Are you looking for an answer to the topic “sebastopol geese hatching eggs“? We answer all your questions at the website Chewathai27.com/ppa in category: Aodaithanhmai.com.vn/ppa/blog. You will find the answer right below.
Unfortunately, Sebastopol geese lay about 13 to 20 eggs per year, have a fertility rate of about 45%- 60%, and not all will be good broody mothers compared to other waterfowl. All of these factors make to where you get an average of 7-12 hatchlings each year per female.Sebastopol geese hatching. They typically take up to three days to fully hatch.Sebastopols are good parents. The gander watches over the goose as she sits on her nest. He is very loyal and protective keeping all those passing by away. The goose sits on her nest for 30 days.
Table of Contents
How long does it take for Sebastopol geese eggs to hatch?
Sebastopol geese hatching. They typically take up to three days to fully hatch.
How long do Sebastopol geese sit on eggs?
Sebastopols are good parents. The gander watches over the goose as she sits on her nest. He is very loyal and protective keeping all those passing by away. The goose sits on her nest for 30 days.
How many eggs does a Sebastopol goose lay?
Other characteristics of the Sebastopol include orange feet and bill and the eyes are commonly blue. It grows to about 11 and 13.5 pounds. Unfortunately, it lays about 13 to 18 eggs per year, has a fertility rate of about 45%, and typically has poor brooding skills.
What day do goose eggs hatch?
The actual period of incubation of goose eggs varies slightly with the breed. Some eggs from the lighter breeds may start pipping after 28 days, while eggs from the larger breeds may take 35 days. It may take up to 3 days for hatching to be completed.
Do geese have to sit on their eggs all the time?
Will a goose always go broody? A goose may not always go broody and sit on her eggs. Often, with the way that goose breeds have been modified through selective breeding, this characteristic is lost ,especially if the breed has been created as a utility bird for producing meat or eggs.
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
She does not always choose the best location for her nest. If the nest is outside, make sure the goose is protected from magpies and crows (placing cut branches around open entrances can help).
Be careful when approaching her as she will be very protective of her nest and you could be pecked if you get too close, more likely by the gander as he has nothing to do at this point except guard his goose!
Do geese leave their eggs unattended?
Geese, on the other hand, rarely leave their eggs unattended. They rely on nutrition they build up and store prior to laying eggs. Their nests generally are more exposed than those of ducks, demanding greater vigilance. Female swans can be absent from their exposed nests because the male bird shares incubation duties.
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
The geese’s nests are exposed and require constant care from the bird. This Canada Goose is only stepping off her eggs to turn them.
What time of year do Sebastopol geese lay eggs?
Of course, these are quite large. Bright white in color, they are big enough to make up for three or four chicken eggs! Sebastopol geese can be raised as reliable layers during the laying season between early spring and summer.
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
The Sevastopol goose is a domesticated goose and one of the most popular breeds in this category.
They are known for their long, slender necks and webbed feet, which make them excellent swimmers.
This animal is a breed of domesticated geese originating from the city of Sebastopol. They are characterized by their long necks and slender bodies.
The geese can be used for eggs, meat or to keep the grass short on golf courses and other areas where they are raised.
Would you like to learn more about this unique species? Read on to find out if the Sevastopol goose is right for you.
History of the Sevastopol goose
The Sevastopol goose is a native breed of goose that is a descendant of the European greylag goose.
The exact story behind the origins of this bird is a bit murky. However, it is believed that the breed was developed somewhere in Central Europe along the Danube and Black Seas.
Other records suggest they originated in Crimea and were shipped from the port of Sevastopol before arriving in England.
In any case, Sebastopol was first shown as a recognized, distinct breed in England in 1860.
Shown under her current name – Sevastopol Goose – she was prized for her white, curly feathers, medium weight and bright blue eyes.
At the end of the 19th century they found him almost everywhere.
Aside from being raised for shows, Sebastopol geese were originally bred for their curly feathers, where people used them for quilting and pillow making.
In the past these animals were referred to as Danube geese, but they eventually dropped that name due to some confusion over an Irish geese breed of the same name.
They have a host of other nicknames too — for example, in Germany, Sebastopol geese are known as Strupp Guns or Lockengans, meaning “unkempt goose” or “curly goose,” both names due to this bird’s frizzy, tousled plumage.
Sebastopol geese quickly gained great popularity, not only for their appearance, but for many other qualities.
These birds have a calm temperament and don’t like to roam far—good news, as they’re relatively slow-moving and don’t like to fly.
They are good-natured, excellent foragers, and fatten up easily.
When it comes to breeding Sebastopol geese for more useful purposes, there are also many advantages. These animals make great sitters and moderate shifts.
They are good natural mothers too. They have never been used for large-scale meat or egg production and are more commonly raised for ornamental purposes.
Appearance of the Sebastopol goose
Most often, the Sevastopol goose can be recognized by its feathers curling downwards. These are mostly flightless birds.
Weighing around 10 to 12 pounds, these geese are not the largest you will find.
However, it is not their weight that affects their ability to fly, but their feathers. The rippling makes it impossible for them to breathe!
Sebastopol geese are usually white, but colors can vary. The feathers on the breed’s neck are usually smooth and sometimes grey-brown instead of white.
There are also colorcrosses that have produced buff, saddleback, and even all gray variants.
Breast feathers can be smooth or frizzy.
The birds have striking blue eyes, rounded heads, bulging eyes, arched necks, and keeled breasts.
Blue eye color is most common in the classic white Sebastopol, although some other variants produce birds with unusually brown eyes.
As previously mentioned, these geese are a medium-weight breed, with goslings weighing up to 14 pounds (and geese weighing 12 at most). Both thighs and legs are orange.
Something else worth noting about this breed of goose is that the feathers are remarkable in both their texture (the crumpled look!) and size.
They tend to be much longer than the average goose feather. Because of this, the Sebastopol goose looks like it has a lot more features than it actually has.
At first glance, a fleshy, compact bird looks larger than it really is because of these feathers.
It has a short back and a rounded, oval basket. His thighs are short and well muscled with equally short strong thighs.
Only one Sebastopol color is recognized – white. However, many breeders are working to ensure that different colored varieties are recognized.
Temperament of the Sevastopol goose
Sebastopol geese are known for being friendly and calm. They are perfect pets for families concerned about aggression issues when raising geese.
These birds are rarely hostile, tending to be on the shy side.
They are not as vocal as other breeds but can still be used as alarm animals as they will honk if something unusual is wrong!
However, they don’t broadcast nearly as far and wide as other geese breeds.
They’re accessible, easy to hold – and compelling to look at! Sebastopols also make wonderful parents, even when used as adoptive parents for other goslings.
They are prone to breeding, but occasionally suffer from fertility issues related to their plumage – something we’ll discuss in more detail below.
While all geese forage to some degree, those of Sevastopol are among the best at it.
They will enjoy pulling weeds in your garden and as they are not super heavy breeds they should not compact your soil too much.
Used for Sevastopol goose
Sebastopol geese are sometimes raised for eggs, but if you decide to do this, know that you won’t get as many eggs from your Sebastopol geese as you could get from your backyard chickens.
The average female only lays 25 to 35 eggs per year.
These are of course quite large. They’re bright white and big enough to replace three or four chicken eggs!
Sebastopol geese can be raised as reliable laying hens during the laying season between early spring and summer.
Although Sebastopol eggs are slightly smaller than those of other geese breeds, they are significantly larger than those of chickens or ducks.
Most often chosen for shows or as pets, they may also raise Sebastopol geese for meat.
They aren’t typically used commercially for this purpose, but if you decide to grow Sebastopols for meat, you should be able to process them after about six to 10 weeks.
This will help you avoid having pin feathers pulled out of the carcass as you will butcher the geese before they molt their young feathers and grow adult plumage.
Another benefit of raising Sebastopol geese for meat is that you don’t have to worry about an odd carcass side due to the lighter feather color of these birds.
It’s just a matter of aesthetics, but can result in a cleaner looking carcass when you’re ready to put it in the oven.
Lifespan of the Sevastopol goose
With proper care, Sebastopol geese can live to be two to three decades, with the average lifespan being around 25 years.
Because of this, it’s important to only breed Sebastopols if you’re up to the challenge. We’re talking about a lifetime commitment!
Sebastopol is royal and intelligent.
You may choose to keep them as a pet for a long time. But many people choose to slaughter them early in their lives when they are being raised for meat.
Reasons to love the Sebastopol goose
There are many reasons to consider rearing Sebastopol geese. For one, they are wonderful to look at.
The ruffled (usually white) feathers are attractive and unique, making Sebastopols a good choice for display purposes.
These geese are calm and friendly. They are also hardy and do well in colder climates, which is certainly not true of all geese breeds.
Not only that, these geese’s uniquely ruffled feathers make it difficult for them to fly. While this might be a disadvantage for some, it is an advantage for most people.
Disabled flight means less work trying to cage your geese – and less hassle with them getting onto your neighbors lawn to munch on the grass too!
What to look for in a Sevastopol goose
If you are interested in large-scale meat or egg production, then the Sevastopol goose is probably not the right choice for you.
These animals are not the most prolific in their egg and meat production.
However, they make excellent pets or show animals. However, there are a few conditions to consider here.
When raising Sebastopols for show, there are a few extra steps you need to take to ensure your animals stay in tip-top shape.
Keep your birds in clean, dry enclosures to maintain the health and appearance of their long, ruffled feathers. This can help you avoid broken or dirty feathers.
Some people give their birds unlimited access to bathing water.
While this can help flush the white plumage free of debris, some people do not recommend it as these geese’s feathers do not shed water like normal feathers.
This can cause the feathers to look unhealthy and frayed.
Instead, please place them in an enclosure with tall grass. This will help them brush themselves clean.
Just offer buckets of water for your animals to dip their heads in. This allows the body feathers to stay dry while still allowing you to maintain certain standards of cleanliness.
It is also important to limit overcrowding with these animals.
Not only can overcrowding affect the appearance of these feathers, but it can also reduce the likelihood of other health problems.
You may want to add extra protection during cold, wet and windy periods.
While Sebastopol geese are relatively cold hardy, their unique features can be a little loose fitting and don’t offer quite as much warmth as the feathers of other geese breeds.
When breeding your Sebastopol geese, you can mate one sex of one to four geese.
If you notice that fertility is poor, trim the feathers on the tail, back and around the opening.
What to look for when buying Sebastopol Goose
Buying Sebastopol geese is not unlike shopping for other geese species.
Look for animals that don’t have long, rectangular bodies. For example, find a goose with a rounded body when viewed from the side and from above.
It would help if you also avoided smooth breasts.
You should also pay attention to the suspension. Feathers on the chest should always be ruffled.
Primary and secondary wing feathers should not be stiff – instead they should be soft, long, and pliable so they curl easily.
Avoid birds with a lot of gray if you intend to use these animals for display.
A hint of gray in young birds is okay and usually goes away after the birds first molt. In adults, however, you should avoid any color except white.
If you plan on keeping these animals for meat production, know that you will end up with a well-rinsed, medium-sized carcass. Again, keep one male with two or three females for best results.
Is the Sebastopol goose right for me?
If you’re thinking about breeding a Sevastopol goose but aren’t entirely sure if this unique breed is right for your family or farm, we hope our blog has given you some insight.
We recommend doing plenty of research on the breed and consulting with experts before deciding on getting one yourself!
