Do ganders nest??

kazy · **Posted:** Fri Jun 04, 2010 1:06 pm

We are just looking for some clues here to figure out if our little fella is a Henry or a Henrietta.. He has gone and made himself a nest in the big yard.. Is he making himself comfy or s there is higher purpose???

Any other clues in regards to gender????

thanks

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

what breed are we talking abt? is the belly sitting tight and high or low slung?

ganders dont normally nest - it has happened on occassion BUT a picture of Henry/Henrietta side on showing the entrie body will give an aswer quick enough

kazy · **Posted:** Fri Jun 04, 2010 6:04 pm

ive got one in another thread.. ill go get it..

kazy · **Posted:** Fri Jun 04, 2010 6:09 pm

Here is our henry 2 days ago

thanks for your help btw!!

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

thanks for the pic :-D

still too young to tell beyond doubt needs to grow out more appears to only now be getting feathers - we have a gander here = has taken 9mths to tell for certain he is a boy - admittedly all the hatchings were white
Henry/Henrietta would be making somewhere comfoy and warm to sleep - still has baby fluff so would prefer/need to have a nest of some sort to be warm at night still - do you have a closeable shed you can make a nice deep nest for her/him in??

VERY nice markings tho :-D

- wait an allow her/him to get all her/his feathers and fully grow out then we will see
quite looking forward to seeing this Henrietta/Henry's adult plumage :-D

kazy · **Posted:** Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:59 am

we do have a closable shed in his yard.. we have been bringing him inside of a night and keeping him in a box then taking him back out early morning.. you recon he will be right to just nest in the shed of a night now??? would make our lives so much easier LOL he is 7.5 weeks old now..

thanks so much for your help

we have had a goose before, but he camped out with the sheep so this is new to us!!

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

kazy wrote:

we have been bringing him inside of a night and keeping him in a box then taking him back out early morning.. you recon he will be right to just nest in the shed of a night now??? he is 7.5 weeks old now..

keep doing this until he/she has all the adult feathers
nope not until those feathers are grown in - they are what will keep her/him warm later
thought was pretty young - will be 8-9mths at least before you will know for sex for certain - unless you know someone that can accurately sex goslings

this one is a baby still and will be for a few months yet [until mid Spring] = if that shed isn’t fully insulated and actually warm all night he/she shouldn’t go out at night even once the adult feathers are growing in = keep bringing him/her inside thru Winter handle as much as possible talk to as much as possible and hand feed as much as possible and by Spring you will have a friendly tame bird - by early to mid Spring she/he will be feathered out enough and old enough to be in that shed at night = with a lot of hay to snuggle in - I don’t recommend any birds be left out at night unless guarded by Maremma or Anatolian Shepherds [due to the fox factor]

Dorothy · **Joined:** Thu Jun 10, 2010 4:34 pm **Posts:** 1

In terms of 'nest' do you mean its too young? what age do they nest at? I have some at 6 months is that too young?
Dorothy

Tony · **Joined:** Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:31 pm **Posts:** 7

He is a nice looking goose or gander?

oozcorpse · **Joined:** Sun Nov 04, 2007 8:15 am **Posts:** 2715

Dorothy wrote:

In terms of 'nest' do you mean its too young? what age do they nest at? I have some at 6 months is that too young?
Dorothy

Yes this little one in the pic is way too young to nest - not even feathered out yet - his parents started their season early this year
Geese only have one laying season a year and lay for the first time abt a year after they are hatched - the breeding season for geese is usually from early June to late Sept/early Oct – but varies depending on your area and climate
Depending on the breed they can lay up to 60 eggs if all are taken away from them
I don’t recommend allowing a goose to sit and attempt to raise goslings her first year - her 2nd year is better = by then her instincts have well and truly kicked in

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