Two Geese sitting on one nest.

[denasfarm]

My two pilgrim girls are sitting on one nest (in a Large doghouse) One on one side and one on the other.
As it is now if one gets up the other moves all 15 eggs under her, and then when the other returns and the other goose leaves and she moves them all to her side.
Then at some point they share them back and both have some. Not sure how that works out.

My Questions Are:

1) Are they going to ruin the eggs moving them so much?

2) Will I have a goose war when they hatch or will they share babies? I know hens can be nasty and I remove chicks in that situation.

3)Will the Gander be a danger to the goslings?


Thanks

 

[houndit]

Usually two females on one nest does not work very well the times I have it happen. I have read that the ganders help in rearing the goslings. I do not know if the geese will fight over the goslings or not.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
I have to agree with houndit, two geese on one nest can be a problem. If they both started setting at the same time (same day) that is the least trouble. What is truly bad is when one of the geese is later. she will continue to dump her eggs in the nest and they will start to develop under the broody so the hatch streaches out forever I had one hatch I called the Garage Gaggle because the only way I could handle it was to take each gosling away as it hatched and brood it myself in the garage. The same gander was the father to all but the first to go broody was his favorite. I realized I had a big problem on my hands when I found all 3 "parents' having a tug of war with the first born as the rope. Have you ever tried to take a gosling away from 3 aroused parents? I managed to rescue it but but both wings were never right (each goose had a wing and the gander had the tail). The next day there was the main hatch and each bird had a few goslings under them. This time I took the first broody goose and all the goslings I could get and put them in the garage together with the first hatched figuring that she was the mother of all that hatched at once. the gander and the second goose were left with the nest, a few goslings and the unhatched eggs. When I went back I found the goslings under the gander and the goose on the eggs and I realized they were doing what I had seen before. When a gosling was dry the goose would let the gander take care of it while she sat the eggs. This worked because the gander was a good father, he would lead the gosling to feed and water and keep it warm while she hatched. This hatch lasted 2 weeks from the first to the last. All eggs hatched (rareish for geese) and wonder of wonders when I tried to reunite the two families there were no problems. So short answers: yes the geese MAY fight, the gander SHOULD help raise the goslings and moving does not hurt the eggs except they may be damaged if more than one bird is doing it at the same time.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Our pilgrims have always raised the gosling together. Even the gander will help.

 

[denasfarm]

My Gander is not helping. He sits by the pool and follows the chickens around. Maybe he will when they hatch.
He was attacking us before they went broody, now he doesnt care what we do.

The geese went broody about a week apart. so it shouldnt be drug out more than a week. I should have nine hatch and then the other six may be drug out over a week since goose 1 sat on them from the day they were layed.

I have another week to prepare some emergency holding area, I figure only 1/2 or so will hatch anyway being pilgrims.