When do I give up and get her off the nest?

[lecobb]

My goose has been sitting on 10 eggs since around the 7th of March (halfheartedly sitting a few days preceding). Since it's been at least a month, at what point should I give up and make her get off the nest? She's pale and doesn't seem to be in the best condition since she's barely moved for so long.

 

[larkflying]

If there are still no signs of goslings, I'd probably take her nest away in the next week or so -- I've got a goose in a similar situation only I forgot to write down when she went broody, so I'm giving her a bit longer just because of that . . . it does take 30 days to hatch a gosling and it sounds like she is definately done that.

You could take a few eggs and candle them -- I haven't done that yet, but I'm tempted. Somewhere or someone on here could probably tell you the easiest way to do that . . .

 

[keeperofthehearth]

I wouldn't wait too much longer. I have a goose & ran into a similar situation. She sat for 36 days & I started bringing her a treat of fresh grass daily. She started calling out to me each time she heard me coming around .

I had a chance to check her nest/eggs finally and found one had a very fine crack and had leaked out... who knows when. Anyway, none of her eggs were any good/viable so I took them away.

She's now in molt but is getting her color and vitality back.... hopefully, she will lay/set another clutch before the breeding season is over. Try to get a good look at her eggs when she's on break & try to get her to eat a bit more if she'll take something fm you while she sits to tide her over a few more days if necessary.