Consider these questions when deciding whether to raise a Sevastopol goose to make an informed decision:
1) What climate do I live in?
2) Do I have enough space for my new pet?
3) Is geese breeding legal where I live?
4) Will my neighbors agree?
5) How much time can I spend each day/weekend taking care of her?
After considering these factors and the Sebastopol goose traits listed above, you should have all the information you need to make an informed decision. Enjoy!
READ MORE: Raising geese to protect chickens
Will a goose sit on unfertilized eggs?
Right here, your goose starts out with at least one unfertile egg if she has a clutch of 10. The crazy news as far as goose egg incubation goes is that unless you are really on your game, you are not likely to achieve the 90% hatch, it’s more like a 40% hatch for eggs you put in your incubator!
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
Where do rotten eggs come from, what will your goose do about rotten eggs, and what should you do?
A goose may sit on bad (non-hatchable) eggs due to the frigid weather and the natural infertility of some eggs.
Unfortunately, once Goose Eggs are “bad”, there’s nothing you can do to fix them. This is all about preventive measures and making sure mistakes from last time don’t come back to catch you and your geese next year.
How much space do you need to breed geese? is an article I wrote that you might want to read if you’re thinking about raising your own goslings.
The fertility of goose eggs is 90%
90% of goose eggs are fertilized provided of course you have the right goose to goose ratio and have them all together before breeding season.
If you have the right male to female ratio, an acceptable feed ration, and you have them together for the required amount of time before mating (your couples have been together since Christmas, right?) then you should be at 90% fertility.
This means that 10% of goose eggs are not fertilized even under ideal circumstances. This is exactly where your goose starts with at least one unfertilized egg when it has a clutch of 10.
The crazy news regarding hatching goose eggs is that unless you’re really up to your game you probably won’t hit the 90% hatch, it’s more of a 40% hatch for eggs you put in lay your incubator!
Not all fertilized goose eggs hatch
Not all fertilized eggs hatch. There is a long way to go before a fertilized egg is laid and all the right things happen at the right time for the chick to hatch. When you think about it that way, reliably getting goslings from your pair is amazing!
Even eggs that look good and were laid in acceptable weather can and will have some unfertilized eggs, that’s the 90% thing.
Best Geese to Eat gives you my top picks for the best table goose.
If you’re not getting good results, consider your goose management
Nobody likes to hear it, but often problems with hatching are related to management, that is, people mess up the geese!
Now you know. If you’re not getting the results you want, as with almost all eggs that hatch, think about your management and see what you can improve.
If you find that you and your geese are far from the norm, are you missing something? Did you pair the geese too late? Did you have the right ratio of males to females? Did each goose have its own nesting site?
Also note that some breeds will be better mothers than others. If you’re not seeing the results you want, ask around to see what other people are getting with your same breed of geese if you hatch smart.
Here’s a look at some of our geese this spring. We’ll show you how we track which geese go down and which don’t.
Here is an example of a pair of my geese compared between last year and this year
For example, last spring I brought my young Sebastopol pair together about a month before nest building, oops, that was way too late! I told myself although they walk with other geese these two work as a pair so it will be fine.
No, it wasn’t. The first nest probably contained crossed eggs (it turned out!) so I took the eggs and hoped she would lay more. She didn’t. That was a mess and it was my doing.
This year they have been separated since the beginning of January and will have purebred goslings. Only two have hatched so far and the other eggs don’t look likely.
While that won’t bring me more goslings this year, it does help me assess the pair and whether I want to continue breeding. I’m not saying my management was perfect, but it was pretty good. Last year no, this year yes.
Plus the fact that the couple will be turning two instead of just being yearlings like they were last spring.
Are geese easy to breed? addresses the key needs of geese so you can see if rearing is working well for you.
Returning to the main point of this article, what becomes of the eggs that are still in the Sebastopol nest? I’ll give them a few extra days. It would be a shame to screw up because I’m impatient.
When the pair leaves the nest to roam for the day, I know they have abandoned the remaining eggs. I listen to the egg, you hear movement when the gosling is alive. Otherwise, she’s done for the year.
Group of grazing geese. Once the breeding season begins, the geese stay in pairs.
Eggs frozen in nest before nesting started
If your goose has laid her eggs in the nest and those eggs are then frozen in the nest, they will not hatch.
How could eggs freeze in the goose nest? Once she sits on it, the eggs stay nice and warm, but while she’s laying one egg a day to build the clutch, she’s still coming out of the nest and eating and drinking as usual.
When the cold snap comes, if she hasn’t finished building the nest, she won’t be on top of the nest to keep it warm.
What are you doing about it? We collect the eggs before a really cold night and put them inside, then we take them outside again the next day or when the cold weather has passed.
If you don’t want to collect the eggs, you can make sure she has enough bedding like straw to make a nice, insulated nest for the eggs. So they rely on her to construct the nest to be frost proof. That’s a maybe.
If you think your goose is in a frozen nest, you need to take a good look at the eggs. That means getting past her.
If she’s close to hatching, even a few days later, give her time and don’t disturb her.
If you play around with her now, she can get so upset that she will accidentally hurt goslings that hatched or left the nest and won’t come back if you got the dates wrong.
If the nest is new and the eggs are unattended, check the eggs. Any cracks? If so, they must go. If the eggs look good, put the nest back the way you found it and leave it alone.
If you find broken eggs and your goose is still laying, you can take out the broken eggs and hope she keeps laying to rebuild the clutch. That’s a maybe. But if the eggs are cracked, you have nothing to lose by trying.
The geese seem to know when something is shaking and will throw out bad eggs or just leave a ruined nest. In our experience, the goose won’t perish forever, it abandons the nest as soon as it knows it’s not working.
She’s sitting on an egg from last year
As crazy as it sounds, one of the reasons your goose is sitting on a rotten egg is because the rotten egg is still there from last year. This happened to us!
The geese seem to like the same few nesting spots each year, which is good. Unless they pull a “dead” egg from the previous nest when they are littered and end up in the new nest with it. Now there is a problem.
If this rotten egg breaks open, it will contaminate all of the other eggs in the nest, something they are unlikely to recover from.
Believe it or not, the growing gosling in the shell receives air exchange from the outside through the eggshell before the gosling itself can breathe.
This means the shell is permeable, which is good for air exchange, bad if there’s dirt on the outside of the eggshell. The same pores that allow air exchange also let in the contaminated dirt.
I found a rotten egg the other day. (The geese are going down as I write this.) She was out in the sheep field so had spent all winter outside (don’t know where) and still kept a good tank.
I know it didn’t lay this spring because the egg was too far away after I cracked it open. Super smelly. Sometimes the geese will lay an occasional egg outside in the grass so I figured that would be the case here, no!
Completely clean the geese nest site every year
The solution to dealing with last year’s rotten eggs is to completely clean the nesting area once the geese have hatched for spring.
You have plenty of time until the next breeding season to clean up the nest site, but it’s best to go ahead and clean it now.
Clean the nest area completely. Take out all the straw down to the bottom, including the surrounding straw for a foot or two on the outside of the nest.
In the straw next to the nest, the rotten eggs that were thrown out of the nest “hide”. These are the eggs that will screw up your hatch next year. Don’t take the risk of those eggs sticking around!
Place the straw and any nest contents, such as egg shells, on top of your compost pile. When the pile is dry, add some manure or water and give those bacteria time to work. This turns a potential problem into a great addition to your yard or garden!
I know this sounds a bit paranoid, but completely cleaning the nest and the area around the nest will save you from disappointment next year.
Because geese are so seasonal, it’s important to stack the deck in your favor from the start. A full cleaning between breeding seasons will give you a good start for a successful gosling hatch next year.
You might be thinking, “No way are these eggs going to get past my dogs, who like to eat old eggs and anything else out here trying to eat these eggs.” to.”
I would think so too, but we still find rotten goose eggs from the previous spring every year, despite the best efforts of the egg-eating wildlife and our dogs!
Clean the nests, it’s worth it.
Resources:
Egg production, incubation and sex identification of geese, NWS Department of Primary Industries, Here I obtained the 90% fertility and 40% hatchability numbers from an incubator
How much are Sebastopol geese worth?
| Sex | 1+ |
|---|---|
| Unsexed | $93.09 |
| Male | $70.75 |
| Female | $160.10 |
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
Fertility appears to be an issue in most sebastopols, along with lower than normal egg production. Fertility is reasonable early in the season (and they seem to start producing earlier than most breeds), but declines quickly. Often in the last three weeks of spring production we don’t have fertilized eggs. In 2005 and 2014 we tried artificial insemination with our Sebastopol, but with discouraging results. Artificial insemination is widely used in Europe and even after consulting those who do it in Europe we have produced zero fertile eggs using artificial insemination. So now we’re back to relying 100% on natural mating again.
Customer reviews of Sebastopol geese
5.0
April 15, 2021 |
I ordered 5 goslings from Sebastopol and I was VERY happy with this company! All geese arrived alive and happy, delivery time was very fast, I was kept informed throughout the shipping process. All my geese are doing great! Will order from Metzer Farms again in the future. Thanks very much!
January 22, 2022 |
My boys arrived happy and healthy! They are now 11 months old and are such a delight! We love her! Metzer was amazing to deal with! Will order again!
What do you feed Sebastopol geese?
- Pasture – Grass is the staple food of geese. …
- Hay – I live in Vermont, so the grass growing season is short. …
- Grains – My geese get a mixture of whole wheat berries and whole oats mixed roughly 4:1. …
- Treats – Goose Salad. …
- Grit – Jena Digging Dirt. …
- Oyster Shell/Eggshells –
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
What’s good for the goose…
willow –
Grass is the geese’s staple diet. I remember being amazed by this in my early stages of geese research. Although geese are birds, they are grazers. However, in my experience, they are picky. There were times I would take them for a walk around our property to look for some grass because they didn’t have much in their yard. (I’m working on improving the pastures.) And what did they do when we got to a nice green? With their beaks on the ground, hunt for worms or favorite plants – like dandelions – basically ignoring the grass.
Although they are a bit fussy, they need the best weed I can give them – and plenty of it.
And that raises the problem of winter.
hay –
I live in Vermont so the grass growing season is short. And there are a few months when the nearest weed is often buried under a few feet of snow.
Walk in: the high-quality grass hay bale.
I only tried this on my second winter of keeping gooses. The first winter I had the goose tug on straw bales and I noticed the geese pulling out a ton of straw and chewing on it. The next year I bought them some second cut hay – just two or three bales. I was amazed at how much they seemed to appreciate it.
Since then I’ve kept some hay bales to feed them when they don’t have enough grass available. I keep shears in the barn and chop the hay into 3 to 6 inch pieces to keep them from gizzards.
I have no idea what the nutritional value is for her, but at least it provides fiber to go with her winter grain diet. And it keeps them busy with “weed” to nibble on.
grains –
My geese are fed a mix of whole grain berries and whole grain oats, mixed about 4:1. I even feed them this in the summer to make sure they get what they need. I feed this mix at will and dry it in a wall-mounted container. My books recommend feeding whole grains by dropping them in the bucket of water. I tried this for most of the first winter but didn’t split it up well and found I wasted a ton of it. The dry method worked better for me — at least until this week.
I saw a few days ago how a little sparrow flew onto the “porch” of the goose pen. I’m not sure if it was after the grain or some scraps of hay for its nest. In any case, I have to think about dry feeding the grain, at least for the summer.
