The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: tizaala on September 17, 2014, 05:10:15 pm

Title: Geese laying !!
Post by: tizaala on September 17, 2014, 05:10:15 pm
Really weird, always in the early spring our 5 Toulouse geese start laying and stop again after a dozen eggs or so have been produced each ,then we have to wait until the next year.
Just popped my head into an empty stable and found a nest of 5 eggs, called Gabi to have a look and she said that she was in that stable 2 days ago and there were no eggs then.
Have the combination of chilly evenings and shorter days fooled them ? I wonder....
Title: Re: Geese laying !!
Post by: hughesy on September 17, 2014, 05:39:50 pm
I've heard of geese doing this before. Ours have been scrapping amongst themselves as if they were getting ready for the breeding season. No eggs though.
Title: Re: Geese laying !!
Post by: Clansman on September 17, 2014, 09:07:50 pm
We got our first egg on February the 14th and they stopped at the end of June then moulted.

We noticed the gander starting to mate with the geese again about 3 weeks ago so we were expecting eggs and they started again a couple of weeks back.

Not as many as earlier in the year, maybe a third the eggs we were getting in the spring
Title: Re: Geese laying !!
Post by: Fowlman on September 17, 2014, 09:58:23 pm
Ours stopped mid June but i have spoken to a couple of people in the past week that have geese still laying or have started again.
Title: Re: Geese laying !!
Post by: Steph Hen on September 18, 2014, 02:02:17 pm
My goose did this last year. They've been behaving a bit odd just now, but now laying in house, and I've not found a nest outside yet.
Title: Re: Geese laying !!
Post by: hughesy on September 19, 2014, 11:59:39 am
After some odd behaviour from ours for a few weeks checked their house this morning to find 7 eggs! From the shape of the eggs I reckon at least two birds are laying.
Title: Re: Geese laying !!
Post by: Clansman on September 21, 2014, 12:35:15 am
I stuck our latest eggs in the incubator but all clear, fertility is zero
Title: Re: Geese laying !!
Post by: goosepimple on September 21, 2014, 05:42:54 pm
Hmmm, interesting.
 
Our Steinbachers normally lay March to May and stop until the next March (that's normal for Steinbachers).   
 
But as with others, they have been acting mental recently, haven't noticed any females 'missing' for egg laying purposes though, but their behaviour isn't normal for this time of year.
Title: Re: Geese laying !!
Post by: Clansman on November 05, 2014, 03:11:19 pm
They laid almost right through September then stopped but we got another egg on Sunday 3rd November!  :thumbsup:

They are free ranging but there is some artificial light coming through the chicken shed window at night, I wonder if this is keeping them laying
Title: Re: Geese laying !!
Post by: hughesy on November 05, 2014, 08:54:24 pm
Our Embdens have just stopped having started mid september. A nice bonus as we sell the eggs for £1.50 each on the market.
Title: Re: Geese laying !!
Post by: HesterF on November 05, 2014, 10:48:49 pm
I was talking to our local farm shop earlier in the week about duck eggs (they don't want mine  :( ) and they said they were getting a few goose eggs in at the moment (and would be happy to buy those from me - pointless since mine aren't laying).