Goslings Hatching but Killed by Adult Geese!

[cybercat117]

Lost about 8 newly hatched goslings...I feel responsible...

It never occurred to me that they might be attacked by other geese. I don't know who the culprit is- the mom or dad or others? The birds are free range. This is the first hatching for these birds, and I am thinking that they just don't know that those wet wriggly things are babies...I did see one being flung by one of the adults, and was able to rescue it. (I've got two perky healthy babies in the house.)

I have moved the latest pipped eggs into the house (there are 4) and they are in an aquarium with a light over them. Temp is a little cool, just under 90 degrees. I do not have an incubator so I'm in a panic...! There are birds setting on 3 other nests. Do I need to take the eggs away?

Any advice? I'm off to the feed store, but will be back shortly.

Thanks,
Leanne

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

oh geez - thats really horrible. i'm so sorry. but good for you for saving the baby that was being roughed up.

i think what you'll need to do is pen around the other mommas and their babies to keep them separated.

it most likely was the other adults and NOT the mommas that attacked them..from what i understand.

we kept our other momma, who did not hatch, away from the one that did hatch. but eventually they could all be together and the group (gaggle?) were incredible parents to the one that hatched. sadly tho - we lost him.

what kind of geese? i thought they were all really good parents

i'm so sorry - and again - good for you for springing to action!

 

[HeatherLynn]

We raised geese for a few years. The culprit was always the males. The females actually seemed to share responsibility of the babies. Even the female whose eggs did not hatch. I guess she was the auntie. The males were horrible though. We had to secure them away from the females until the babies were a good bit older.

 

[cybercat117]

Thanks for the responses! I don't have any problem penning the ganders up, but want to leave the others out if possible...(just cause its 90 degrees and want the birds to have access to the water...)

I frankly can't remember which bird was striking at the hatchling, but I was SO ANGRY that I rushed in, shoved the bird away with my foot and snagged the baby...big chunks of down were torn off...can you IMAGINE???

I'm still upset, but the hatchlings that I put in the house have recovered just fine. One of the pipped eggs is hatching right now. The little beak is outside the shell, and the gosling is vigorously peeping away. There isn't really any activity that I can see from the other eggs yet. I am hoping that I haven't hurt them by messing up their position within their shells, since I don't know what position the eggs were in when I pulled them out of the nest.

I do hope that I can hatch them with a lightbulb.

I'm so worried now that I go to the nests and lift up the moms with a rake handle to see whats going on. I don't trust any of them now.

Oh, the birds in question are Toulouse...the farm production strain, not Dewlap.

I also have two farm production Africans setting and in general, I like the personalities of these birds better than the Toulouse. I used to have a Toulouse that I loved, but this batch is raucous...

Will keep you all posted...