Toulouse Geese Thread

[Miss Lydia]

"I would absolutely be heartbroken if anything happened to Trina. She's our first little baby! I'm so glad Pom takes such great care of her."

Pom can only do so much, dead is dead and gone is gone, it's never a good idea to think just because you have never had a predator come into your yard it won't happen. Once is all it takes. and other parts of the world don't have preds like the USA has and they are everywhere not just in the country.
Last year Iain Utah lost one of her African geese to a mink because she was nesting out in the open, so not worth the risk.

 

[Loghousemom]

Here they are... Adelle, Peewee and Petunia. Peewee is the larger goose that I have always assumed was a fella. the gal that brought them out here named them, so Ive always just called him Goosey because I never much cared for Peewee. The duck is Petunia (Pato was the duck that the dog got) I will work on getting some pics that are not from my phone one of these days.

I noticed something today when I was out there and I remember someone asking here about the eyelid colors. The one I think is a gander has orange and the one I think is female has grey. You can sort of see it in this pic.

I also realized that those eggs may have been why the goose flogged one of my daughters over the weekend. She tried to hold him and he gave her a good wing wacking (I blame the hubs for letting them out of their yard and then leaving the kids unwatched in the same vicinity. Its never happened before, and she was fine. just a bit of a bruised ego because she prides herself on catching the geese. She is the only one of the three who will even try. Ha! I have not even ever heard them hiss other than at a dog or cat that gets in their space. I must have a generally mellow set.

my cattle trough is a HUGE circular one. We've never used it, but I think it would hold water. the fella that lived out here before us used it. The issue is the well in the winter. The pump and everything sits above ground so it freezes up in the winter. Our project for spring is to build a little shelter over it that will insulate it from the cold so we coould use it in the winter. I'd like to get a cow grazing out there for butchering down the line, but I don't think my back could handle carrying enough water for a cow every day. ha! The hubs is a contractor, so I think he could easily help me build a ramp so they could get in and out of the thing.... Always a list of projects come summer.

There was another egg out there last night, and yes, it was much cleaner than the others. I guess that I just must not have paid enough attention to goose nesting when I read that book about them, because I had no idea they would bury them in a hole like that. Seriously those first ones were a good 10 inches down into the dirt when I found them. The one yesterday was covered too, but not as deep since I made sure to fill her nesting spot up with fresh straw, including the hole!

So when they sit, will they just decide to sit one day when they are close to finished laying? or do you have to give them back a good clutch of eggs so they sit? I would like her to lay as long as possible to see if I can get her closer to spring, and I would LOVE it if she would brood them herself because I really dislike all the extra work and worry with brooding them myself. I usually wait on chicken hatches till April or May so I don't have quite as much heating to do. I do have an incubator I was thinking about plugging in and attempting to hatch a few of these goose eggs, just to see, but again... its SOOOO COLD here lately! A high of -7 I think today.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Here they are... Adelle, Peewee and Petunia. Peewee is the larger goose that I have always assumed was a fella. the gal that brought them out here named them, so Ive always just called him Goosey because I never much cared for Peewee. The duck is Petunia (Pato was the duck that the dog got) I will work on getting some pics that are not from my phone one of these days.

I noticed something today when I was out there and I remember someone asking here about the eyelid colors. The one I think is a gander has orange and the one I think is female has grey. You can sort of see it in this pic.

I also realized that those eggs may have been why the goose flogged one of my daughters over the weekend. She tried to hold him and he gave her a good wing wacking (I blame the hubs for letting them out of their yard and then leaving the kids unwatched in the same vicinity. Its never happened before, and she was fine. just a bit of a bruised ego because she prides herself on catching the geese. She is the only one of the three who will even try. Ha! I have not even ever heard them hiss other than at a dog or cat that gets in their space. I must have a generally mellow set.

my cattle trough is a HUGE circular one. We've never used it, but I think it would hold water. the fella that lived out here before us used it. The issue is the well in the winter. The pump and everything sits above ground so it freezes up in the winter. Our project for spring is to build a little shelter over it that will insulate it from the cold so we coould use it in the winter. I'd like to get a cow grazing out there for butchering down the line, but I don't think my back could handle carrying enough water for a cow every day. ha! The hubs is a contractor, so I think he could easily help me build a ramp so they could get in and out of the thing.... Always a list of projects come summer.