Although I usually give them their grain dry, I do my best to make sure it’s not too far from their bucket of water. This prevents them from choking while eating.
Breeding Season Adjustments —
From around January 1st I add 20% protein turkey grower/finisher pellets (the main ingredient is corn, which some goose farmers object to) to the whole grain mix until I have a mix that is around 18% protein. I feed this free choice during the laying season.
Once the geese have finished laying eggs, I usually start removing them from the pellets (or at least less from the pellets to lower the overall protein content). That can take a while, though, since there’s not much grass in Vermont in March and April, and once a goose has been sitting, it’s lost a lot of weight.
My books recommend feeding a goose whole grain, so this spring I planned to stop feeding the pellets once my geese decided to start breeding. (They insist, regardless of whether they have a mate.) But one of my geese had finished laying and was sitting faithfully on her dummy eggs while the other was still laying. So I separated the whole grain from the pellets so the geese could take what they wanted individually. I hope they know better than me what they need.
feed corn —
Also, I sometimes feed them corn grits for energy during the winter. Now some people feel like corn is always a total no go. You may want to do some research and decide for yourself whether to feed your geese corn and how much. I usually feed the corn in small batches on extremely cold mornings or as a last feed on single digit or sub-zero nights. My older goose Jena especially loves it. She would definitely get fat if I didn’t limit it.
treats –
goose salad
If only I loved healthy treats as much as my geese! 😊 I read about other people’s geese eating this or that vegetable, and I read recommendations on how to grow vegetables for geese, and I sigh. Mine seems a bit picky. They love three things and don’t seem to care much else:
watermelon –
I usually cut it up for them and give them a few pieces of rind as well. But sometimes I just slice it up and let them chew it. Most of the time they go nuts for it, but even watermelons are occasionally ignored.
lettuce –
On a snowy morning, her excitement is deafening when I show up with a bowl of chopped lettuce. I generally rinse it out and rip it up for her just because I’m special. I usually buy lettuce, and I’ve bought Iceburg in the past. But a note in Lisa Steele’s book, Duck Eggs Daily, stating that it “may cause diarrhea”* made me reconsider. If it’s not good for ducks, it probably isn’t good for geese either.
Dandelion –
This is her absolute favorite meal. They hunt dandelions from a piece of grass and are so excited when they see someone approaching their fence with a handful of dandelions. Most of the time they don’t seem to eat the flowers. But they will devour the greens and even eat some of the root.
Additions –
Grit –
Jena dig dirt
This is absolutely necessary in the winter when my geese can’t dig up and eat the dirt, sand and small rocks that allow their gizzards to grind down their food. To be on the safe side, I offer this to my geese all year round, but they definitely eat more of it in winter.
Oyster Shell/Egg Shells –
I only feed this during lay, free choice, and the females eat as much as they want as a calcium supplement. This is also a necessity as I don’t feed them laying pellets. By feeding the calcium supplement separately, I can avoid giving my geese a calcium overdose. This was especially important when I had a gander that needed the high protein breeder diet but of course didn’t need supplemental calcium.
Dave Holderread recommends 2.25-2.75 percent calcium for breeding geese in his The Book of Geese** and I have an old nutrition sheet from a bag of laying pellets that lists calcium as 3.55 percent!
I’ve always bought oyster shells made specifically for poultry at my local feed store, but I’ve recently tried feeding my geese some of their own eggshells. The membranes on the inside of the shell peel off fairly easily. I’ve baked mine (on a baking sheet at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes) but other people air dry theirs or don’t dry them at all. Here’s a great article I found on feeding eggshells to poultry for calcium. You can get inventive with how you crush them. I put mine in a cereal bowl and mashed it up with the back of a medium soup ladle. My goose downed them with no problem.
Recalculation…
My goose feeding schedule is in a state of constant adjustment, but here I am now. In the meantime, I’m hoping to try growing a watermelon-and-lettuce garden for my two silly, adorable, tricky geese, in addition to the more tried-and-true feeds. And maybe I’ll try to broaden her taste palette a bit…
If you keep geese, what are their favorite treats? Let me know in the comments below!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________* Lisa Steele, Duck Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Ducks…Naturally (Pittsburgh: St. Lynn’s Press, 2015), 68
** Dave Holderread, The Book of Geese: A Complete Guide to Raising the Home Flock (Corvallis: Hen House Publications, 1993), 106
0 0 votes Article rating
Are Sebastopol geese rare?
Very rare, white (and colored) long curly feathered & blue eyed Sebastopol geese. They have a very sweet and quiet temperament and are easy keepers. Sebastopol geese are listed as a “Threatened” endangered species by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
We are no longer taking hatching egg orders for 2022 as many of our geese are brooding and sitting, so we are collecting the remaining eggs laid to hatch them ourselves. Due to the short laying season and not knowing how many they will lay before they hatch, we DO NOT take pre-orders for Sebastopol hatching eggs. Thank you to everyone who bought hatching eggs from us this year! Happy panties!!!
Please read everything on our Sevastopol Geese Hatching Eggs page BEFORE PLACING YOUR ORDER as their eggs are more difficult to hatch and shipping can reduce the chances of a successful hatch. Thanks very much!
Very rare, white (and colored) long-haired and blue-eyed Sebastopol geese. They have a very sweet and calm temperament and are easy keepers. Sebastopol geese are listed as an “Endangered” endangered species by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Our flock of 26 geese contains more than 11 different bloodlines (including elite Holderread lines). We have the following colors: (Buff Saddleback, Buff Splash, Gray Splash, Gray Saddleback, Lavender Splash, Smooth Breasted White & Curly Breasted White). Our geese are bred together so we cannot guarantee which colors you will receive. For more information on these rare and beautiful geese, please visit the Livestock Conservancy.
Buff Saddleback, Buff Splash, Gray Splash, Smooth Breasted White & Curly Breasted White Flock
Curly feathered Sevastopol goose
Buff Saddleback Curly Breasted, Gray Splash Curly Breasted & White Smooth Breasted
What temperature do geese eggs hatch?
Your eggs will need to be consistently incubated at 37.5°C (99.5°F) up until 4 days before hatching. During the final 4 days of incubation, the humidity is increased and the temperature is decreased slightly.
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
Incubating Goose Eggs – The Basics
If you want to have good success hatching your goose eggs, you need to master the basics before anything else. So, let’s talk about the basics of incubating goose eggs:
advertisement
Incubation period: 28-35 days depending on the breed
28-35 days depending on breed Incubator temperature: 37.5°C (99.5°F)
37.5°C (99.5°F) Incubator Humidity: 55% or 84.5°F when using a wet-bulb thermometer
55% or 84.5°F if using a wet-bulb thermometer Turn eggs: 4 times a day
X-ray eggs 4 times a day: days 7 and 14
Day 7 and 14 lockdown date: Day 27
Day 27 lockdown temperature: 37.2°C (99°F)
37.2°C (99°F) Lockdown Humidity: 75% or 91.7°F when using a wet-bulb thermometer
Hatching goose eggs is an exercise in patience. Your goslings hatch after about 28 days. Some breeds take up to 35 days. Sometimes they can pop out earlier, sometimes later. It all depends on the egg! You will find that some clutches hatch at about the same time and others hatch days apart.
advertisement
Their eggs must be incubated continuously at 37.5°C (99.5°F) for up to 4 days before hatching. During the last 4 days of incubation, humidity is increased and temperature slightly decreased.
advertisement
Candling your goose eggs on day 7 of incubation and again on day 14 is an important part of the process. It helps you determine whether or not your eggs are viable and allows you to discard non-viable eggs before they become a health hazard. More on goose egg candling later in this article.
advertisement
How to hatch goose eggs
I’ve hatched dozens of eggs in my life. There is some advice online that is spot on and some that is not. Be careful reading forums where people are discussing egg hatching tips. It really boils down to making sure your fundamentals are rock solid and being patient – letting nature take its course. In this section of the article, we’ll go over everything (and I mean everything!) you need to know about successfully incubating goose eggs.
advertisement
The anatomy of an egg
Nature knows how to hatch an egg. By providing an egg’s basic needs, warmth and moisture, it will likely eventually hatch. However, knowing the anatomy of a goose egg is important to achieve a good hatch rate. The three parts of the egg that you should be very familiar with are the shell, yolk, and air sac. Below is a picture of the anatomy of an egg:
advertisement
You need to pay special attention to the quality of the shell, the air space at the fat end of the egg, and the yolk floating inside the egg.
advertisement
Selection of high quality goose eggs for hatching
How to choose a quality goose egg for hatching? Where to get fertile goose eggs Choosing the right eggs to hatch is the first and probably the most important step in hatching eggs. Goose eggs are not typically sold in markets, but it is advisable that you do not attempt to hatch supermarket eggs – they are unlikely to hatch. Instead, look for a local, trusted fertilized egg seller. Find a farm where you can see how the flock of geese are raised for eggs. This ensures that you get what you pay for and that the birds are treated well.
advertisement
You can also buy fertilized goose eggs online. Many hatcheries will be happy to ship you eggs, but that comes at a cost. Shipped eggs are expensive, can arrive damaged, and have a reduced hatchability due to trauma sustained during shipping. Goose eggs are also not the most common type of fertile eggs made available online.
advertisement
Once you have your eggs in hand, examine each egg carefully. Be sure to wash your hands before and after handling the eggs each time. You can darken a room and X-ray your eggs by shining a flashlight inside the egg. This will reveal cracks or bumps in the egg.
Never attempt to hatch an egg that is cracked, dirty, too big, too small, misshapen, has a double yolk, or is in any way unusual. Also note that eggs with a defective air cell should not be incubated. These eggs are unlikely to be viable and unlikely to hatch. More on identifying defective eggs later in this article.
Also pay attention to the approximate age of the eggs. 7 days after a goose egg is laid, it begins to lose fertility rapidly. It is important that your eggs are placed in the incubator within a week of being laid. After 2-3 weeks, most of your eggs are no longer viable.
Let your eggs settle
Once you’ve collected your eggs, whether from your local post office or a local farm, you should give your eggs at least 12 hours, but ideally closer to 24 hours, to set. Place them in the carton with the fat side of the egg facing up. This allows the air cell at the fat end of the egg to settle in place before hatching.
Your eggs should have enough time to reach room temperature. Putting colder eggs in an incubator can breed bacteria as the egg heats up. Always start incubating an egg at room temperature.
How to clean an incubator
An incubator that has been contaminated with a pathogen can quickly end any developing embryos in the eggs you set. You must properly clean and disinfect your incubator before laying eggs, even if it is a new incubator. This is my incubator cleaning log – so far it hasn’t misled me.
If you have used your incubator before, make sure that any shell fragments or other materials left over from previous hatches have been removed from the incubator. These small parts of the egg mass can harbor and grow bacteria. Remove all detachable components like water pans and eggshells and clean them with soap, water and a sponge. After cleaning, you can further disinfect these components by soaking them in warm water with mild bleach. Do not use chemical cleaning agents. Wipe down all components and let them dry. Now clean the bottom of the incubator by soaking it in a solution of 25% bleach and warm water. Wipe it with a soft cloth, especially when using a heater. Clean it gently but avoid getting it wet. A slightly damp cloth or brush is the ideal way to clean the heating unit.
After cleaning, leave it in a sheltered place for 12-24 hours. The incubator should be dry and smell clean before laying eggs. If it has an unpleasant smell, clean it again using the protocol above.
