Sitting goose....

schnapper · **Posted:** Sun Sep 23, 2007 7:57 pm

Hi all.
I have a Goose that is sitting on 5 eggs (maybe more to come???). She has simply made a depression in the grass for the eggs and seems content.
My concern is she is fairly exposed to the elements. I am whipping up an A-frame shelter as we speak and am wondering, should I make it bottomless and simply lower it down on top of her and her nest or should it have a floor? Obviously with a floor I would have to shoo her off the eggs, place bedding and the eggs inside and hope she will sit on them again.
I imagine option A would be less stressfull for her, but I am worried that having the eggs on the cold ground isn't ideal either.
Any opinions??? :?:

One other thing, if I place duck or peacock eggs under her will she accept them? And is it a good idea? I've been told Geese make excellent mothers.... :-?

broken bird · **Joined:** Sun Nov 05, 2006 7:34 pm **Posts:** 125

Just place the "A" frame over her, that should be fine. The other thing you will find out it that geese can bite and bite very hard. One the end of that snake like neck is a very dangerous sharp object, so be careful.

Place other eggs under her, that is fine, place as many as she can comfortably cover.

The only other question I have, is she located in an area that is fox proof. Foxes will kill the gander, goose and then eat the eggs, all in one night, it has happened to me. And I had 3 geese sitting within a metre of each other, so the fox had to contented with 3 protective gander and 3 protective geese. They still killed one gander, then it mate, and ate all the eggs she was sitting on.

BB

schnapper · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 9:50 am

Thanks BB. She's in an 8m x 8m enclosure (6ft high with bird net cover) and close enough to the house that my Husky will deter a fox from even getting close.
However, I do have a couple of free ranging ganders that have fallen in love with one of my dams and are proving very difficult to herd back into the yard they share with my goats (good protectors?) at night.
Will a fox still get at them if they are on the water?

broken bird · **Joined:** Sun Nov 05, 2006 7:34 pm **Posts:** 125

Geese are night blind, so if they are on land they maybe taken by a fox, but if they are on the water they should be OK.

You may wish to build a simple floating island, by get 4 plastic 200 containers, strapping a couple of old pallets on them and filling the drums half full of water, then archoring it in the middle of the dam.

BB

schnapper · **Posted:** Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:39 pm

That's a clever idea!
I've actually got another larger dam that I could modify to have a real island.
That's the dream anyway.
Really wish I never sold my excavator! D'oh!

P.S I put the A Frame over my goose, after moving her as it was so heavy. Half an hour later she still hadn't gone near it. I caught her and placed her inside but she showed no interest in the eggs and 10 mins later was outside again.
I removed the A Frame and within 2 mins she was sitting again!
I guess she's gonna have to go "au naturale"!

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