There was another egg out there last night, and yes, it was much cleaner than the others. I guess that I just must not have paid enough attention to goose nesting when I read that book about them, because I had no idea they would bury them in a hole like that. Seriously those first ones were a good 10 inches down into the dirt when I found them. The one yesterday was covered too, but not as deep since I made sure to fill her nesting spot up with fresh straw, including the hole!

So when they sit, will they just decide to sit one day when they are close to finished laying? or do you have to give them back a good clutch of eggs so they sit? I would like her to lay as long as possible to see if I can get her closer to spring, and I would LOVE it if she would brood them herself because I really dislike all the extra work and worry with brooding them myself. I usually wait on chicken hatches till April or May so I don't have quite as much heating to do. I do have an incubator I was thinking about plugging in and attempting to hatch a few of these goose eggs, just to see, but again... its SOOOO COLD here lately! A high of -7 I think today.

With Missy as long as I took her eggs she kept laying I finally let her keep 9 eggs in may of last year she finally went broody and quit laying. So probably last of April first of may would be a good time to let her try. They sure are pretty, my goose has orange around her eye. but Goosey sure stand tall like my gander. does he walk like that too? Not a good idea to let children try and pick up geese during mating season, ganders can really hurt not only by wing wacking but biting they are very protective of their mates and their goslings. It's only natural behavior but I just about had my upper lip bit off by my gander.

 

[Loghousemom]

I usually don't let the kids out with the geese unless I am there to supervise, but the hubs let them out for sledding and then also let the geese out of their yard.... This was all also before I knew it was breeding season. Since these are my first geese, I really had no idea when to expect eggs or breeding. I don't really "trust" any of the birds unsupervised with any kids. I've still got young'ens ( ages3,5 and 7) they do get to help with the chores and stuff when they want, but that sure isn't too often.

And ya, goose walks pretty much like that most places he goes. Unless he is trying to take off to get out of the yard or reach Adelle because she likes to fly up to the roof!


I thought I read they are only supposed lay about 40 eggs, so then I suppose she would stop laying in February. The eggs probably wouldn't be viable in April to start a hatch. If I just bought a couple goslings, are geese pretty accepting of them even if they don't get the chance to brood?

Sheesh! I have so much to learn! I suppose I will need to just keep on I with my trial and error way of things.

 

[mama-goose]

Mike and Molly. The sweetest geese.. Will go after anyone who gets between us. Need to be right beside me or my son.

 

[kukupecpec]

What a lot of interesting reading! MLyd put in 2 cents, here´s my 2 centavos!

Hi Kuku, Moving a goose isn´t the same as moving a chicken or turkey. Geese get a real attachment to their chosen place and it can be almost impossible to move them. However, as she´s not started to sit yet, you could have a go if you think it´s necessary, but you´ll need to make it impossible for her to go back to her chosen spot...i.e. put those bricks/blocks all over it, something like that.
I had one goose this year that chose a spot together with her 2 sisters. They all 3 laid eggs, none of which came to anything, of course, silly birds. OK, second batch and the other 2 sisters chose other nest-sites and did ok...but this one goose was determined to stay put, even though there were no eggs under her by now, in the heat of the day, I kept destroying any vestige of a nest that she´d made up again...still without an egg, just determined that this was her spot...it took about 2 months for her to give up, and that was only when the first one of her sisters had a successful hatch so she went to be auntie to the little ones, she couldn´t resist! So, it probably won´t be easy to move her.

Congrats on getting Pom respectful, too.

My hens sometimes wear little fleece jackets that I cut out of fleece material for them if needed. It´s light, dries fast and they don´t mind it a bit. No sewing needed, either.

Loghousemom, look at Kuku´s pic of the eggs. You´ll see that the newer ones are whiter than the first laid, and that the goose has made a dish in the soil. This is quite normal. They like to roll the eggs about to get them filthy. Of course, you can put in a lot a hay, and she´ll be quite happy with that, too. Then the eggs won´t look so different, maybe. And just because you only got one egg on one day, doesn´t mean they´re not both gals, as they could both be having a rest!

Count the eggs over the next 3 days, then you´ll know. I have a feeling you have a pair, though. And it can look like there´s nothing in the nest, but they´re all there buried under the straw, then they´ll get more protective of the eggs once she starts to sit. And different geese behave differently. I have one that sat on 10 eggs, and one that sat on just 3. And letting her incubate the eggs isn´t necessarily a bad idea, it´s just that if it´s her first year they´ll be smaller and probably not all fertile, whereas next year it´d be better. It doesn´t mean you can´t do it. It´s fun.

Well I'll give it a try and at least won't be too discouraged if it doesn't take.
Would it help to close her in the goose house with her man made nest?