Setting up your incubator
Once your incubator has been sanitized, it’s time to set it up. Never start your incubator and set eggs immediately. It’s not like baking a frozen pizza in an unheated oven! You want to make sure all the basics of hatching a goose egg are spot on. Do not skimp here – it can lead to dead embryos. If your temperature is above a few degrees, your eggs will die and you will have a sad time. If it is too low, it can negatively affect development. If humidity levels are incorrect, you may have chicks that fail to develop or hatch properly. Sad times all around.
48 hours before you start incubating your goose eggs, set up the incubator and allow all key readings to stabilize. You should see the temperature and humidity stabilize for at least 12 hours before laying any eggs. As a reminder, you want these two metrics to be perfect:
Incubator temperature: 37.5°C (99.5°F)
37.5°C (99.5°F) Incubator Humidity: 55% or 84.5°F when using a wet-bulb thermometer
For the first few hours, you may notice that the indoor temperature and humidity fluctuate somewhat. That is normal. If you consistently see an incorrect reading for more than an hour, adjust your incubator to give the correct reading. Once you are sure your incubator is stable and ready for eggs, go ahead and set them up.
Turn your goose eggs
In the wild, a mother bird perched on her eggs is constantly busy twisting and turning her eggs. When incubating goose eggs or other poultry eggs, this process must be simulated by turning the eggs manually or using an automatic egg turner. Automatic egg turners are especially nice because you don’t run the risk of contaminating the inside of the incubator or the eggs themselves by touching them, and you don’t run the risk of affecting the internal temperature and humidity.
If you don’t have an automatic egg turner, it’s not the end of the world. You can turn your eggs by hand. Always wash your hands before touching your eggs! The oils and dirt on your hands can clog the pores in the shell or contaminate the eggs with bacteria. Both scenarios can kill an embryo.
If you rotate them manually, before inserting them, take a soft pencil and place an X on one side of the egg and an O on the opposite side of the egg. This will ensure that each egg has been completely turned. You will continue your daily egg turning until 4 days before hatching.
X-ray goose eggs
Candling the eggs you’ve incubated is hands down my favorite part of the process. To candling an egg, darken a room and then shine a flashlight into the large end of the egg. You can cut a hole in cardboard to focus the light, or buy an egg light.
If you X-rayed your eggs daily, which I don’t recommend, you would see a red disc on the yolk followed by veins slowly branching outward. On the 7th day of incubation you will see a network of veins around the yolk and a small red dot in the center of the whole. You may be able to see a very dark spot, which is the bird’s developing eye. You may see movement. If the egg appears alive, congratulations! Go ahead and put it back in the incubator. Below is an image of what a live egg should look like:
You can clearly see the network of veins, the embryo in the center, and even its eye. At this stage you can see the embryo rocking back and forth. But there are signs that your egg is not viable:
Of course, no development at all
Some early development but veins are decayed and no new development
A large red ring with no visible veins or embryos
Cloudy, discolored eggs
Dead eggs should be discarded immediately. If you are not sure, mark the egg with a question mark and set it a few more days. Candle again on day 14, but only this egg.
Avoid over candles. It’s so nice to see the babies developing, but the more you handle the eggs, the more likely you are to drop them or infect them with a deadly pathogen.
Monitoring of water loss during incubation
Just before lockdown, the last 4 days of incubation, I screen the eggs again to look for problems. Dead embryos should be removed. I also look at water loss during incubation. Your goose eggs lose about 14% of the liquid in the egg during development. The air cell at the fat end of the egg should grow slightly during the incubation process. If it still seems small, your humidity level might be too high. If it is very large, it may be too low. Check your hygrometer for an updated humidity reading.
Blocking the incubator
We have referred to lockdown a number of times in this article. Lockdown is the term for the last 4 days of incubation. During lockdown, remove the eggs from the egg turner and set them aside, slightly reduce the temperature of the incubator, increase the relative humidity, and leave your eggs alone. During this time, the embryo growing inside puts itself in a hatching position and jumps out. Fast facts on the lockdown:
Lockout date: Day 24
Day 24 lockdown temperature: 37.2°C (99°F)
37.2°C (99°F) Lockdown Humidity: 65% or 88°F when using a wet-bulb thermometer
Again, you don’t need to change your incubator temperature for lockdown. Once your ban has been initiated, all you have to do is wait.
During these last few days of incubation, your chicks will be pipping internally. During this process, your chick enters the egg’s air cell and begins to breathe. 2 days before your chicks hatch, they will likely chirp outwards, where they will break open the outside of the shell and begin breathing outside air.
During this time, the chick begins to absorb the remaining yolk in the egg into its body. Chicks can survive on this yolk for a day or two after hatching, then they begin to eat and drink.
The general rule of thumb is that once you see a pit in the shell, which may look like a crack or bump, your chick should hatch within a day or two. As it prepares to hatch from the egg, it slowly rotates, breaking the eggshell in a process called unzipping. This is the final phase of hatching. Once they have started to open themselves, hatching is imminent. This part can be tricky for excited chick breeders. It can be slow but don’t bother.
Note: If you get impatient and try to help a chick hatch, you could accidentally kill it. If the yolk isn’t fully absorbed and you pull the chick out of the shell, it radically increases the chances that they won’t survive.
The period of time from pip to zip can vary quite a bit. In my experience, once you see an outer core, the chick fully hatches within 24 hours. The eggs may not hatch all at once. Or they could. It really depends on a number of factors that are almost impossible to account for. I’ve had hatches where every single egg hatched at exactly the same time and some where the chicks hatched a few days late. You just have to be patient.
The most important thing is to be patient and not mess with the eggs. Hatching eggs can be exhausting when you are emotionally invested. Some eggs do not burst and hatch. Some will pip internally but will not pip externally. Some are externally piped but never unpacked. Some will unzip but will not be able to push themselves out of their shells. Some hatch completely and then die.
If you think a chick is having trouble hatching, do not intervene. It sounds callous, but if a chick can’t hatch on its own, it means it wasn’t strong enough to do so. Some goslings are also slow-moving panties. Intervening too early can kill them. Let nature take its course.
If you help a chick that cannot hatch on its own, its offspring may also tend to have difficulty hatching. This is something to consider if you intend to continue breeding this line of geese.
How long do goose eggs take to hatch?
The time it takes for a goose egg to hatch is generally around 28 to 35 days, depending on the breed. There can be a good amount of variation, with some eggs hatching earlier or later than others.
Incubate goose eggs naturally
Incubating goose eggs naturally is also a viable option for you if you have a female willing to sit. Domesticated fowl in general can thrive on natural incubation, and geese are no exception. Still, geese are generally pretty reliable egg sitters. So if you have a hen ready and you want goslings, let her do it! Your goose will lay 8-12 eggs and then begin to perch. She won’t start sitting on the eggs until she’s laid her full clutch, so be sure to keep those eggs safe. Once she has started sitting on the eggs, the chicks hatch after about 28 days. You don’t have to do anything to help, although it may be a kindness to provide a source of food and water close to the goose’s nesting site.
Common problems when hatching goose eggs
If you’ve been through the process of hatching goose eggs and haven’t gotten many goslings – or any – at all, I understand that it can be a difficult experience. You’ve probably been incubating your eggs for about a month and have little to show for it. Now let’s fix bugs. What are the most common causes of poor hatch rates?
Set old eggs
Low fertility eggs
Wrong turning
Improper handling
Uneven incubator temperature
Uneven incubator humidity
Nutritional deficiencies in the breeding animals (remember when I suggested meeting the birds?)
Contaminated incubator
We hope this guide on how to incubate goose eggs will help you hatch successfully!
Other incubation guides:
Why do some goose eggs not hatch?
If chick embryos develop to the pipping stage, or at first shell cracking at hatching, they are normally healthy enough to hatch unless some incubator adjustment prevents it from happening. The problem is usually caused by either 1) poor ventilation or 2) improper humidity.
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
The need for air exchange within an incubator is greatest on the last day of incubation. The oxygen demand of the chick embryo increases continuously during development and especially during breathing through the airways just before hatching. The vents are often restricted at this time to increase the humidity of the incubator. Instead of helping the chick hatch, the lack of ventilation suffocates the chick. Never reduce hatch vents to increase humidity. Increase humidity by other methods. If ventilation adjustments are made, they should be opened wider.
Another reason for mortality during hatching is improper humidity control. The deaths can be caused by too much moisture throughout the incubation period or too little moisture during the breeding season.
The desired egg weight loss during incubation from water evaporation is about 12 percent. Keeping humidity levels too high during incubation will prevent adequate water evaporation from the egg. The chick can drown in the water left in the shell upon hatching. A dried coating around the chick’s nostrils and beak indicates that drowning was likely. Taking care to maintain proper incubation humidity during incubation reduces the potential for this problem at hatch time.
If moisture is allowed to decrease after the chick has pitted the shell, the membranes within the shell can dry out and become attached to the chick. This prevents the chick from turning in the shell and stops the hatching process. The chick eventually dies. If the membranes around the shell opening appear dried and shriveled, the likely cause is low humidity during hatching. This condition can occur quickly (within 1 or 2 minutes) when the incubator is opened to remove or support other hatching chicks. Once hatching begins and proper incubator conditions are achieved, the incubator should never be opened until all chicks are hatched and ready to be placed in the brooder.
How long do baby geese stay with their parents?
Eggs hatch after 25 to 30 days of incubation. The young, called goslings, can walk, swim, and feed within 24 hours. Both parents (especially the gander) vigorously defend the goslings until they are able to fly, which is at about ten weeks. The young geese remain with their family group for about one year.
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
In parks and coasts with short grass, large flocks of geese feed on areas of vegetation. This can be seen as a problem when parks are littered with droppings and feathers, or when public swimming areas used by many geese need to be closed to swimming (see Public Health Concerns). Also, when nesting, geese may chase or peck at people who get too close to their nests or young.
In public areas of favorable habitat, it is rarely desirable or possible to eliminate geese entirely. Ideally, management programs should aim to achieve a goose population that minimizes threats to the birds while meeting the land use needs of the human community. no single quick fix is likely to achieve this result. An integrated approach using several of the techniques described below in combination is required. Ideally any approach to geese management should be in place before geese discover a site – or shortly after – as it is much more difficult to discourage geese once they have become accustomed to a site. Once nesting has begun, it is illegal to move or shoo geese from a nest.
To minimize conflicts or resolve existing issues:
Stop Feeding Geese: When geese stop supplementing their diet with handouts and rely on natural food supplies, some or all of the geese will move elsewhere.
In public areas, it is helpful to start by putting up signs explaining the problems of feeding geese. Such signs may contain in their text, preferably in the appropriate languages:
Please do not feed the geese!
Human food is not good for the geese because it lacks the right nutritional value.
The feeding attracts more geese than the area can naturally support.
Geese at high levels are more likely to get diseases and parasites.
Geese droppings contain parasites that can cause health problems in humans.
Goose droppings increase algae growth, which in turn leads to fish kills.
Goose droppings are unsanitary, unsightly, and contain parasites that are irritating to humans.
Geese eat plants needed for ground cover and erosion control.
Too many geese in an area can force the community to allow them to be killed.
Keeping geese costs tax money.
To prevent people with good intentions from feeding geese, some localities may need to make ordinances regulating feeding and create powers to enforce such regulations.
Lawn care: Evolutionarily, Canada geese are tundra nesters, preferring to congregate on low vegetation adjacent to open water (Fig. 7). Lawns next to water often attract geese. Large lawns provide food for grazing, space to take off and land, and an unobstructed line of sight to look for potential predators.
