Author Topic: encouraging geese to lay (Read 6117 times)

trefnantbach · « **on:** March 09, 2010, 10:30:21 pm »

any advice appreciated!
Have bought a trio of ebden x toulouse geese 3 years old and moved them into a loose box in the barn about 3 weeks ago. Staw on floor and in nesting boxes, water and layers mash provided ad lib. no sign of laying yet.
Intend to keep them in barn for now until they hatch eggs as they are scary to young daughter. Intend to put them out to graze in field with goose house and electric fence later.
Is there anything I need to do to encourage them to mate (dont know if they have or not - I'm not around in day to watch!) and lay eggs? Noticed that one female has become particularly aggressive in last few days.
Also any tips on moving the geese from barn to field with out loosing them and having to chase after them - how do you get them to go where you want them to with out actually carrying them.
All this might be a bit obvious but new to me.

marigold · « **Reply #1 on:** March 09, 2010, 11:12:25 pm »

I'm a newbie to geese too but as far as i know, it is still a bit early for them to lay. If it is dependent on spring they may need to have daylight.
We herd our pair when we want to move them but we have already clipped their wings. That was after a long wild goose chase.

Hermit · « **Reply #2 on:** March 09, 2010, 11:46:47 pm »

I have faroese geese,their wings are clipped so you just walk them to where you want them. Generally geese start laying on Valentines day but the further north you are the later it is. Mine are just now pairing up and hopefully will lay anytime now.You cannot make them lay just provide the nesting areas and wait.I have mine free range and can imagine if geese are confined they will become aggressive. Their main diet is grass as they are Grazers and will become too fat to breed if allowed to on pellets.I would clip their wings and get them in their outside run asap, if you clip their wings really well(I take all long feathers off except the end few on one side)they should not be able to get over normal sheep wire.They need a lot of water to bathe in, more you can put in a stable,if they cannot preen properly they will not be happy. Mine even mate on water, they have a stream to swim, preen and mate in.They should only become aggressive when protecting a nest,perhaps getting them out into the field so they have more space and feed them flaked maize as they love it will get them more friendly and used to you. Geese are very family minded and loyal birds, when they are used to you they will follow you and your daughter around like puppies. Good luck Hermit

trefnantbach · « **Reply #3 on:** March 10, 2010, 12:09:31 am »

Thanks hermit that gives me a bit more confidence!
Can you give a bit more detail about wing clipping. Also if I walk them out to pasture daily and back to barn overnight, do I need to provide them with shelter and somewhere to lay out in the field?

regards
Dafydd

Hermit · « **Reply #4 on:** March 10, 2010, 08:05:07 am »

If the goose house is big enough for overnight lock ins ,use that. They will nest in there, hopefully.
When you stretch the wing out you will see rows of shorter feathers along the arm and then the long flight feathers coming down off them. You will be able to see the pink core inside the flight feather quill.Cut where this pink ends as that is blood as in a dogs nail.Cut right along the flight feathers leaving the end group so they look normal when folded in to the bird. Depending on the time of year and the age of the feather this pink core varies.ie young new feather = more blood in it. You will need someone to hold the bird and one to clip, and some strong scissors. Hermit

Wizard · « **Reply #5 on:** March 10, 2010, 05:04:55 pm »

Hey hermit and git someone who's strong or electric fence problems can result and I know about that as well

harry · « **Reply #6 on:** March 10, 2010, 06:15:29 pm »

geese are easy to herd they used to go miles (walking)to market years ago. 100 mls plus to london in victorian times at xmas, geese are good grazers but they are not veggies, they like meat, slugs, mice etc.

lazybee · « **Reply #7 on:** March 12, 2010, 08:01:59 pm »

Just a note on handling geese, be VERY gentle when handling a female if shes laying or POL. With geese it's easy to damage the internal egg. this will result in Septicemia and loss of the bird. I found out the hard way.

Wizard · « **Reply #8 on:** March 12, 2010, 08:31:52 pm »

Hello again Just a little comment you may have read several comments on tups on here and on goats but I can assure you a Gander can raise bumps and black circles on your lower abdomen and lower.If he takes exception to you

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #9 on:** March 12, 2010, 09:30:12 pm »

the daughter will agree with that. ours waits until your backs turned before charging. however a gentle push with the bottom of your boot against his chest and he falls on his bum after a couple of times he feels stupid and waddles off with his girls.

Hermit · « **Reply #10 on:** March 13, 2010, 07:40:12 am »

I must have the friendliest geese in the world, I only have one that even hisses at me, the others are too busy nattering amongst themselves and bothering what I have in my pockets.

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #11 on:** March 13, 2010, 09:33:17 am »

they are friendly he just thinks its his job to be tough. its a shame he does not have the heart to do it. he is soft. having been mugged by a large flock at stanley park in blackpool a few domestic geese don't bother me.

harry · « **Reply #12 on:** March 13, 2010, 04:41:34 pm »

i noticed a week ago my geese were getting more noisy, and got 2 eggs today, if you want to help you need 4 bales of straw. make a 3 sided wall and break the 4th one up so they can make a nest. thats all they need.

trefnantbach · « **Reply #13 on:** March 21, 2010, 09:30:35 pm »

Thanks for all your advice - particularly Wizard. Today we clipped their wings and put them out of the barn into a goose house next to our lake. Tomorow I'll let them out hoping that they won't wander too far and come back to the new goose house before dusk. I'll put out their feed in their usual bucket. hopefully that will help.

In the meantime whilst mucking out after the geese in the loose box in the barn. I found that they had gathered some straw into a shallow nest and layed eight eggs! I had no idea that they were there! Anyway the geese have not been sitting on them and they were stone cold. There was no sign of anything inside with a torch so we had a massive omlette for tea!

Right then - hopefully the girls will continue to lay in their new home and the gander will do the biz especially now they have access to open water for mating. Is there anything I can do to encourage them to continue laying, getting laid (sorry fertilised, couldn't resist that one) and sitting on the eggs till they hatch?

Any advice welcomed as we would like to have a roast dinner out of them in the future instead of just omlettes!