"I would absolutely be heartbroken if anything happened to Trina. She's our first little baby! I'm so glad Pom takes such great care of her."

Pom can only do so much, dead is dead and gone is gone, it's never a good idea to think just because you have never had a predator come into your yard it won't happen. Once is all it takes. and other parts of the world don't have preds like the USA has and they are everywhere not just in the country.
Last year Iain Utah lost one of her African geese to a mink because she was nesting out in the open, so not worth the risk.

I'll definitely try to get her to move. I made a new nest in the goose house and flattened the other one, so we will see what she does.

Here they are... Adelle, Peewee and Petunia. Peewee is the larger goose that I have always assumed was a fella. the gal that brought them out here named them, so Ive always just called him Goosey because I never much cared for Peewee. The duck is Petunia (Pato was the duck that the dog got) I will work on getting some pics that are not from my phone one of these days.

I noticed something today when I was out there and I remember someone asking here about the eyelid colors. The one I think is a gander has orange and the one I think is female has grey. You can sort of see it in this pic.

I also realized that those eggs may have been why the goose flogged one of my daughters over the weekend. She tried to hold him and he gave her a good wing wacking (I blame the hubs for letting them out of their yard and then leaving the kids unwatched in the same vicinity. Its never happened before, and she was fine. just a bit of a bruised ego because she prides herself on catching the geese. She is the only one of the three who will even try. Ha! I have not even ever heard them hiss other than at a dog or cat that gets in their space. I must have a generally mellow set.

my cattle trough is a HUGE circular one. We've never used it, but I think it would hold water. the fella that lived out here before us used it. The issue is the well in the winter. The pump and everything sits above ground so it freezes up in the winter. Our project for spring is to build a little shelter over it that will insulate it from the cold so we coould use it in the winter. I'd like to get a cow grazing out there for butchering down the line, but I don't think my back could handle carrying enough water for a cow every day. ha! The hubs is a contractor, so I think he could easily help me build a ramp so they could get in and out of the thing.... Always a list of projects come summer.

There was another egg out there last night, and yes, it was much cleaner than the others. I guess that I just must not have paid enough attention to goose nesting when I read that book about them, because I had no idea they would bury them in a hole like that. Seriously those first ones were a good 10 inches down into the dirt when I found them. The one yesterday was covered too, but not as deep since I made sure to fill her nesting spot up with fresh straw, including the hole!

So when they sit, will they just decide to sit one day when they are close to finished laying? or do you have to give them back a good clutch of eggs so they sit? I would like her to lay as long as possible to see if I can get her closer to spring, and I would LOVE it if she would brood them herself because I really dislike all the extra work and worry with brooding them myself. I usually wait on chicken hatches till April or May so I don't have quite as much heating to do. I do have an incubator I was thinking about plugging in and attempting to hatch a few of these goose eggs, just to see, but again... its SOOOO COLD here lately! A high of -7 I think today.

They are SO cute! Oh now I want new little goslings so I can watch them grow up all over again!
I totally feel ya with the hidden eggs. I was so bummed that I didn't notice the GIANT nest full of eggs! And then I saw the nest this morning - no more guilt! Man that thing looks so hidden!!! What a hoot! Can you find the nest? LOL

Mike and Molly. The sweetest geese.. Will go after anyone who gets between us. Need to be right beside me or my son.
I love their pretty little faces. They look so elegant! What a pretty pair you have

 

[livininbrazil]

Here they are... Adelle, Peewee and Petunia. Peewee is the larger goose that I have always assumed was a fella. the gal that brought them out here named them, so Ive always just called him Goosey because I never much cared for Peewee. The duck is Petunia (Pato was the duck that the dog got) I will work on getting some pics that are not from my phone one of these days.

I noticed something today when I was out there and I remember someone asking here about the eyelid colors. The one I think is a gander has orange and the one I think is female has grey. You can sort of see it in this pic.

I also realized that those eggs may have been why the goose flogged one of my daughters over the weekend. She tried to hold him and he gave her a good wing wacking (I blame the hubs for letting them out of their yard and then leaving the kids unwatched in the same vicinity. Its never happened before, and she was fine. just a bit of a bruised ego because she prides herself on catching the geese. She is the only one of the three who will even try. Ha! I have not even ever heard them hiss other than at a dog or cat that gets in their space. I must have a generally mellow set.

my cattle trough is a HUGE circular one. We've never used it, but I think it would hold water. the fella that lived out here before us used it. The issue is the well in the winter. The pump and everything sits above ground so it freezes up in the winter. Our project for spring is to build a little shelter over it that will insulate it from the cold so we coould use it in the winter. I'd like to get a cow grazing out there for butchering down the line, but I don't think my back could handle carrying enough water for a cow every day. ha! The hubs is a contractor, so I think he could easily help me build a ramp so they could get in and out of the thing.... Always a list of projects come summer.