Although it can be expensive to convert a large lawn into something else—like a playground or a landscape composed of plants other than grass—this is the best long-term solution to man-goose conflict. Such a transformation can occur over time and in phases; Fencing or repellents may be required while the new landscape is establishing itself. An added side benefit will be a more diverse group of bird visitors enjoying your varied landscape.
An important change to a large lawn is to shrink it to the point where geese no longer feel safe grazing on it. An open line of sight (the distance from the geese to a place where a predator might be hiding) of less than 30 feet will generally result in geese migrating to a more comfortable grazing area.
Any size lawn can be made less attractive to geese by increasing the growth height to 6 inches and reducing the number of tender new shoots it produces. Stopping fertilizing and watering reduces both the palatability of the lawn and the time it takes to tend it. (The grass can be trimmed at any height with a weed killer.) The entire lawn—or just a wide portion that borders a body of water—can be trimmed this way.
barriers
Barriers are most effective when geese numbers are low, when geese are molting (not flying), and when the barrier is in place before geese begin using the area.
Low barriers must not prevent flying geese from entering an area. However, since geese do not typically land in an area less than 30 feet wide, barriers or vegetation lines can be used to divide a site into smaller spaces. Low barriers can be combined with above ground screens to prevent flying geese from entering planted areas.
plant barriers
Geese have a fear of confinement that you can exploit through the way you design landscapes. Shrubs, aquatic plants and closely spaced stands of trees can be used to deter geese if they block birds’ paths to grazing areas and safety, reducing the birds’ line of sight to 30 feet.
For instant results, plants should be at least 30 inches tall to prevent geese from looking over them, and planted densely or in a staggered pattern to prevent geese from walking through gaps between plants. Wide plantings (20 to 30 feet) are more effective than narrow plantings. In wide plantings, tortuous footpaths prevent geese from having a direct line of sight through the planted area, but still provide human access to the bank (Fig. 8).
Figure 8. Plants should be planted densely or in a staggered pattern to prevent geese from seeing a passage through the planting. Meander paths through plantings to allow access for humans but not geese.
(Drawing by Jenifer Rees.) Figure 9. In man-made bodies of water, cutting and filling can provide a stable substrate on which to plant a barrier of aquatic plants. The water level of the pond or other reservoir can be temporarily lowered to allow for the construction of the planting area. (Drawings by Jennifer Rees.)
If space is limited, one or two rows of perennial plantings can be combined with a fence as described below. Ideally, the fence is assembled first and the shrubs are planted as close to it as possible so that the shrubs will wrap around the fence as they grow.
Geese often gain access to grazing land simply by stepping ashore from the adjacent body of water where they landed. Therefore, introducing a barrier of aquatic plants along the shoreline of a body of water can create both a physical and visual barrier for geese. Barriers of native aquatic vegetation that are at least 3 feet wide and contain tall material such as bulrush (Scirpus spp.) are most effective (Fig. 9).
If the limiting factor is the lack of an area to place the new aquatic planting, building an area can help. In man-made bodies of water, cutting and filling can produce a stable substrate on which to plant a barrier of aquatic plants. The water level of the pond or other reservoir can be temporarily lowered to allow development of the planted area. However, building a planting area along natural bodies of water may be more problematic or prohibited—water levels may not be easily manipulated, replenishing deeper water is more likely to result in unstable, waste-prone areas, and a permit may be required (contact your local wildlife agency for permit information).
Keep new plantings in the ground
Newly planted sites often suffer from high plant mortality as geese pull small plants out of the ground. If they were still moving these geese would usually arrive later and there would be no such pressure on the plants. To reduce this problem, or when barriers and other control tactics are impractical:
Place large stones around the crowns of the plants.
Thread a metal clip (used to hold the jute netting) over the crown of each plant.
Place long wooden slats over the crowns of plants that are planted in a row. Secure the batten with metal clips or stones.
The above devices need to stay in place for two growing seasons – longer in areas where emergent plants are establishing themselves or where there is a lot of pressure from resident geese.
Another approach is to use large planting material (1-gallon containers instead of 4-inch pots or plugs). The larger root ball has a better chance of establishing itself during the early growing seasons.
Do not drape bird netting over groups of new plantings as it often entangles birds.
fences
Figure 10. A low electrified fence can be a temporary solution when geese are having young or are moulting. Mark the lines to warn people and expect pets and wildlife to knock them out.
(Drawing by Jennifer Rees.)
Fences can be made from woven wire, poultry netting, plastic netting, plastic snow fences, monofilament twine, or electric wire. Fences should all be at least 24 inches (3 feet might be better), firmly constructed and installed to prevent geese from running around the ends.
Regardless of material, bottom openings should be no larger than 4 inches to prevent goslings from running under or through the fence. Therefore, a fence of five monofilament cords (minimum 20 pound test) should have lines set at 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24 inches off the ground.
Fences used in areas of tidal influence must prevent geese from reaching shore without catching fish at all tide levels. Turning the field fence upside down – by moving the wider holes down – can allow fish to pass through.
Many electric fences are portable and can be erected in an hour or two and quickly dismantled when not in use (Fig. 10). The strands only need to be placed 4, 8, and 12 inches off the ground.
Because of the variables that affect your choice of a power source, as well as the design and operation of the fence, it is best to consult a reputable dealer for details on usage (look under ‘fence contractors’ in your phone book). Information is also available from agricultural supply centers. Most hardware stores carry suitable units. Check with your local building authority and neighborhood agreements to determine if electric fencing is legal where you live.
Grids and networked spaces
Figure 11. In geese-dense locations and where funding is available, newly planted areas may be completely enclosed with netting during the early growing seasons. (Photo by People for Puget Sound.)
A grid or network of multiple parallel wires, stainless steel cable, string, rope, or monofilament (50 pound test) strung 1 to 2 feet over a body of water or other area poses a flight hazard and deters geese. The distance between the lines should be no more than 5 feet. If people need to enter the area under the grille, the grille can be installed high enough to accommodate them. To prevent geese from walking under the trellis, install a perimeter fence as previously described.
Attach separate wires to each vertical support (don’t run the same length of wire through the entire trellis) so you don’t have to rebuild the entire trellis if one wire breaks. Wherever two grid wires cross, tie the leads together to avoid rubbing and possible lead breakage.
In places with a high number of geese and subsidies, newly created areas can be completely fenced in with nets in the first growing season (Fig. 11). A net room built high enough to allow access for maintenance can be constructed with in-ground vertical timber supports, horizontal steel cable supports, and heavy-duty bird netting. Such nets are commercially available from companies specializing in bird control. Previously used bird nets may be available from habitat restoration companies, as well as used gillnets from fishermen and fish hatcheries. The cost of a new network makes it worth looking for an alternative.
If long steel ropes are installed to support the net, each line should be given a separate piece of rope, fitted with an eyebolt on one end and a turnbuckle on the other end. This allows the rope tension to be adjusted or the rope to be removed if necessary. The net can be attached to the cable with nylon cord, wire or rings. Hog rings and a special tool to attach the rings are recommended for large projects.
Note: All screens, netting and fencing materials should be checked regularly for holes, trapped wildlife, sagging and overall effectiveness.
scaremongering
Scare tactics are used to keep Canada geese away from feeding, lounging and roosting areas where they are undesirable. As geese learn that there is no real physical danger associated with scaring devices, the birds will quickly learn to ignore them, no matter how effective these devices may be at first. For this reason, and to exploit geese’s neophobia (fear of new objects), two important rules are: (1) never rely on just one tactic, and (2) vary usage by timing and location change. Scaremongering is only as effective as the person using it.
Scarers are available online, at over-the-counter bird repellent stores, and at some farm and garden centers.
Fear tactics include:
Eye Spot Balloons
Like most birds, geese rely more on sight than their other senses to avoid danger, and so visual stimuli can be effective. Commercially available Eyespot balloons are large helium-filled balloons with a large, eye-like image. (Large colored spots on three sides of a helium balloon may indicate eyes.) Tether balloons on a 20- to 40-foot monofilament tether attached to a pole or heavy object. The balloons should be placed where the wind cannot tangle them in trees and utility lines and should be repositioned at least once a day. Two balloons should be enough for a medium sized garden.
flags and streamers
Figure 12. Flag designs featuring a large plastic garbage bag on a pole. Note the installed wooden slats to prevent the flags from tearing. (Drawings by Jennifer Rees.)
Flags and streamers work best in areas with steady winds. A simple flag design uses plastic garbage bags attached to tall poles (Fig. 12).
Additionally, mylar ribbon can be made into 6-foot streamers and attached to the top of 8-foot poles. Mylar tape is silver on one side, usually red on the other, and is very shiny and reflective.
A disadvantage of Mylar tape is that it is only effective in bright sunlight and wind. Poles with flags and flags should be re-erected once a day.
scarecrows
Scarecrows are only effective where geese view humans as dangerous predators, such as in rural areas where they are hunted. Scarecrows can be made from almost any material; However, the design should incorporate movement, bright colors (red, fire orange, or safety yellow), and large eyes. For maximum effect, the arms and legs should move in the wind and the scarecrow should be moved once a day.
Geese occasionally find a swimming pool an acceptable area. Large inflatable toy snakes are reported to function as a kind of scarecrow. Just buy two or three of these, add weights (sinkers) and place them in the pool. Mylar ribbon streamers can also work if stretched across the landing zone.
devices that produce noise
Devices that make a loud bang can startle geese and cause them to flee. Speed (start as soon as possible after the geese arrive) and persistence are the keys to success when using these devices.
Types of noisemakers include propane guns, blanks, and whistle bombs. Propane cannons are stationary devices that periodically detonate propane gas.
Loud listening tactics generally require permits from local police departments and may be restricted in urban areas due to noise ordinances. When such devices are used, it is important that all organizations involved in the process stay connected. In addition, the surrounding neighborhood should be informed of what the process is trying to achieve.
The more geese are exposed to these fear-provoking stimuli, the faster they become accustomed to and ignore them. For this reason, noisemakers should be used sparingly and propane guns should be set to fire only a few times per hour.
laser
Figure 13. The lower power levels, directivity, accuracy over distance, and quietness of laser devices make them safe and effective species-specific alternatives to noise-generating devices. (Photo by Russell Link)
Research from the National Wildlife Research Center shows that relatively low-power, long-wavelength lasers are an effective means of repelling geese, gulls, crows and ravens in low-light conditions without endangering the animal or the environment (Fig. 13). The lower power levels, directivity, accuracy over distance, and quietness of laser devices make them safe and effective species-specific alternatives to noise-generating devices.
Although the researchers aren’t sure if birds see the same red spot as humans, it’s clear that the dot of laser light triggers an avoidance response in certain species of birds. The birds view the light as a physical object or predator coming their way and generally fly away to escape. Note: Lasers should never be aimed at people, roads, or airplanes.
dogs
When guided by a handler, dogs are the method of choice for large open areas such as golf courses, airports, parks, agricultural fields, and business parks. In residential areas, parks with constant public use, areas intersected by roads, and large bodies of water, the use of dogs may not be appropriate.
Results are often instant. After an aggressive initial deployment (several times a day for a week or two), geese will tire of the harassment and use adjacent areas instead.
A dog may be tethered on a long leash (which may require frequent repositioning of the dog and leash to cover more area), may be allowed to chase and retrieve a bait thrown over a large flock of geese, or may be released periodically to hunt the birds (if this does not violate the leash requirement).
