Failed to hatch goose eggs again

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Yvonne

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Hi

My 2 geese have failed to hatch any eggs for the 2nd year. Last year they sat for the first time at 2 years old. Nellie made a nest and laid some eggs, we added some. Ellie didn't make a nest but decided to share the one with Nellie, but they kept moving it, thought it was just because it was their first year. The eggs gradually got broken, but had nothing in them, no goslings. This year the same happened but they didn't move the nest, well not until the end.They shared it so thought out of 14 eggs might get one. Wasn't to be, the eggs kept disappearing, presumably broken as not easy to get to have a look. There were two eggs left and near to hatching time they got broken too but again no goslings.

Unless Tilly isn't doing his job, how can I, hopefully, get them to hatch something next year. The 3 of them have lived in their shed together since they arrived here.

When do Muscovies start to go broody? They were born April 2010

Any ideas or suggestions gratefully receive

Thank you
 
Sorry to hear that. There is an old wives take that geese don't have good fertility unless they mate on water, do they have water?
Out neighbours have the same issue and they don't have water, outs have a large pond and fertility is excellent.
Not sure about your Muscovy question... Could you clarify? Do you mean age or time of year?
 
Thank you for your replies.

They do have a large pond. Does depth play a part? It's a bit low, but should still be reasonably deep in the middle. I didn't candle them as the gander is permanently outside the door. Two man job, one to hold the gander and one to candle. Sometimes both geese were sitting on the nest. If there was one on the nest and she got off the other one would be straight on it.

I will have a look at you tube.

Our old Muscovy used to go broody once a year, May/June time. Don't know how old she was when she started as she wasn't originally ours.

Bacardi is 3 now. I am assuming she lays eggs. Apart from some being slightly more pointed, can't tell between the eggs. They all look white, nothing with the slightest green tinge. The chap I got them from only has Muzzies and he said his lay white eggs. She has Coke and I have seen him mate with her the first year. Not since due to now having a full time day job.
 
Sorry, got it wrong, Bacardi and Coke are 2 years old not 3. They are the same age as the goose we hatched, the first year the other geese laid, under a hen.
 
Hmmm, all seems correct, odd that they don't produce any offspring? I assume the boys are doing their job?
 
They don't need water to mate successfully and dry land is fine. Mine do wet and dry matings but only when the field gets flooded do they do the wet !.

Your problem probably is that there is fighting over the eggs and they get rolled from one place to another and get cold. If you could do one goose, one nest, even if it means separating one on a nest you'll probably get better results. It's happened to me many times. Also can occur with two hens in a nest with the same effect.

After hatching they will all form a family group and at that stage two mothers are fine.
 
In relation to the muscovy question, I have muscovies and found that each girl is broody once, maybe twice a year. Of the duck breeds I think that muscovies are the best mothers and most reliable and careful broodies. I have no experience however of geese to compare.
 
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