When will she lay eggs? What kind of nest box do I need for her?

[DawnB]

Hi...I have a new embden goose, she's 2yrs old. They lady I purchased her from says she lays great. I was just wondering...when can I start seeing goose eggs? What triggers a goose to lay? Is it temperature or length of days? Just curious.

Also, what's the best nesting material that I should use for her? I use pine shavings for my chickens...will this work or is straw better? Do I need some kind of "box frame" or crate? What do geese prefer?

Thanks so much!


Dawn

 

[Slongest]

I built a 10' by 5' three sided lean too building just out of scrap wood i had laying around i use straw for bedding as it wont blow away as easy as shaving i too use shavings in the barn but straw outdoors and my embdens havent started laying but my sabastopolls love this building ill get some pics!!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi...I have a new embden goose, she's 2yrs old. They lady I purchased her from says she lays great. I was just wondering...when can I start seeing goose eggs? What triggers a goose to lay? Is it temperature or length of days? Just curious.

Also, what's the best nesting material that I should use for her? I use pine shavings for my chickens...will this work or is straw better? Do I need some kind of "box frame" or crate? What do geese prefer?

Thanks so much!


Dawn

Is she with other geese at your place? give her some time to get her bearings and feel comfortable, also make sure she has a safe place to lay when she gets ready to, with lots of pine shaving or hay/straw to make her nest. I have just started seeing my goose lay she is just 9 months old, days are getting longer a bit and mating season has started up I am thinking light and combination of other factors gets them going. I'll be honest with you, i much prefer shaving to straw or hay only because it is so much easier to keep clean and thats important to me.

 

[DawnB]

I've had her a couple of months and she fits right in . I have a Toulouse gander who is about the same age. I got him and a pair of muscovy ducks and 15 chickens when I adopted a flock in August last year. They were all raised together from chicks. He originally had a mate but she died. He was kinda mopey, so I found the embden locally and it's worked out great (they were actually grooming each other this morning when I was out watering them).

Right now they are all kept together actually (always have been). They are in a 8'x12' coop. Because we're on a slope, I have the coop raised about 2' to make it level, so I have a ramp. The gander never would use it...the goose, on the other hand, started using it the first day she was put with the flock. I've even seen her trying to teach/coax him to use it.

I have a 20' x 20' attached run and since the gander would never go in the coop, I build a little 3-sided shelter out of pallets in the run (so it's roughly 4'x4'). Everyone would go in the coop but the geese, so they had enough room. I use straw outside and shavings in (for the same reasons above).

@Slongest: is your shed their only shelter? Does it close off in any way (to keep out predators?) How many geese use that size shed? Do you put them up in the barn at night?

It's only been recently that I have been putting the gander into the coop (it's been awful weather, neg teens and high winds). He'll stand by the ramp and honk until I come and lift him in...dumb bird! Both geese are just fine in the coop with the other birds...but will the goose prefer to be outside once she decides to make a nest? Will she bully my chickens if they get too close (whether she's in or out)?

I'm getting ready to order a new batch of chicks and I'm considering if I should add a new "duck/goose" house on the other side of the run in the summer. It would share the run and I'd be able to separate if needed but both would be able to free range once it's nice out again. I'm just trying to plan ahead...

What are your thoughts? And thanks!

Dawn

 

[Slongest]

Its 10 feet long and about 5 or 6 feet deep about four feet in the front to a three feet in the back i have several geese and several ducks for some reason the ducks wont go in they would rather leave eggs all over the yard but geese love it about seven to ten go in it at night it doesnt shut its open and stays open i have 5 great pyrenees that keep predators away not a single missing bird yet "knock on wood" but im going out to take pictures in a sec i promise oh and the chickens dont go over to that part of the pond so the chickens leave them alone and no way no how will i let the geese or ducks in the barn they will make a mess of it in no time..... but most of my ducks and geese sleep right out in the middle of my circle driveway in the grass part dont know why there are plenty of other places to go out of the wind or rain betas me?

 

[flockman]

DawnB,

Maybe your geese get along better with the chickens than mine. I could not close mine in with the chickens. For the last month or so my gander has become more and more aggressive with other birds. He will flog any animal that gets close to his girl. He never cared for chickens but he got along with ducks until the last month or so. Now they are all evil in his eyes. I have the geese completely separate from the other birds. Your gander may not have had the hormone surge for mating season yet.

 

[DawnB]

Thanks Slongest...I'd love to see pics. I'm always looking for new ideas. My chickens are always closed up at night...during the warmer months, the ducks decide whether they're gonna bed down in the coop or out in the run. The geese always chose outside until just recently (I figure if I wouldn't leave a dog out in that weather, I wouldn't leave any other animal out either).

That said, my geese and ducks like staying out when it's warm. The run walls are almost 7ft (used to be our dogs' run and they were big and would jump over anything shorter). Haven't had any real issue with predators here either (knock wood) except a few wandering opposums that wanted to eat the feed, they never looked cross-eyed at the birds. The gander would do a warning honk and I'd head on out. They are no longer an issue...for anyone...

...they had a nice chat with Mr. .22

Nope, my real questions were just for when they start wanting to lay (the goose and my muscovy duck...I have the same questions about her that I do the goose...but I know that's on another forum page...haha). I also have read that geese can get real crotchety when they start laying. Is that true for all geese or just for some? Do geese go broody like chickens or when they lay, it's strictly to hatch they eggs?

 

[Slongest]

they def get crothety!!!!!!! but once mine get their nest together they dont get up hardly ever and if you have more than one one one will leave at a time then straight back to nest.

 

[DawnB]

Nope, just got the one goose. Will the gander ever sit the nest? Didn't know if geese shared nest responsibilities

 

[Slongest]

That im not sure i havent seen it if its happened....