While Border Collies’ wolf-like gaze is terrifying to geese, these dogs rarely harm them. These dogs can be purchased already trained or trained; However, it is also possible to hire a border collie “service”.
Other dog breeds can also do the job. It is recommended that they be from proven working stock, preferably with previous experience of or contact with live animals, particularly birds.
chemical repellents
Taste-aversion products and other chemical repellents are unobtrusive, can be applied directly to the problem area, and will not harm the geese. The disadvantages of repellents include the high cost of covering large areas, the need for frequent application in rainy areas and during the growing season, odors associated with the few registered products, and their negative impact on the behavior of other wildlife.
If geese have used the area in the past, apply repellants before returning. Read and follow all labels and technical instructions carefully.
What time of year do Sebastopol geese lay eggs?
Of course, these are quite large. Bright white in color, they are big enough to make up for three or four chicken eggs! Sebastopol geese can be raised as reliable layers during the laying season between early spring and summer.
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
The Sevastopol goose is a domesticated goose and one of the most popular breeds in this category.
They are known for their long, slender necks and webbed feet, which make them excellent swimmers.
This animal is a breed of domesticated geese originating from the city of Sebastopol. They are characterized by their long necks and slender bodies.
The geese can be used for eggs, meat or to keep the grass short on golf courses and other areas where they are raised.
Would you like to learn more about this unique species? Read on to find out if the Sevastopol goose is right for you.
History of the Sevastopol goose
The Sevastopol goose is a native breed of goose that is a descendant of the European greylag goose.
The exact story behind the origins of this bird is a bit murky. However, it is believed that the breed was developed somewhere in Central Europe along the Danube and Black Seas.
Other records suggest they originated in Crimea and were shipped from the port of Sevastopol before arriving in England.
In any case, Sebastopol was first shown as a recognized, distinct breed in England in 1860.
Shown under her current name – Sevastopol Goose – she was prized for her white, curly feathers, medium weight and bright blue eyes.
At the end of the 19th century they found him almost everywhere.
Aside from being raised for shows, Sebastopol geese were originally bred for their curly feathers, where people used them for quilting and pillow making.
In the past these animals were referred to as Danube geese, but they eventually dropped that name due to some confusion over an Irish geese breed of the same name.
They have a host of other nicknames too — for example, in Germany, Sebastopol geese are known as Strupp Guns or Lockengans, meaning “unkempt goose” or “curly goose,” both names due to this bird’s frizzy, tousled plumage.
Sebastopol geese quickly gained great popularity, not only for their appearance, but for many other qualities.
These birds have a calm temperament and don’t like to roam far—good news, as they’re relatively slow-moving and don’t like to fly.
They are good-natured, excellent foragers, and fatten up easily.
When it comes to breeding Sebastopol geese for more useful purposes, there are also many advantages. These animals make great sitters and moderate shifts.
They are good natural mothers too. They have never been used for large-scale meat or egg production and are more commonly raised for ornamental purposes.
Appearance of the Sebastopol goose
Most often, the Sevastopol goose can be recognized by its feathers curling downwards. These are mostly flightless birds.
Weighing around 10 to 12 pounds, these geese are not the largest you will find.
However, it is not their weight that affects their ability to fly, but their feathers. The rippling makes it impossible for them to breathe!
Sebastopol geese are usually white, but colors can vary. The feathers on the breed’s neck are usually smooth and sometimes grey-brown instead of white.
There are also colorcrosses that have produced buff, saddleback, and even all gray variants.
Breast feathers can be smooth or frizzy.
The birds have striking blue eyes, rounded heads, bulging eyes, arched necks, and keeled breasts.
Blue eye color is most common in the classic white Sebastopol, although some other variants produce birds with unusually brown eyes.
As previously mentioned, these geese are a medium-weight breed, with goslings weighing up to 14 pounds (and geese weighing 12 at most). Both thighs and legs are orange.
Something else worth noting about this breed of goose is that the feathers are remarkable in both their texture (the crumpled look!) and size.
They tend to be much longer than the average goose feather. Because of this, the Sebastopol goose looks like it has a lot more features than it actually has.
At first glance, a fleshy, compact bird looks larger than it really is because of these feathers.
It has a short back and a rounded, oval basket. His thighs are short and well muscled with equally short strong thighs.
Only one Sebastopol color is recognized – white. However, many breeders are working to ensure that different colored varieties are recognized.
Temperament of the Sevastopol goose
Sebastopol geese are known for being friendly and calm. They are perfect pets for families concerned about aggression issues when raising geese.
These birds are rarely hostile, tending to be on the shy side.
They are not as vocal as other breeds but can still be used as alarm animals as they will honk if something unusual is wrong!
However, they don’t broadcast nearly as far and wide as other geese breeds.
They’re accessible, easy to hold – and compelling to look at! Sebastopols also make wonderful parents, even when used as adoptive parents for other goslings.
They are prone to breeding, but occasionally suffer from fertility issues related to their plumage – something we’ll discuss in more detail below.
While all geese forage to some degree, those of Sevastopol are among the best at it.
They will enjoy pulling weeds in your garden and as they are not super heavy breeds they should not compact your soil too much.
Used for Sevastopol goose
Sebastopol geese are sometimes raised for eggs, but if you decide to do this, know that you won’t get as many eggs from your Sebastopol geese as you could get from your backyard chickens.
The average female only lays 25 to 35 eggs per year.
These are of course quite large. They’re bright white and big enough to replace three or four chicken eggs!
Sebastopol geese can be raised as reliable laying hens during the laying season between early spring and summer.
Although Sebastopol eggs are slightly smaller than those of other geese breeds, they are significantly larger than those of chickens or ducks.
Most often chosen for shows or as pets, they may also raise Sebastopol geese for meat.
They aren’t typically used commercially for this purpose, but if you decide to grow Sebastopols for meat, you should be able to process them after about six to 10 weeks.
This will help you avoid having pin feathers pulled out of the carcass as you will butcher the geese before they molt their young feathers and grow adult plumage.
Another benefit of raising Sebastopol geese for meat is that you don’t have to worry about an odd carcass side due to the lighter feather color of these birds.
It’s just a matter of aesthetics, but can result in a cleaner looking carcass when you’re ready to put it in the oven.
Lifespan of the Sevastopol goose
With proper care, Sebastopol geese can live to be two to three decades, with the average lifespan being around 25 years.
Because of this, it’s important to only breed Sebastopols if you’re up to the challenge. We’re talking about a lifetime commitment!
Sebastopol is royal and intelligent.
You may choose to keep them as a pet for a long time. But many people choose to slaughter them early in their lives when they are being raised for meat.
Reasons to love the Sebastopol goose
There are many reasons to consider rearing Sebastopol geese. For one, they are wonderful to look at.
The ruffled (usually white) feathers are attractive and unique, making Sebastopols a good choice for display purposes.
These geese are calm and friendly. They are also hardy and do well in colder climates, which is certainly not true of all geese breeds.
Not only that, these geese’s uniquely ruffled feathers make it difficult for them to fly. While this might be a disadvantage for some, it is an advantage for most people.
Disabled flight means less work trying to cage your geese – and less hassle with them getting onto your neighbors lawn to munch on the grass too!
What to look for in a Sevastopol goose
If you are interested in large-scale meat or egg production, then the Sevastopol goose is probably not the right choice for you.
These animals are not the most prolific in their egg and meat production.
However, they make excellent pets or show animals. However, there are a few conditions to consider here.
When raising Sebastopols for show, there are a few extra steps you need to take to ensure your animals stay in tip-top shape.
Keep your birds in clean, dry enclosures to maintain the health and appearance of their long, ruffled feathers. This can help you avoid broken or dirty feathers.
Some people give their birds unlimited access to bathing water.
While this can help flush the white plumage free of debris, some people do not recommend it as these geese’s feathers do not shed water like normal feathers.
This can cause the feathers to look unhealthy and frayed.
Instead, please place them in an enclosure with tall grass. This will help them brush themselves clean.
Just offer buckets of water for your animals to dip their heads in. This allows the body feathers to stay dry while still allowing you to maintain certain standards of cleanliness.
It is also important to limit overcrowding with these animals.
Not only can overcrowding affect the appearance of these feathers, but it can also reduce the likelihood of other health problems.
You may want to add extra protection during cold, wet and windy periods.
While Sebastopol geese are relatively cold hardy, their unique features can be a little loose fitting and don’t offer quite as much warmth as the feathers of other geese breeds.
When breeding your Sebastopol geese, you can mate one sex of one to four geese.
If you notice that fertility is poor, trim the feathers on the tail, back and around the opening.
What to look for when buying Sebastopol Goose
Buying Sebastopol geese is not unlike shopping for other geese species.
Look for animals that don’t have long, rectangular bodies. For example, find a goose with a rounded body when viewed from the side and from above.
It would help if you also avoided smooth breasts.
You should also pay attention to the suspension. Feathers on the chest should always be ruffled.
Primary and secondary wing feathers should not be stiff – instead they should be soft, long, and pliable so they curl easily.
Avoid birds with a lot of gray if you intend to use these animals for display.
A hint of gray in young birds is okay and usually goes away after the birds first molt. In adults, however, you should avoid any color except white.
If you plan on keeping these animals for meat production, know that you will end up with a well-rinsed, medium-sized carcass. Again, keep one male with two or three females for best results.
Is the Sebastopol goose right for me?
If you’re thinking about breeding a Sevastopol goose but aren’t entirely sure if this unique breed is right for your family or farm, we hope our blog has given you some insight.
We recommend doing plenty of research on the breed and consulting with experts before deciding on getting one yourself!
Consider these questions when deciding whether to raise a Sevastopol goose to make an informed decision:
1) What climate do I live in?
2) Do I have enough space for my new pet?
3) Is geese breeding legal where I live?
4) Will my neighbors agree?
5) How much time can I spend each day/weekend taking care of her?
After considering these factors and the Sebastopol goose traits listed above, you should have all the information you need to make an informed decision. Enjoy!
READ MORE: Raising geese to protect chickens
How do you know if a goose egg is alive?
It should have a smooth, unmarked shell if it is still alive. Shine a bright flashlight through the egg in a dark room, and look closely at the inside. If the egg is alive you will see veins running through it. The process of removing dead or rotten eggs during incubation that uses this method is candling.
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
What temperature do geese eggs hatch?
Your eggs will need to be consistently incubated at 37.5°C (99.5°F) up until 4 days before hatching. During the final 4 days of incubation, the humidity is increased and the temperature is decreased slightly.
