 1 just figure out a way to let you know first eggs so you can remove them once she starts to brood or for eating. I always wait till there are 2 or more eggs in the nest before I take one that way she'll keep coming back to the same place to lay.

 

[cottontail farm]

She's getting ready. Give her at least 2 weeks after she starts laying then eggs should be good to brood. When she comes outside to eat and drink go in and mark the eggs you can use A or 1 just figure out a way to let you know first eggs so you can remove them once she starts to brood or for eating. I always wait till there are 2 or more eggs in the nest before I take one that way she'll keep coming back to the same place to lay.

Thank you so much! She's nesting underneath the chicken coop. When she gets serious about brooding will she and the gander chase the chickens off or will they be messing with her nest every time she's off of it? I thought the gander would care that I was in it but he didn't even seem to notice.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd give her a spot away from the chickens they can get pretty nasty with other birds especially once goslings hatch. The chickens might even lay their eggs in her nest and she'll probably end up smashing them since their shells are as hard then you'll have a big mess and risk of bacteria in the nest.

Block it off somehow and give her a better place to nest.

 

[cottontail farm]

One of them laid their first egg today They're kind of like "who cares?". Lol.

 

[WhiteWyan]

Wow that egg is huge!

 

[cottontail farm]

I thought it was big but I've never seen a goose egg! Here it is next to a normal chicken egg. It's HEAVY.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Congrats on the egg.