Using a goose to hatch ducks

[billmac]

I have a lone female goose who seems to have gone broody. I have one KC drake in with about 12 hens (Welsh Harlequin and Khaki Campbell). First question: Can I assume the eggs are fertile? Second, can I put them under the goose?

 

[Orca5094]

Wow, what a lucky drake with all those girls!

It's likely at least some of the eggs will be fertile, yes. And of course you can stick them under the goose. I'm sure she'll appreciate having some babies hatch out after going broody and sitting for you. I'd just gather the other eggs until you have the amount you'd like to incubate and then switch them out with the goose's eggs all at the same time. That way she hopefully won't notice all the new eggs, or have too many to sit on. Night time is best for egg switching as she'll be sleepy and won't be able to see any differences in the eggs. Just be sure to put the new ones under her at the same time, you don't want them to hatch out at different times.

Good luck! ^-^

 

[billmac]

Thanks. Oddly, the goose hasn't laid any of her own eggs. She's just sitting on duck eggs. I do have another question. I know that setting birds must get up sometime, but what's normal for ducks and geese? When I open the door in the morning she goes outside, but I think she comes back in fairly quickly and sets again. But she must move periodically because there is often one or two more duck eggs under her in the morning. Am I wasting my time?

 

[buff goose guy]

no for the first week or two mall of my ducks usually go off for most of the day return as night and say on the nest till noon. this stops as they get closer to hatch

but then again it gets really hot down here so that could be a reason mine get off

 

[Blondiega1]

I have a friend with a goose that just hatched chicks.
Hens had no interest so the goose took over the nest and hatched them beautifully!

 

[Orca5094]

They will sometimes sit for short periods before they finish their clutch and go into full broody mode. Once they start sitting tight, they usually only leave the nest once a day to eat/drink/etc. They are not off the nest for more than an hour from my experience. It's usually pretty brief.