Removing goslings from mother goose HELP!

[viccyscoobs22]

Hi I have recently hatched out through incubation some of my own geese they are lovely and very tame. I got the eggs from the hotel where I work as they started laying back in February.
After 4 weeks of one of the geese incubating her eggs they have hatched. There are another 2 nest with separate mothers incubating on them. However I have been informed that the last time this happened the males went in shortly after they were hatched, attacked the mother and started pecking the goslings to death. Killing them all. I was extremely shocked to hear this after all I have read about geese being good parents (so the Internet says). This time my boss wants me to take the goslings away and rear them like I did my own. Is this a good idea? The hotel has 8 geese altogether 3 females and the rest males. We have kept them separate since the first shell cracked but cannot carry on with this as the males are left outside in their compound at night and we are worried about the fox getting them again. I am expected to go and remove all the goslings that have hatched so far from her nest however I am worried about the consequences of doing this, to the mothers incubating and the remaining eggs. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
Viccy

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi I have recently hatched out through incubation some of my own geese they are lovely and very tame. I got the eggs from the hotel where I work as they started laying back in February.
After 4 weeks of one of the geese incubating her eggs they have hatched. There are another 2 nest with separate mothers incubating on them. However I have been informed that the last time this happened the males went in shortly after they were hatched, attacked the mother and started pecking the goslings to death. Killing them all. I was extremely shocked to hear this after all I have read about geese being good parents (so the Internet says). This time my boss wants me to take the goslings away and rear them like I did my own. Is this a good idea? The hotel has 8 geese altogether 3 females and the rest males. We have kept them separate since the first shell cracked but cannot carry on with this as the males are left outside in their compound at night and we are worried about the fox getting them again. I am expected to go and remove all the goslings that have hatched so far from her nest however I am worried about the consequences of doing this, to the mothers incubating and the remaining eggs. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
Viccy

And possibly getting the hatched gosling trampled to death in the process. I'd keep mama and gosling separate and let the hotel build a separate sleeping house for the ganders for the time being. When you take on the responsibility of having geese and then letting them hatch goslings its our responsibility to make sure everyone is safe. And the joy the guests will get out of watching mama goose raise her goslings will be worth it all. Once gosling are around 4 weeks old if the compound is large enough the babies should be fine with everyone. Most ganders are really good parents so maybe figuring out who is doing this killing and keeping these separate might work and give the other ganders a chance to be a papa as well, my gander was papa goose to Muscovy ducklings last year and was very gentle and caring for them.

 

[psue]

On a side note... the problem may be that there are 3 girls and 5 boys in the adults.

 

[viccyscoobs22]

Thank you for your comments. I have asked the hotel to do exactly that as I know they are better off being raised by their own natural parents however I have been refused because of the money it would cost! (Ridiculous I know) The problem is everyone wants to see little gosling's and mum and dad being good parents however they do not have a clue.
The hotel had 4 geese the year before last , however all but one were eaten by the fox so they simply went and bought 7 more. Hence the 3 females and 5 males. Their seems to be fighting going on as well at the moment and staff and guest are complaining about the geese looking scruffy and loosing feathers. The main problem is no one has been given the sole responsibility of the geese, however I have now been given (simply because I hatched out my own geese and raised them) the responsibility of the gosling's.
I've received 2 this afternoon, there is over 15 eggs, the 3 females are in their house however only two have eggs in their nest's. I noticed when I went to check on them that 2 females are squabbling over the one nest?
Again thank you for your advise I will keep you updated on their progress.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you for your comments. I have asked the hotel to do exactly that as I know they are better off being raised by their own natural parents however I have been refused because of the money it would cost! (Ridiculous I know) The problem is everyone wants to see little gosling's and mum and dad being good parents however they do not have a clue.
The hotel had 4 geese the year before last , however all but one were eaten by the fox so they simply went and bought 7 more. Hence the 3 females and 5 males. Their seems to be fighting going on as well at the moment and staff and guest are complaining about the geese looking scruffy and loosing feathers. The main problem is no one has been given the sole responsibility of the geese, however I have now been given (simply because I hatched out my own geese and raised them) the responsibility of the gosling's.
I've received 2 this afternoon, there is over 15 eggs, the 3 females are in their house however only two have eggs in their nest's. I noticed when I went to check on them that 2 females are squabbling over the one nest?
Again thank you for your advise I will keep you updated on their progress.

They may not hatch if there is squabbling going on, that's too bad the Hotel won't take anymore responsibility than that and dump the welfare of the goslings in your lap, but thank goodness you do have experience. And fighting and feathers looking bad is all par for the course, if they want beautiful tell them to go by plastic. They ought to see my Muscovy drakes right now, it is not unusual for the ganders to be acting like and looking like this.

 

[viccyscoobs22]

Thanks again Miss Lydia. The gosling's are doing well and have started to eat and drink which is lovely to see I am waiting to hear weather any more have hatched out over night. I did think it was only natural for them to be loosing feathers and squabbling this time of year, our chickens are doing the same. I will try and post some pictures of their progress soon. Hope all is well and thanks again for your reassurance.