There was another egg out there last night, and yes, it was much cleaner than the others. I guess that I just must not have paid enough attention to goose nesting when I read that book about them, because I had no idea they would bury them in a hole like that. Seriously those first ones were a good 10 inches down into the dirt when I found them. The one yesterday was covered too, but not as deep since I made sure to fill her nesting spot up with fresh straw, including the hole!

So when they sit, will they just decide to sit one day when they are close to finished laying? or do you have to give them back a good clutch of eggs so they sit? I would like her to lay as long as possible to see if I can get her closer to spring, and I would LOVE it if she would brood them herself because I really dislike all the extra work and worry with brooding them myself. I usually wait on chicken hatches till April or May so I don't have quite as much heating to do. I do have an incubator I was thinking about plugging in and attempting to hatch a few of these goose eggs, just to see, but again... its SOOOO COLD here lately! A high of -7 I think today.

Beautiful geese. MLyd suggested taking the eggs away for a while...good idea, but give her a little extra calcium , and then when it´s warmer they can mate in the water, that way you´ll most likely have fertile eggs, which they may not be at the moment...maybe, maybe not...and I assume your trough has a plug to let the water out of the bottom...very useful as geese just love to poop and poop and poop in water...you´ll find the gozzies will do the same thing!

"Oh, good, water...let´s swim and...poop!" You´ll have so much fun with them when the weather improves.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Mike and Molly. The sweetest geese.. Will go after anyone who gets between us. Need to be right beside me or my son.

How beautiful, welcome to BYC.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I usually don't let the kids out with the geese unless I am there to supervise, but the hubs let them out for sledding and then also let the geese out of their yard.... This was all also before I knew it was breeding season. Since these are my first geese, I really had no idea when to expect eggs or breeding. I don't really "trust" any of the birds unsupervised with any kids. I've still got young'ens ( ages3,5 and 7) they do get to help with the chores and stuff when they want, but that sure isn't too often.

And ya, goose walks pretty much like that most places he goes. Unless he is trying to take off to get out of the yard or reach Adelle because she likes to fly up to the roof!


I thought I read they are only supposed lay about 40 eggs, so then I suppose she would stop laying in February. The eggs probably wouldn't be viable in April to start a hatch. If I just bought a couple goslings, are geese pretty accepting of them even if they don't get the chance to brood?

Sheesh! I have so much to learn! I suppose I will need to just keep on I with my trial and error way of things.

I've had my gander almost 7 years and I learn something everyday. That's the best way for me to learn is by trial and error most times.

 

[Loghousemom]

Mike and Molly. The sweetest geese.. Will go after anyone who gets between us. Need to be right beside me or my son.

Those two are so pretty and stoic. What are their names?

I totally feel ya with the hidden eggs. I was so bummed that I didn't notice the GIANT nest full of eggs! And then I saw the nest this morning - no more guilt! Man that thing looks so hidden!!! What a hoot! Can you find the nest? LOL

I can't see it? Is it a nest of cinder blocks in the back? I admittedly have bad eyes, I didn't notice my goose had nested either. I do see something near the front that looks like and egg, but still not sure.

Beautiful geese. MLyd suggested taking the eggs away for a while...good idea, but give her a little extra calcium , and then when it´s warmer they can mate in the water, that way you´ll most likely have fertile eggs, which they may not be at the moment...maybe, maybe not...and I assume your trough has a plug to let the water out of the bottom...very useful as geese just love to poop and poop and poop in water...you´ll find the gozzies will do the same thing! "Oh, good, water...let´s swim and...poop!" You´ll have so much fun with them when the weather improves.

Funny that you mention the calcium, those geese usually don't show any interest in the eggshells I toss out for them, but I noticed since I found the nest she has been excited to snatch them out of my scrap bucket before I can put them in the feed dish. It's a good idea, I will have to go dig out my hanging feeder and give her her own dish of oyster shell too. I also noticed the swim/poop thing when we had the pools out during the summer. Pretty sure the plug thing won't be too difficult to put into the trough if it doesn't have one. I think those big suckers come with one in it, I will just have to go out and investigate to find it.