So, my Embden girl...is she broody or not?

[DawnB]

Hi all...

This year, we decided to let our goose keep her eggs. She's laid 15 eggs so far, but we pulled the first few to eat (my 9yr old LOVES goose omlettes!

) and to check them for fertility. We were good to go on the fertile eggs and got the coop set up to give her her own little space for her nest.

So, she currently has 9 eggs under her that she keeps dutifully buried at this point. She'll sit all (or at least most) of the night when I check. And she's on them in the morning when I go to let them out. But, she isn't sitting during the day...she's out pretty much off them the entire day unless she goes in to lay another egg (she's an every-other-day-layer).

My question...is the "partial sitting" normal. I know when my muscovy duck went broody last year, she laid her eggs but didn't sit until it was "time" and then she didn't move.

It's not overly cold at night now. It may dip down into the high 40's but daytime has been 70's / 80's during the day. I haven't had a chance to candle yet because by the time it's dusk enough to see anything with a light, she's on the nest.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!


Dawn

 

[sourland]

I have had geese that would hover over the eggs at night prior to going broody. I always figured it was instinctive behavior to protect the eggs from night predators. Is she pulling feathers yet? Most pluck down to add to the nest prior to setting.

 

[DawnB]

Well...Thanks day was supposed to be an egg day. She was on the nest and then got up. When I went to check the count and see if she started to feather, she was back on. Looks love like I officially have a broody goose. She's got at least 10 eggs. Yay!