February 25, 201313 yr One for the goose experts. One of our female geese has failed to hatch any of her eggs, we let her sit for a good week past the hatch date and nothing happened, her friend who started sitting later has goslings. So, we removed the dead eggs in the hope she would get back to life (she's looking a bit bedraggled) but she's insisting on sitting on the now empty nest, silly bird! Any way we can encourage her to just get on with life? I thought of getting a couple of goslings from the market in the hope she would take to them but I'm worried that plan could end in disaster. Thoughts anyone? These are pets not commercial birds although we do eat some of the eggs. "I don't want to know why you can't. I want to know how you can!"
February 25, 201313 yr I sometimes find nests of a dozen or more chicken eggs in the oddest places in my garden.... (covered / sheltered areas) .... oh the stink! ..... Like your goose the stupid hen just sits and nothing happens! Perhaps Mr Gander is shooting blanks!?
February 25, 201313 yr I reckon give the goslings a try !! What age did your geese start laying ? I have 3.. 1 is 7 months old and the other 2 are 4 months old... Guess it will be next year but not sure ?
February 25, 201313 yr I sometimes find nests of a dozen or more chicken eggs in the oddest places in my garden.... (covered / sheltered areas) .... oh the stink! ..... Like your duck the stupid hen just sits and nothing happens! Perhaps Mr Duck is shooting blanks!? Geese, as in the thread title
February 25, 201313 yr I sometimes find nests of a dozen or more chicken eggs in the oddest places in my garden.... (covered / sheltered areas) .... oh the stink! ..... Like your duck the stupid hen just sits and nothing happens! Perhaps Mr Duck is shooting blanks!? Geese, as in the thread title Yeah .... caught that in time to change !!!
February 25, 201313 yr Author I reckon give the goslings a try !! What age did your geese start laying ? I have 3.. 1 is 7 months old and the other 2 are 4 months old... Guess it will be next year but not sure ? Not sure how old they were as they are inherited from MiL we acquired them when they started eating the neighbours rice crop. We bought the original pair for MiL 5 years ago, Mr Gander is the one we bought back then, big chap he is too, I'm pretty sure they had eggs in the first year. Any idea how I should introduce new goslings to the flock (5 birds) remembering the idea is to get our broody girl off her nest? I don't want them to be eaten "I don't want to know why you can't. I want to know how you can!"
February 25, 201313 yr Author Wifey spoke to our local goose expert, OK he doesn't have geese but does keep chickens and guinea fowl, he told her to completely destroy the nest. So Muggins here got the short straw, luckily our geese aren't too vicious so I got the lady off without being too badly mauled. Nest raked out and all local nesting materials piled and burnt. Looks like Mrs Goose has taken the hint much quicker than I thought she would, she's back with the others stuffing herself silly with goose chow, making no attempt to return to her (former) nest. We shall see how she gets on tonight. "I don't want to know why you can't. I want to know how you can!"
February 25, 201313 yr Crossy,if she is still feeling down in the dumps,maybe you could try getting hold of some other eggs (goose,duck,chicken...)and get her to sit and hatch them.This could bring her out of her broodiness. I remember an old hen that was as broody as hell,couldn't lay an egg to save her life anymore but wouldnt admit defeat and so tried muscling on other birds nests. and guess who won ???
February 26, 201313 yr Author Yeah, if she returns to being broody we'll get some duck eggs for her to sit on, Wifey has been talking about getting ducks "I don't want to know why you can't. I want to know how you can!"
March 16, 201313 yr Author Did mother goose recover from her broodiness? She did indeed return to her normal self I was about to update here, as she's decided that eggs are a good idea and has layed (or is that laid) some "I don't want to know why you can't. I want to know how you can!"
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