Geese laying eggs in each others nests

[NevadaEmma]

Well, I did a brief serch and it does appear that geese lay eggs in other nests but their own. Can anyone confirm this has happened?

My oldest goose started laying eggs; one broke early on which seems to be common with her. This is her third year and she has not hatched any eggs the last two.

Then my other goose started laying eggs. She hatched three eggs last year and has started a nest in the same place this year,

One of my youngest geese that I thought was a male suddenly started building a nest outside. I moved the enitre nest with one egg to a protected area inside their coop and she did not miss a beat.

But eggs started to show up in the youngest gooses nest at a rate that I figured she probably was not laying. The eggs in the other two nests all but halted, occassionaly there would be one new one.


Are all three laying in one nest? Do they expect the youngest goose to sit on the eggs and hatch?

Or will one of the other females decide to try to sit on the eggs and hatch?

It is going to be interesting.

On a bright note, the youngest female may have been mating with my Sebastopol Curely that I lost recently.

Any thoughts?

 

[Jenbirdee]

 

[NevadaEmma]

Sorry, I have no idea what the above means! ?

 

[Jenbirdee]

Sorry, I have no idea what the above means! ?

oh sorry! It means I will be watching to see what happens!!

It is going to be interesting.

 

[telandra2]

Yes, they lay eggs in other nests. I have one goose that likes to lay in the cramped duck nests. Last year she squeezed through (what I thought was protected) on day 25 and crushed a nest full of almost hatched ducklings

Whichever one is broody will sit. If more than one us broody they might fight over the nest. My goose also steals goslings. Poor lowest ranked Rose spent last year at the edge of the gaggle while Ethel tended her babies.

 

[Goosebaby]

Mine like to swap nests and swap eggs. There’s lots of nest trading and egg thievery at work.

 

[NevadaEmma]

Mine like to swap nests and swap eggs. There’s lots of nest trading and egg thievery at work.

I knew that chickens did this, but not geese. I think they are laying in one nest, I cannot imagine one of the geese absconding with an egg under its' wings!

 

[Goosebaby]

I knew that chickens did this, but not geese. I think they are laying in one nest, I cannot imagine one of the geese absconding with an egg under its' wings!

It’s more like one sets up camp near the other and when one girl is off her nest the other will reach over and roll an egg into her nest. They’re crafty little stinkers.

 

[NevadaEmma]

I just came back from putting the geese away for the night.

The egg count has changed in the oldest goose nest (Tilly), stayed the same in the youngest goose nest (Baby Curley) and one is missing from the middle goose nest (Tilly2).

Do they steal eggs like chickens do?

 

[LRH97]

They do indeed nest dump, and it's very frustrating when trying to let them set naturally. The problem you run into is once a bird starts setting, she may be booted off her nest by someone else wanting that spot. Another egg gets laid, broody birds resumes her spot, and now you've got eggs at different stages of incubation if not caught.

When I have issues with this, I mark the eggs I want hatched with a pencil. Once a good sized clutch is there and I've got a female that has been setting for a couple days, I fence off her nest and let her go. With no aggravation from other birds, hatches are normally good.