Let a hen hatch geese

[Berd Man]

Just thought I would share this here; if you are having a hard time getting a new goose to sit on eggs like I was, I gave a few to a hen to nest on just to see what would happen. Today I was greeted by the familiar sound of goslings

This hen comes off every morning to eat and then gets back on the nest. There were 3-4 days when we had below freezing temperatures in February that she got kicked off by other hens laying eggs on the pile and the eggs were cold for 3-4 hours by the time I noticed. It looks like 3 of the 4 goose eggs will hatch today!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Congratulations, and good luck for a good hatch. I have hatched gosling under my bantam hens. I didn't let them raise them though. Curious on how your hen does with them.

 

[Berd Man]

I don’t know if I want geese that think they’re chickens! I will most likely remove from hen when they’re all dry and have their legs under them and put with other geese asap.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don’t know if I want geese that think they’re chickens! I will most likely remove from hen when they’re all dry and have their legs under them and put with other geese asap.

That's why I removed mine. A goose took them after about a week or two checking them out. That's the great thing about geese they don't always have to hatch goslings to want to raise them.

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

I don’t know if I want geese that think they’re chickens! I will most likely remove from hen when they’re all dry and have their legs under them and put with other geese asap.

Don’t forget to get some live chicken babies to give to mama after she loses her babies! I keep hoping my mama hen will go broody early so I can give her the eggs I have in the incubator.

Did everything go ok with the two?

 

[Berd Man]

Don’t forget to get some live chicken babies to give to mama after she loses her babies! I keep hoping my mama hen will go broody early so I can give her the eggs I have in the incubator.

Did everything go ok with the two?

Three out of the four hatched and were doing well. Somehow one got in a water container and drowned so now there’s two. I was very saddened and surprised by this as I’ve used the same water container for goslings for around 20 goslings over the past two years. Tossed it and am using something they can’t get into at all now.

The two that are still here are doing very well. They found a place in the cuddle pile with the older goslings they’re the small
Brown saddled ones.

Not sure what happened to the fourth egg, when it didn’t pip I candled to see what was going on and there was no moving going on inside.

The hen was off nest for a whole day before she decided to claim some chicken eggs that were laid in another nest box. I placed 4 more goose eggs under her and took the chicken eggs as I do not need or want more chicks at moment. I’m sure she will be content to have another job to do. I am going to keep hatching geese, God willing. My female (pictured at the water barrel) is in her first lay but she’s laid 24 eggs so I’m grateful for that. She has no interest in her goslings, but that’s alright maybe she’s still too young.

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

Three out of the four hatched and were doing well. Somehow one got in a water container and drowned so now there’s two. I was very saddened and surprised by this as I’ve used the same water container for goslings for around 20 goslings over the past two years. Tossed it and am using something they can’t get into at all now.

The two that are still here are doing very well. They found a place in the cuddle pile with the older goslings they’re the small
Brown saddled ones.

Not sure what happened to the fourth egg, when it didn’t pip I candled to see what was going on and there was no moving going on inside.

The hen was off nest for a whole day before she decided to claim some chicken eggs that were laid in another nest box. I placed 4 more goose eggs under her and took the chicken eggs as I do not need or want more chicks at moment. I’m sure she will be content to have another job to do. I am going to keep hatching geese, God willing. My female (pictured at the water barrel) is in her first lay but she’s laid 24 eggs so I’m grateful for that. She has no interest in her goslings, but that’s alright maybe she’s still too young.

The cuddle pile is the cutest thing ever! How can you stand that much cute? What have I gotten myself into with this gosling hatching thing?

I’m so sorry to hear about the baby you lost. It’s a wonder that any geese survive as hard as it is to hatch them.

What will you do with all of the babies now? My husband is afraid most of our 7 eggs will hatch and immediately imprint on him and he will not be able to part with any of them. We really really do not need 7 geese!

 

[Berd Man]

Every goose is a miracle. They’re my favorite animal haha I have a long term goal of creating a flock of breeders that I can separate out into individual pens so that lines stay pure. The breeding pair I have now create split breeds (Tolouse gander x African female) and I raise those specifically for meat. My family of 4 can’t afford to raise a cow on our land so we substitute goose meat for beef, in fact we like it better than beef as it’s higher in oleic acid and healthier for us. We find ways to get additional iron in the diet as beef is slightly higher in iron… perhaps I’m digressing a bit.

Once the goslings hatch I keep in brooder cages and then when they’re big enough to not squeeze through poultry net they go outdoors. Once fully feathered I’ve found they really need nothing from me except to keep the water dish full.

The plan is to hold onto as many as I can and keep growing the flock. I have 5 acres but family nearby has 30 and I will be possibly grazing large numbers there if I can get the eggs to hatch properly. In the future I’d like to sell and spread the word about these amazing creatures and their benefits on a homestead or farm.

 

[Berd Man]

My husband is afraid most of our 7 eggs will hatch and immediately imprint on him and he will not be able to part with any of them. We really really do not need 7 geese!

They will definitely imprint within the first few days especially. Which in my opinion is important and one of the things that makes working with geese easier. They will follow whoever they imprint on and if you teach them where to go for good grass and dandelions/weeds they’ll be great assets to have around. Mine weed the cracks between patio stones and when they’re done I rinse off the poo and wah-lah, I didn’t have to bend and pull weeds for hours.

Just be careful that not just your husband imprints. My wife is relatively hands off with the geese and sometimes when she approaches me in the yard with my geese around they like to bully her and keep her away.

 

[Isadora]

That's why I removed mine. A goose took them after about a week or two checking them out. That's the great thing about geese they don't always have to hatch goslings to want to raise them.

I too love this about geese. My broody goose hatched out one Gosling last year and my 2 other females and gander all helped raise it, Even taking it under their wings and such when it was cold.