On your advice, I have finally managed to sex my geese - well, I think I have! One goose has started laying so I know she's female. 1 has started bonking her so I'm presuming he's male! The female that's laying has developed something that looks like an egg sack between her legs. One of my other geese has developed the same 'egg sack' but I can't find any eggs - could this be a phantom preg... I mean layer? The 4th goose I'm also presumimg is male as no: 1 male goose keeps fighting him! Admittedly, my 4 geese are free range during the day so it's possible she's very clever at hiding her eggs. But ....... is it possible that a female can develop this egg sack before laying or not start laying this late?
Phantom layer??
- Thread starter Nala
- Start date
Davidd
Active member
Hello, if it is a goose she could be laying somewhere you haven't discovered yet.My geese are not laying yet and that is not normally the case - i would have goslings by now most years.Geese can same sex pair and tread each other without being a definate pair. Normally only the ganders fight - especially at this time of year.
As for the "egg sack" some geese and ganders will be very low slung - it depends on the breed and even then can vary in size- that is no sign of sex or egg laying . Hope this helps?
regards, Davidd
As for the "egg sack" some geese and ganders will be very low slung - it depends on the breed and even then can vary in size- that is no sign of sex or egg laying . Hope this helps?
regards, Davidd
Tim
Administrator
Yes, geese are very hard to sex - although they certainly know themselves and their behaviour is the give away ;-)
Davidd - I had an email from Chris Ashton on the weekend and she said their Brecon Buffs were very late this year and hadn't started. Last year I didn't get many eggs but this year my goose started laying 2 weeks ago and I'm up to 8 eggs
Davidd - I had an email from Chris Ashton on the weekend and she said their Brecon Buffs were very late this year and hadn't started. Last year I didn't get many eggs but this year my goose started laying 2 weeks ago and I'm up to 8 eggs
Thanks for your help. My laying goose has laid about 10 eggs so far and is now going broody (I think) - staying on her nest. As regards the 'low slung' bit - it looks different. The laying goose's 'egg sack' kind of hangs in the middle and is 'one sack' whereas the ganders (I think) seem shaped more like a 'W' down below. That's interesting that your geese haven't laid yet - maybe my other goose (I think) is a late starter too!
False alarm - she hasn't gone broody - probably teasing me or just practising! If and when she does go broody, can I still take her eggs? I've left her first egg with her just so she thinks she's still got eggs. I would like some goslings - how many eggs should I leave with her to hatch - what's the success rate? Still no eggs from 2nd goose! I've searched every nook and cranny.
YES!!! Second goose has just laid her first egg in the goose house and she's the other goose with the 'egg sack'! Will they go broody if I keep taking their eggs? At the moment they lay and then leave the nest. I've left one egg in each nest - is that enough to encourage them to lay and sit or should I leave all the eggs now, if I want them to hatch? I was going to keep taking the eggs until they went broody but, as the saying goes - is it egg before chicken or chicken before egg!
