Raising Geese 101

[livininbrazil]

I ended up letting her run thru it. Funny thing is that the other goose (presumed to be a gander as it has been seen on multiple occasions mounting the other) eventually sat with her for a long time and stayed several days after she gave up.

Mounting doesn´t mean anything... females will mount, especially if there´s not an available gander. I have one goose that is broody-crazy. I have to watch her, because if she has just one egg left unhatched in her nest, she´ll not come out to look after the ones already hatched, but she´ll leave the gander to look after them, which he does but not as well as the goose, and if I take the egg away from her, she´ll find a stone, or a bit of wood, to sit on! She´s a real terror. I have to fence off the area of her nest to make her leave. Once she´s off, she´s a great mum.
What caused you to lose the other one? Could it be that it was actually a goose that got egg-bound?

 

[Kevin565]

I´ve found it to be much more difficult than a chicken. I´ve only done it with one goose, and actually it wasn´t me that managed it..she did it on her own when she was ready. Separation, etc, would have been a very stressful thing for her, and trying to keep her away from the nesting site didn´t work, she just made another nest right next to the original place....and then next to that, then next to that, etc...she finally came off her empty patch when her sister hatched some goslings and she decided to adopt them!

It seems to vary from individual to individual. Some of my birds have taken quite awhile to break the habit while others are back to swimming and foraging within the hour.

 

[lovinchickypoos]

Mounting doesn´t mean anything... females will mount, especially if there´s not an available gander.  I have one goose that is broody-crazy.  I have to watch her, because if she has just one egg left unhatched in her nest, she´ll not come out to look after the ones already hatched, but she´ll leave the gander to look after them, which he does but not as well as the goose, and if I take the egg away from her, she´ll find a stone, or a bit of wood, to sit on!  She´s a real terror.  I have to fence off the area of her nest to make her leave. Once she´s off, she´s a great mum.
What caused you to lose the other one? Could it be that it was actually a goose that got egg-bound?

That's why I said "presumed" to be a gander as I figured females may mount (even female dogs do!). That particular goose/gander has not laid any eggs yet, but we shall see this spring! I still have both of them, if the last part was directed toward me.

 

[livininbrazil]

That's why I said "presumed" to be a gander as I figured females may mount (even female dogs do!). That particular goose/gander has not laid any eggs yet, but we shall see this spring! I still have both of them, if the last part was directed toward me.

Oh, beg your pardon. I got mixed up with another post about one of the geese had died. Sorry.

Like Kevin pointed out, they can be so different. Have fun in the spring, it´s almost there!

 

[abmaddox1981]

I just ordered Cotton Patch Goose eggs! Now, can someone please give me a rundown on incubating and hatching them?

 

[CKMatthews]

I would put them in to the incubator till I got nothing and you just
might luck out with a dozen or so fertile egg's ... Best of luck   

Hi CK.  Shame about your gander.  After a few weeks, I´d say there was very little chance of them being fertile, but you never know!  You´ll be able to tell after 4 days or so in the incubator, so why not have a go......you just lose out on a few omelettes!

Breaking broodiness is similar to breaking a hen from it. 
I also say go for it. There's several factors involved for fertility but I have heard of cases of eggs being fertile weeks after a male has passed. 

Thanks y'all! I set them and haven't candled yet so we will see*fingers crossed*

 

[abmaddox1981]

Anybody?

I just ordered Cotton Patch Goose eggs! Now, can someone please give me a rundown on incubating and hatching them?

 

[CKMatthews]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/491013/goose-incubation-hatching-guide-completed

 

[Loulla]

Just a little update about my EGYPTIAN GEESE .... they weren't egyptians after all but cape shelducks.

They look almost the same as chicks. They are all grown now and they love there dam. They swim in it alot and they like to lay in the long grass.

As chicks

All grown up

 

[abmaddox1981]

Just a little update about my EGYPTIAN GEESE .... they weren't egyptians after all but cape shelducks. They look almost the same as chicks. They are all grown now and they love there dam. They swim in it alot and they like to lay in the long grass. As chicks All grown up

How pretty!