AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Hi Folks,

I have a bonded trio of Chinese geese. The gander is about 5 years old, and his two ladies are about 3 and 4 years old. I also bought a younger pair of Chinese geese to introduce a new blood line. This pair hatched last season so are less than 12 months old.

The dominant female from the bonded trio laid reasonably well last Spring - about 20 eggs in total, but unfortunately nothing hatched - so I cant be sure if the gander is fertile. This morning (Monday 28/6/2010) the dominant goose from the bonded trio laid an egg, much to my surprise, right in front of me. Sadly it wasn't golden. On checking around their run I discovered that there was a second egg, which was smaller - about 3/4 the size of todays egg. I cant be sure who laid the second egg I found, but based on its condition and that I thoroughly checked the run 2 days earlier (Saturday 26/6/2010) I am fairly confident to say it was the first egg laid, and most likely laid yesterday (Sunday 27/6/2010).

Being the end of June / during winter, I certainly wasn't expecting this.

I have a couple of questions I am hoping someone can provide answers to:

1. Has anyone else had a goose do something similar, i.e. laying eggs in the middle of winter? Mine are looking in reasonable condition (they are developing the folds of fat around their "undercarriage" / between their legs). Based on the different honking I have been hearing lately I realised there has been some "action" happening lately, but just presumed it was a trial run in preparation for Spring.

2. Is laying determined by the amount of light, ambient air temperature, or something else? We have recently had a run of amazingly beautiful weather with crystal clear skies and very little cloud, which is not usual for this time of year here, and am wondering is this what has stimulated the "action" with subsequently surprising results.

3. While I recognise I am taking a long shot here, and acknowledge up front it will probably be unsuccessful, and in the absence of a broody muscovy duck, I have secured an incubator on loan to see if I can artificially incubate these two eggs. I found on the NSW DPI website (http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/l ... production) that the recommended temperature for artificially incubating a goose egg is 37.5 degrees Celsius. Can anyone with experience comment on this temperature setting? Is it too high / low?

3. I also read from the same website that ... "After the 15th day of incubation, eggs should be completely submerged every second day in water kept at a temperature of 37.5°C and then daily in the last week of incubation, for 1 minute." Again - anyone with experience prepared to make comment regarding this?

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Steve.

Hi Steve,
I have 2 geese,in early March of this year they hatched 4 goslings and now I have discovered that my goose has layed 1 egg this morning.I live in Lithgow and it has been very cold and raining for the past few weeks,not at all warm.Im going to take it away from her as it will not survive here.Will let you know if she lays any more.
Rose

Hi Rose,

When I found the eggs this morning I did immediately think about your posts earlier this year, as I had read them with interest.

I am a few hours drive from you on the Central Coast (Gosford area). It has been cold here too which prompted me to ask the question about whether temperature impacts upon a waterfowls inclination to lay.

Has your goose laid in winter before? I admittedly am relatively new to geese, and have searched some of the APF archives regarding this, but so far to no avail. If I have missed a posting regarding this could someone shoot me the link?

I take it that you are not planning on artificially incubating the egg that your goose has laid.

I would appreciate it if you kept this forum updated. I will endeavour to do the same with my efforts at artificially incubating the 2 eggs I have (so far?).

Cheers,

Steve.

Hi Steve,
I will certainly keep this forum update.My goose is only young,she layed 17 eggs on her first sitting last September and then again in March and then this 1 egg yesterday.Will let you know if she lays any more.

hi Steve it hase been a different year i have ducklings (30) that were hatched in june and my girls are going back into lay now even talking to some of the breeders at the shows there finding the same thing.

Thanks for the info - it makes me feel less worried that my geese haven't gone crazy.

And what did I find this afternoon? Yep ... she has laid again.

Hi,
I also found another egg this afternoon,this is number 2.What's happening?I don't think they are crazy,just a bit confused.

the werid weather of the last couple of years has confused a lot of creatures - especially geese
mine moulted at the end of last month!!!!!! normally mine moult March/April

goose eggs take 30-38 days to hatch depending on the breed
I read somewhere there is one breed that takes 45 days but cant remember which one
normally the goslings would hatch from the last 3/4weeks of Winter to mid Spring
as they only need a small amount of fed each day until they are about 3/4 weeks old = this is a good time to hatch = the fast growing period is filled with lots of fresh Spring grass

I have been watching and waiting for mine to do anything = so far just a lot of noise [as per normal]
my Embden X Saddle Back girls tend to hatch eggs around All Hallows Eve the neighbours geese I am now looking after [ Pilgrim Common Grey and Roman cross Pilgrim ] lay/hatch right up till end Nov
each bird does it all in it own time basically

Hi All,
Well,my goose layed a total of 3 eggs then stopped,which I'm glad she did.Hope she waits till it gets a bit warmer here...lol