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
Incubating Goose Eggs – The Basics
If you want to have good success hatching your goose eggs, you need to master the basics before anything else. So, let’s talk about the basics of incubating goose eggs:
advertisement
Incubation period: 28-35 days depending on the breed
28-35 days depending on breed Incubator temperature: 37.5°C (99.5°F)
37.5°C (99.5°F) Incubator Humidity: 55% or 84.5°F when using a wet-bulb thermometer
55% or 84.5°F if using a wet-bulb thermometer Turn eggs: 4 times a day
X-ray eggs 4 times a day: days 7 and 14
Day 7 and 14 lockdown date: Day 27
Day 27 lockdown temperature: 37.2°C (99°F)
37.2°C (99°F) Lockdown Humidity: 75% or 91.7°F when using a wet-bulb thermometer
Hatching goose eggs is an exercise in patience. Your goslings hatch after about 28 days. Some breeds take up to 35 days. Sometimes they can pop out earlier, sometimes later. It all depends on the egg! You will find that some clutches hatch at about the same time and others hatch days apart.
advertisement
Their eggs must be incubated continuously at 37.5°C (99.5°F) for up to 4 days before hatching. During the last 4 days of incubation, humidity is increased and temperature slightly decreased.
advertisement
Candling your goose eggs on day 7 of incubation and again on day 14 is an important part of the process. It helps you determine whether or not your eggs are viable and allows you to discard non-viable eggs before they become a health hazard. More on goose egg candling later in this article.
advertisement
How to hatch goose eggs
I’ve hatched dozens of eggs in my life. There is some advice online that is spot on and some that is not. Be careful reading forums where people are discussing egg hatching tips. It really boils down to making sure your fundamentals are rock solid and being patient – letting nature take its course. In this section of the article, we’ll go over everything (and I mean everything!) you need to know about successfully incubating goose eggs.
advertisement
The anatomy of an egg
Nature knows how to hatch an egg. By providing an egg’s basic needs, warmth and moisture, it will likely eventually hatch. However, knowing the anatomy of a goose egg is important to achieve a good hatch rate. The three parts of the egg that you should be very familiar with are the shell, yolk, and air sac. Below is a picture of the anatomy of an egg:
advertisement
You need to pay special attention to the quality of the shell, the air space at the fat end of the egg, and the yolk floating inside the egg.
advertisement
Selection of high quality goose eggs for hatching
How to choose a quality goose egg for hatching? Where to get fertile goose eggs Choosing the right eggs to hatch is the first and probably the most important step in hatching eggs. Goose eggs are not typically sold in markets, but it is advisable that you do not attempt to hatch supermarket eggs – they are unlikely to hatch. Instead, look for a local, trusted fertilized egg seller. Find a farm where you can see how the flock of geese are raised for eggs. This ensures that you get what you pay for and that the birds are treated well.
advertisement
You can also buy fertilized goose eggs online. Many hatcheries will be happy to ship you eggs, but that comes at a cost. Shipped eggs are expensive, can arrive damaged, and have a reduced hatchability due to trauma sustained during shipping. Goose eggs are also not the most common type of fertile eggs made available online.
advertisement
Once you have your eggs in hand, examine each egg carefully. Be sure to wash your hands before and after handling the eggs each time. You can darken a room and X-ray your eggs by shining a flashlight inside the egg. This will reveal cracks or bumps in the egg.
Never attempt to hatch an egg that is cracked, dirty, too big, too small, misshapen, has a double yolk, or is in any way unusual. Also note that eggs with a defective air cell should not be incubated. These eggs are unlikely to be viable and unlikely to hatch. More on identifying defective eggs later in this article.
Also pay attention to the approximate age of the eggs. 7 days after a goose egg is laid, it begins to lose fertility rapidly. It is important that your eggs are placed in the incubator within a week of being laid. After 2-3 weeks, most of your eggs are no longer viable.
Let your eggs settle
Once you’ve collected your eggs, whether from your local post office or a local farm, you should give your eggs at least 12 hours, but ideally closer to 24 hours, to set. Place them in the carton with the fat side of the egg facing up. This allows the air cell at the fat end of the egg to settle in place before hatching.
Your eggs should have enough time to reach room temperature. Putting colder eggs in an incubator can breed bacteria as the egg heats up. Always start incubating an egg at room temperature.
How to clean an incubator
An incubator that has been contaminated with a pathogen can quickly end any developing embryos in the eggs you set. You must properly clean and disinfect your incubator before laying eggs, even if it is a new incubator. This is my incubator cleaning log – so far it hasn’t misled me.
If you have used your incubator before, make sure that any shell fragments or other materials left over from previous hatches have been removed from the incubator. These small parts of the egg mass can harbor and grow bacteria. Remove all detachable components like water pans and eggshells and clean them with soap, water and a sponge. After cleaning, you can further disinfect these components by soaking them in warm water with mild bleach. Do not use chemical cleaning agents. Wipe down all components and let them dry. Now clean the bottom of the incubator by soaking it in a solution of 25% bleach and warm water. Wipe it with a soft cloth, especially when using a heater. Clean it gently but avoid getting it wet. A slightly damp cloth or brush is the ideal way to clean the heating unit.
After cleaning, leave it in a sheltered place for 12-24 hours. The incubator should be dry and smell clean before laying eggs. If it has an unpleasant smell, clean it again using the protocol above.
Setting up your incubator
Once your incubator has been sanitized, it’s time to set it up. Never start your incubator and set eggs immediately. It’s not like baking a frozen pizza in an unheated oven! You want to make sure all the basics of hatching a goose egg are spot on. Do not skimp here – it can lead to dead embryos. If your temperature is above a few degrees, your eggs will die and you will have a sad time. If it is too low, it can negatively affect development. If humidity levels are incorrect, you may have chicks that fail to develop or hatch properly. Sad times all around.
48 hours before you start incubating your goose eggs, set up the incubator and allow all key readings to stabilize. You should see the temperature and humidity stabilize for at least 12 hours before laying any eggs. As a reminder, you want these two metrics to be perfect:
Incubator temperature: 37.5°C (99.5°F)
37.5°C (99.5°F) Incubator Humidity: 55% or 84.5°F when using a wet-bulb thermometer
For the first few hours, you may notice that the indoor temperature and humidity fluctuate somewhat. That is normal. If you consistently see an incorrect reading for more than an hour, adjust your incubator to give the correct reading. Once you are sure your incubator is stable and ready for eggs, go ahead and set them up.
Turn your goose eggs
In the wild, a mother bird perched on her eggs is constantly busy twisting and turning her eggs. When incubating goose eggs or other poultry eggs, this process must be simulated by turning the eggs manually or using an automatic egg turner. Automatic egg turners are especially nice because you don’t run the risk of contaminating the inside of the incubator or the eggs themselves by touching them, and you don’t run the risk of affecting the internal temperature and humidity.
If you don’t have an automatic egg turner, it’s not the end of the world. You can turn your eggs by hand. Always wash your hands before touching your eggs! The oils and dirt on your hands can clog the pores in the shell or contaminate the eggs with bacteria. Both scenarios can kill an embryo.
If you rotate them manually, before inserting them, take a soft pencil and place an X on one side of the egg and an O on the opposite side of the egg. This will ensure that each egg has been completely turned. You will continue your daily egg turning until 4 days before hatching.
X-ray goose eggs
Candling the eggs you’ve incubated is hands down my favorite part of the process. To candling an egg, darken a room and then shine a flashlight into the large end of the egg. You can cut a hole in cardboard to focus the light, or buy an egg light.
If you X-rayed your eggs daily, which I don’t recommend, you would see a red disc on the yolk followed by veins slowly branching outward. On the 7th day of incubation you will see a network of veins around the yolk and a small red dot in the center of the whole. You may be able to see a very dark spot, which is the bird’s developing eye. You may see movement. If the egg appears alive, congratulations! Go ahead and put it back in the incubator. Below is an image of what a live egg should look like:
You can clearly see the network of veins, the embryo in the center, and even its eye. At this stage you can see the embryo rocking back and forth. But there are signs that your egg is not viable:
Of course, no development at all
Some early development but veins are decayed and no new development
A large red ring with no visible veins or embryos
Cloudy, discolored eggs
Dead eggs should be discarded immediately. If you are not sure, mark the egg with a question mark and set it a few more days. Candle again on day 14, but only this egg.
Avoid over candles. It’s so nice to see the babies developing, but the more you handle the eggs, the more likely you are to drop them or infect them with a deadly pathogen.
Monitoring of water loss during incubation
Just before lockdown, the last 4 days of incubation, I screen the eggs again to look for problems. Dead embryos should be removed. I also look at water loss during incubation. Your goose eggs lose about 14% of the liquid in the egg during development. The air cell at the fat end of the egg should grow slightly during the incubation process. If it still seems small, your humidity level might be too high. If it is very large, it may be too low. Check your hygrometer for an updated humidity reading.
Blocking the incubator
We have referred to lockdown a number of times in this article. Lockdown is the term for the last 4 days of incubation. During lockdown, remove the eggs from the egg turner and set them aside, slightly reduce the temperature of the incubator, increase the relative humidity, and leave your eggs alone. During this time, the embryo growing inside puts itself in a hatching position and jumps out. Fast facts on the lockdown:
Lockout date: Day 24
Day 24 lockdown temperature: 37.2°C (99°F)
37.2°C (99°F) Lockdown Humidity: 65% or 88°F when using a wet-bulb thermometer
Again, you don’t need to change your incubator temperature for lockdown. Once your ban has been initiated, all you have to do is wait.
During these last few days of incubation, your chicks will be pipping internally. During this process, your chick enters the egg’s air cell and begins to breathe. 2 days before your chicks hatch, they will likely chirp outwards, where they will break open the outside of the shell and begin breathing outside air.
During this time, the chick begins to absorb the remaining yolk in the egg into its body. Chicks can survive on this yolk for a day or two after hatching, then they begin to eat and drink.
The general rule of thumb is that once you see a pit in the shell, which may look like a crack or bump, your chick should hatch within a day or two. As it prepares to hatch from the egg, it slowly rotates, breaking the eggshell in a process called unzipping. This is the final phase of hatching. Once they have started to open themselves, hatching is imminent. This part can be tricky for excited chick breeders. It can be slow but don’t bother.
Note: If you get impatient and try to help a chick hatch, you could accidentally kill it. If the yolk isn’t fully absorbed and you pull the chick out of the shell, it radically increases the chances that they won’t survive.
The period of time from pip to zip can vary quite a bit. In my experience, once you see an outer core, the chick fully hatches within 24 hours. The eggs may not hatch all at once. Or they could. It really depends on a number of factors that are almost impossible to account for. I’ve had hatches where every single egg hatched at exactly the same time and some where the chicks hatched a few days late. You just have to be patient.
The most important thing is to be patient and not mess with the eggs. Hatching eggs can be exhausting when you are emotionally invested. Some eggs do not burst and hatch. Some will pip internally but will not pip externally. Some are externally piped but never unpacked. Some will unzip but will not be able to push themselves out of their shells. Some hatch completely and then die.
If you think a chick is having trouble hatching, do not intervene. It sounds callous, but if a chick can’t hatch on its own, it means it wasn’t strong enough to do so. Some goslings are also slow-moving panties. Intervening too early can kill them. Let nature take its course.
If you help a chick that cannot hatch on its own, its offspring may also tend to have difficulty hatching. This is something to consider if you intend to continue breeding this line of geese.
How long do goose eggs take to hatch?
The time it takes for a goose egg to hatch is generally around 28 to 35 days, depending on the breed. There can be a good amount of variation, with some eggs hatching earlier or later than others.
Incubate goose eggs naturally
Incubating goose eggs naturally is also a viable option for you if you have a female willing to sit. Domesticated fowl in general can thrive on natural incubation, and geese are no exception. Still, geese are generally pretty reliable egg sitters. So if you have a hen ready and you want goslings, let her do it! Your goose will lay 8-12 eggs and then begin to perch. She won’t start sitting on the eggs until she’s laid her full clutch, so be sure to keep those eggs safe. Once she has started sitting on the eggs, the chicks hatch after about 28 days. You don’t have to do anything to help, although it may be a kindness to provide a source of food and water close to the goose’s nesting site.
