What to do w/ goslings that momma hatched?

[NeverEnough]

Hi everyone. I've enjoyed reading the past posts but have a topic I didn't see... Our young chinese goose just hatched out 2 goslings this a.m. This is first time for us. The goslings keep hopping out of the nest box and cant get back in to be w/ mom to stay warm, etc.......... When I put them back into the box, daddy chinese gets all upset and climbs into nest w/ momma goose and the other eggs she's still setting on, climbing all over on top of them, he's trying to cover her and them. He actually stepped on one of the goslings neck and just stood there sqawking @ me. Had to chase him off of the chick. It was o.k. Won't they die w/o being able to get under mom goose? Dad goose doesn't seem to have a whole lot upstairs in the way of protecting babies but hopefully, I'm wrong and he'll cover them. It's suppose to get down to 58 tonight. Hubby is afraid they'll get hypothermic... What do you suggest? Also,,,I wanted to have Cayuga's hatched, so put a few of those eggs in w/ her others. She hatched one out but we found it smashed flat away from the nest..... Do the parents know that it wasn't their baby and did they kill it on purpose? Sorry for the long post but wanted to give you most facts to help us determine. Her nest box is outside in fenced area w/ wood coverings on all sides. I put a wood ramp hoping the babies would walk up it to be w/ mom... btw, I never knew that high protein diet would hurt waterfowl. I had been giving them extra protein..... oh, and also,,, do I need to give the babies a dish of water out just for them? they can't reach the big tubs of water I have for the others in the runs? thanks again.

 

[Kim65]

Take them away and brood them for a couple of weeks yourself. First time goose parents can be careless and confused, kinda like first time human parents.

They are usually excellent parents but are just clumsy and young and inexperienced.

Adult geese almost always accept goslings, at any time or place. Get them older and stronger and place them back with the parents. That's what I would do anyway.

I had my flock take in a raise four hatchery hatched goslings after I brooded them for four or five weeks. The ganders were especially attentive, and the babies were old and big enough to handle themselves.

ETA: give them a SMALL dish of water deep enough to immerse their whole bill in, and a dish of unmedicated chick starter. Chop up tiny bits of dandelion leaves or spinach in the water, they will naturally peck at them and discover both food and water that way. They'll grow really fast and be back with their parents soon

 

[NeverEnough]

An update... I looked out at them in the a.m.,,, daddy had them out walking around and showing them the water, pecking at the ground, etc. They look very healthy. He's been very protective of them, as mom is still on other eggs that I put in a few days after she started setting. Thanks for the tips. If he hadn't have cared for them, I would have done what you mentioned. Although I didn't realize I could put them back w/ them. Very good to know.

 

[Windchyme]

Quote:
In instances where they can't get back into the nest boxes (happens with chicks too) I just put a piece of wood or bricks at the front that they can climb up to make it back into the nest box. I have lost chicks before due to not being able to make it back into the box.

She didn't kill the other chick on purpose, she probably accidentally squished it. I would imagine cayugas are alot smaller then geese and so are the babies. The goose brain is geared to deal with watching out for goose baby sized babies (especially an inexperienced mom) and she probably didn't realize that it was being hurt. If she sat on it and hatched it she'd consider it hers no matter who made the egg.