Toulouse geese

[Amber1991a]

I have toulouse geese, they made a nest outside the enclosure against my house. She has only two so far no feathers in nest but she burys them. Do I put them away for the night or do I let them stay out? I dont want a fox to kill them but i want to have goslings. I was hesitant to leave them out since i have a open farm but around 11 oclock pm i noticed them in my neighbors yard foraging then laying down. Not on the nest, they were about 200 feet away from nest. I've tried encouraging a safer nesting area but they keep going back to their original spot. Do I let them be out still or do I just make them go in the enclosure. I'm afraid of a fox killing them if I allow free range at night.

 

[Goosebaby]

They aren’t safe out on their own, I’d put them away, the eggs will be a necessary sacrifice I think, geese tend not to be interested in them if you moved them into the enclosure, though that may just be my birds. The upside is she’ll likely lay more. She doesn’t sound to interested in the ones she has now so I doubt you’d get goslings out of them anyway.

Something you might try is giving her a place to nest in her enclosure, mine seem to like little “caves.” An old dog house is perfect “mine have a dogloo” or a little lean-to made with a board and some dry hay bales. Any covered space big enough for her to turn around in with some straw and she’ll get the idea eventually.

 

[Goosebaby]

Also a good way to encourage her to lay where you want her to is to put an egg, one of her’s or a dummy egg, in the selected location. She’ll figure it’s a safe place to lay.

 

[Leader Bee]

Something you might try is giving her a place to nest in her enclosure, mine seem to like little “caves.” An old dog house is perfect “mine have a dogloo”

I was thinking of getting a dogloo for mine but, they're made out of fabric aren't they? Wouldn't that be a nightmare to clean?

 

[Callender Girl]

When one of my American Buff geese first laid last year, she fancied the totally open on one side hay shed. I made her a lovely nest inside the house where she and her (as it turns out) female companion live. I heard her "talking" to the fake eggs I had placed in it. I thought I had it made. The next morning, she had thrown out the fakes and hadn't laid.

Turns out she really liked a little dog house that I had used to keep half-grown ducklings in until they were big enough to join their flock. It had a grated door, so I started letting her lay there. But, alas, my protective "gander" turned out to be another girl. So, no goslings for me.

Good luck with your venture!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Dogloos are thick plastic and resemble a igloo.

 

[Leader Bee]

Dogloos are thick plastic and resemble a igloo.

Ahhh, my bad; I was imagining something more like this https://www.target.com/p/pet-cave-bed-gray-small-boots-barkley-8482/-/A-52274146

I was thinking it would be something nice for little goslings to warm up inside.

 

[Goosebaby]

I was thinking of getting a dogloo for mine but, they're made out of fabric aren't they? Wouldn't that be a nightmare to clean?

I’ve got one of the older ones that’s a solid chunk of plastic, the newer ones, at least the ones I’ve found so far, are thinner and the top is made of seperate layers that have to be assembled.
During nesting season I give mine straw inside as bedding, they seem to like it.

 

[arkiechick lady]

We’ve got two breeds, Chinese and Toulouse.
I thought the Chinese were the only ones laying until the other day. All of the sudden what we thought to be a pair of Toulouse boys named Tango & Cash, started laying eggs So that leaves us to wonder as first year geese owners, is Sandy the larger one of them a male Sand(i)?
We’re getting all kinds of surprises around here!

 

[Goosebaby]

We’ve got two breeds, Chinese and Toulouse.
I thought the Chinese were the only ones laying until the other day. All of the sudden what we thought to be a pair of Toulouse boys named Tango & Cash, started laying eggs So that leaves us to wonder as first year geese owners, is Sandy the larger one of them a male Sand(i)?
We’re getting all kinds of surprises around here!

Ya never know with them! The big one could be a gander most likely, I did have a female goose who was as big as my biggest gander so who knows? The girls normally are smaller.