Common problems when hatching goose eggs
If you’ve been through the process of hatching goose eggs and haven’t gotten many goslings – or any – at all, I understand that it can be a difficult experience. You’ve probably been incubating your eggs for about a month and have little to show for it. Now let’s fix bugs. What are the most common causes of poor hatch rates?
Set old eggs
Low fertility eggs
Wrong turning
Improper handling
Uneven incubator temperature
Uneven incubator humidity
Nutritional deficiencies in the breeding animals (remember when I suggested meeting the birds?)
Contaminated incubator
We hope this guide on how to incubate goose eggs will help you hatch successfully!
Other incubation guides:
How many times a year do geese breed?
Geese only lay one clutch per season and once those goslings have hatched, they won’t lay any more eggs until the following year. Female geese will produce eggs most of their life.
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
Female geese begin laying eggs as soon as they are sexually mature, around 2 years of age. Some geese can start laying as early as 9 months old. Geese usually lay their eggs from February to May. Most goose eggs are laid early in the morning just before sunrise. They lay eggs every other day until they have a clutch size of about 2-10 eggs.
Laying goose eggs is extremely interesting. So if you want to learn more, read on. This guide will walk you through any questions you may have.
Let’s get in.
When do geese start laying eggs?
This question can be answered in many different ways. Would you like to know the age of the goose, the season or even the time of day? We briefly answered that for you above, but let’s take a closer look.
At What Age Do Geese Lay Eggs?
Female geese must be sexually mature before they can begin laying eggs. This age is entirely dependent on the goose species.
Some species begin laying eggs as early as 9 months of age. Other species only start laying eggs when they are about 4 years old. Smaller geese species tend to lay eggs much earlier than larger breeds.
The average age at which a goose starts laying eggs is 2 years.
If a goose lays eggs too young, it will affect their ability to lay eggs in subsequent years. This is very important as geese only have about 4-5 very fertile seasons in their lifetime.
The time of year a goose is born affects its age during the breeding season. An early hatched female goose becomes sexually mature in late winter to early spring. This is the natural mating season for geese.
A goose born later in the year misses this first mating season. They then have to wait until the next year to lay eggs. That is why there is such a diversity between the age groups that geese lay their first eggs.
What time of year do geese start laying eggs?
Geese are seasonal breeders. Late winter to early summer is when they lay their eggs.
Geese do not need as much sunlight as other waterfowl like ducks to lay their eggs. They can start laying eggs without just about 10 hours of sunlight per day. Therefore, geese can lay their eggs as early as mid-February, which is still the winter season.
By laying their eggs earlier in the year, the young geese have a better chance of survival. Especially through their first winter or migration. Being even a few months older makes the goslings less vulnerable during this harsh time of year.
Geese lay their eggs well into the summer, usually by mid-May at the latest. If you stop afterwards, the goslings have time to learn to fly before the flock departs in September or October.
What time of day do geese lay eggs?
Geese usually lay their eggs in the morning. However, they can lay about 30% of their eggs at different times of the day.
Depending on the species, geese typically lay eggs about 36 to 55 hours apart. This means they are much less predictable as to when an egg will be laid. The interval between the laid eggs can be from 1.5 to 2 days.
This all adds to the secrecy that geese employ when laying their eggs. The unpredictable nature gives geese an edge over predators who cannot predict when a new egg will be in the clutch.
Hormones are the main trigger when geese lay their eggs. These determine the time between the individual laying of eggs.
The timing of the last egg affects the laying time of the next egg. That’s why geese only lay an egg every other day, with no set laying routine.
related questions
How many eggs do geese lay?
Geese usually lay around 2-10 eggs per clutch. They lay these eggs every other day depending on the time the last egg was laid. That means geese don’t lay an egg every day.
Wild geese only lay one clutch a year. Once these eggs are laid, the geese will not have another clutch.
Wild geese usually live to be 10-15 years old. Although the female reproduces only about 4-5 of those years. They will continue to produce small numbers of eggs after this time, but they will likely remain unfertilized.
Do geese lay eggs without a male?
Female geese do not need a male goose (gander) to lay eggs. Even if there is no male around, a female will lay her eggs quite normally.
The difference is that without mating with a gander, the eggs remain unfertilized. This means that the eggs will not develop into a gosling. These are left only as the yolk and white, just like you would buy at a grocery store.
Female geese still incubate an unfertilized egg. They stay on these eggs for about a month. A goose clutch can usually be a mix of fertilized and unfertilized eggs. If an egg doesn’t hatch, they will eventually abandon it.
The unfertilized eggs can often become a food source for other wildlife such as raccoons, mink, and snakes.
What are signs that a goose is ready to lay eggs?
Although geese are very secretive about their oviposition, they are showing some signs that they are about to start oviposition.
First, the females will start looking for secret places to build their nests. You want to find a place that is close to the water but also well hidden. Often they like a slightly elevated area that is well covered by tall vegetation.
Next, the goose will start collecting many different materials that they come across that can be used to build their nests. They use grasses, moss, dead plants and feathers. The male geese can also help them with this.
You may even notice that the female is beginning to lose some of her feathers. This is because the females pull out their own feathers to line their nests.
When will geese stop laying eggs?
Female geese lay eggs for about 10-15 years. On rare occasions, some may lay them even longer.
Although geese can lay eggs for so long, they are usually not of good quality. They will not be fertile enough to produce goslings well past their first 5 breeding seasons.
Older geese lay far fewer eggs than younger, fertile geese. They usually lay 2-5 eggs during the season. The older they get, the less they lay.
Fertile geese in the wild will no longer lay eggs once they have a full clutch during the breeding season. They will not produce any more eggs until next year’s breeding season.
Both wild and domestic geese are seasonal and stop laying eggs at the same time of year.
Final Thoughts
Wild geese are ready to lay their eggs when they are about 2 years old. However, some can start as early as 9 months if born early enough.
Geese are very seasonal laying hens and have a short oviposition period between February and May. If the geese are not fully grown by this time, they will not lay eggs. When fully grown, she will lay up to 10 eggs and then stop incubating.
Geese only lay one clutch per season and once these goslings hatch they will not lay any more eggs until the following year.
Female geese produce eggs for most of their lives. However, once they are past their fourth or fifth breeding season, their fertility drops drastically. Geese raise goslings much less often after this period.
Sebastopol goose eggs hatch
See some more details on the topic sebastopol geese hatching eggs here:
Pin page
Oh no! Pinterest only works if you enable JavaScript.
Sebastopol Geese — Prairie Creek Kids
Sebastopol geese are a historic breed that originated in England in 1860. They were also known as Danube geese in Britain in the 19th century. The Germans may call them Lockengans or Lockengans und Struppgans, which means scruffy goose. They came to the US from south-eastern Europe around the Black Sea. They are named after the Russian city that exported them to the United States. They were admitted to the Poultry Association in 1938. A flock of geese can also be called a flock. Sebastopol geese are bred for meat and as ornamental geese or pets. The male is called gander and the female is called goose. The babies are called goslings. The goslings can swim 24 hours after hatching. A Sevastopol goose can lay 25 to 35 eggs every year. They lay large white eggs. They do not lay all year round, but in a few clutches. Ours was from February to April. Sebastopoles are good parents. The gander watches over the goose as it sits on its nest. He is very loyal and protective and keeps away all the deceased. The goose sits on its nest for 30 days. After hatching, the goslings follow the parents, eating grass and other greenery for sustenance. The goose and the gander are very devoted to their goslings. You will go one on the left and one on the right. When the goose is grazing, the gander watches over his family. He often waits for ganders and geese to sit and rest before feeding. When breeding Sebastopol geese, it is important to breed a curly with a smooth-breasted Sebastopol. If you breed a Curly Breasted with a Curly Breasted Sebastopol, you may end up with a completely straight feathered Sebastopol or have wing abnormalities.
The Sebastopols are docile and easy to keep when it comes to geese. They get loudest during the breeding and breeding season. My gander will come up and sit on my lap. He follows me around the garden and honks when he needs a pet or wants to be spoken to. He protects his gaze and me. He needs to be reminded that my children and other animals are allowed to come near me. He can be guided by gently grasping his neck and guiding him gently to his enclosure. Most of the time they are easily herded to their enclosure at night. But they seem to be waiting for us to tell them it’s bedtime. Then there’s some usual hooting, wing flapping, and then they waddle to their home.
Sevastopol geese are beautiful. They are usually white but colors can vary with striking blue eyes. The special feature is their long, curly, flowing feathers. Many people affectionately call them “Sebbies”. They were also called wedding dress geese. You can’t fly. However, they are very good watchmen and will let you know day or night if something is wrong. They are listed as an endangered breed on the Livestock Conservancy Board. They weigh between 10 and 12 pounds. And it is said that the females are darker colored than the males when they hatch. They can live up to 25 years if they live in a good, safe environment. Dogs and coyotes are their biggest predators.
Sebastopol Geese – Goose, Duck, Chicken, Game Bird Hatchery
Other features of the Sebastopol include orange feet and beak, and eyes are usually blue. It grows to around 11 and 13.5 pounds.
Unfortunately, it lays around 13 to 18 eggs per year, has a fertility rate of around 45%, and typically has poor breeding abilities. If you do the math, that makes an average of 7 fertile eggs per year per female, and that doesn’t begin to take hatchability into account. These production difficulties are just one reason why the Sebastopol is considered an endangered species and is more expensive to produce.
The strangest, but one of the most popular of our geese breeds is the Sebastopol. It is easily recognizable by its ruffled feathers. The ultimate origins of the Sebastopol are unknown, but are believed to have originated in Southeastern Europe and that the name “Sebastopol” comes from the port city of the same name in Russia. They were originally bred so their feathers could be used as stuffing in bedding, but they are now purely an ornamental breed. The breed has been accurately documented since it was first shown in England in the 1860s. Jonathan M. Thompson of the Lifestock Conservancy has collected a variety of news articles and magazine entries mentioning Sebastopol and its impact in the poultry world and social circles. Interestingly, the Sebastopol is known as Lockengans in German, L’Oie Frisee in French and in ancient Greek the word “Sebastos” means venerable, sublime or magnificent. The Greek translation is a perfect match for the Sebastopol due to their unique and eye-catching feathers. Unlike other geese, the Sebastopol’s body feathers are soft and flexible, twisted and ruffled, and can grow to touch the ground. These special feathers cover the entire body except for the neck and head. The plumage is pure white when they reach adulthood, but may have shades of gray as a juvenile.
Because of its curly feathers, the Sevastopol is not as winter and wind hardy as other geese. The curly feathers allow heat to escape much more easily than the densely packed feathers of other geese. Therefore, in windy and cold weather, Sebastopols requires additional precautions and heating aids.
Other features of the Sebastopol include orange feet and beak, and eyes are usually blue. It grows to around 11 and 13.5 pounds.
Unfortunately, it lays around 13 to 18 eggs per year, has a fertility rate of around 45%, and typically has poor breeding abilities. If you do the math, that makes an average of 7 fertile eggs per year per female, and that doesn’t begin to take hatchability into account. These production difficulties are just one reason why the Sebastopol is considered an endangered species and is more expensive to produce.
Related searches to sebastopol geese hatching eggs
Information related to the topic sebastopol geese hatching eggs
Here are the search results of the thread sebastopol geese hatching eggs from Bing. You can read more if you want.
You have just come across an article on the topic sebastopol geese hatching eggs. If you found this article useful, please share it. Thank you very much.
