How many goose sits on eggs and why she doesn't
Mankind domesticated geese 3-4 millennia ago and since then birds have proven their benefits many times. Once they saved Rome by awakening the sleeping guards when the Gauls were about to sneak inside. Nowadays, geese are usually bred for the sake of eggs, meat and feathers. The business turns out to be very successful, but only on condition that the breeders know all the nuances, and breeding geese is different from raising chickens and ducks. For example, if a businessman did not know in advance how much a goose sits on eggs, he will probably face disappointment and losses.
How many days do geese hatch eggs
The difference between a goose and other birds
The body size of birds is usually large, and goose eggs are also rather big. The legs, like the neck, are very high, and the beak is wide, strong and sharp. Seeing, in their opinion, an intruder, the geese mutter ominously or hiss in annoyance.
In summer, it is pleasant and economical to breed birds, since at this time of the year they can find themselves food on their own in the nearest meadow or in a grassy yard.
It is worth considering that the size, character, color of feathers depends on the breed, and there are a lot of breeds of domestic geese. Since the eggs are large, geese lay a small number of them in one egg-laying, but this also depends on the breed. It will be correct from the very beginning to decide for what exactly the decision was made to breed these birds and to choose the breed based on the results of the thoughts. On the video on the Internet, you can watch and compare meat geese and those bred for eggs.
The relevance of breeding geese for eggs
How relevant is the breeding of geese for eggs is a big question.
- Geese were domesticated 3 or 4 thousand years ago and since then their eggs have become part of the human diet. They are larger than chicken and much more nutritious, although the taste may seem strange to some gourmets.
- The yolks contain lute - an extremely valuable substance with antioxidant properties. Regular consumption of goose eggs rejuvenates the body and slows down aging.
- On the other hand, there is also harm. Firstly, all breeds of geese are unclean, and you cannot feast on their eggs raw, long processing is needed. Second, it is unhealthy to eat more than a few eggs a day.
- Size and rarity affect the price. Goose eggs are expensive, but birds bring very few of them a year. The most egg-bearing breeds produce about 100 eggs per season, so it is difficult to consider breeding geese as a profitable business.
Breeders usually use these birds as layers for the first 4-5 years, then sell them for meat.
How many eggs can a goose bring
How many eggs a female will bring depends on various factors, ranging from the breed to the conditions in which the bird is kept. A 6 month old goose is already ready to create a nest, although its body is not yet fully developed. In the first year, the clutch will be small, the peak of fertility occurs in the third year of the female's life.On average, it turns out from 40 to 100 eggs per year, but there are breeds that yield no more than 20 eggs.
Duration of incubation of egg-laying is 2-3 months. Females rest for a while, then rush again. At home, you can increase the number of clutches per year so that they will be carried almost in any month. To do this, you need to feed the birds with food that is useful for them and monitor the daylight hours. How many days a goose incubates eggs at home also depends on the conditions under which this occurs.
"The goose loves his gosling, a man loves his child," but in some cases the females refuse to sit on the nest.
During winter, the reluctance of geese to sit down to incubate offspring is doubly dangerous, since goose eggs are overcooled, despite the fact that there will already be quite a lot of empty eggs in the clutch.
How to build a goose house
Geese hatch eggs only when they feel safe, so to speak, at home. It so happens that the time seems to have approached, egg-laying should begin, and not begin. Why the geese do not rush in this case is not an idle question, because the success of the entire breeding event depends on it. Do not despair ahead of time, it is quite possible to cope with the capriciousness of females. How to do it?
- First of all, make sure that the nest is in a safe place, away from doors and walkways. If several females are sitting in the goose house at the same time, their nests must be fenced off. The house itself should be isolated from other species of living creatures, especially from rats, mice and other curious birds.
- You can make a nest with your own hands from almost anything, usually they are built from boxes. It happens that the future mother herself chooses her future nest: it is important to track what exactly she wants and use this item.
- It is important to ensure that the optimal temperature in the goose is maintained and the duration of daylight hours, with the help of which the problem of how to put the goose on the eggs will be solved by itself.
Making females feel maternal
In fact, the important question is not how to plant a goose to incubate eggs, but why she does not. Once the problem has been identified, it becomes a matter of technique to seat the bird on the masonry. Incubation problems are most common in young females. It’s not a matter of desire, but the fact that they don’t know how to sit on a brickwork.
- One of the possible solutions is to forcefully put females on the nests and cover them with boxes. After some time, you can see how they voluntarily sit on their clutches. How to do this is easy to see in the video.
- When looking for reasons, the conditions of detention should be considered. The brood hen may refuse to hatch chicks because it is too dark, light, or cold in the gospel.
- After laying the eggs, they are collected. You can store them in a box with straw at a temperature not exceeding 20 and not less than 15 ° C. Females refuse to sit on eggs if they are first collected and then laid down again. At least one egg or its dummy must remain in the nest. After several days of storage, the nest can again be filled with future goslings, it remains only to wait for their appearance.
- During the incubation period, it is worth shining through the eggs from time to time. A simple procedure will allow you to determine if the embryo is under the shell, how it feels. It happens that mold develops inside. The goose continues to sit on such eggs, wasting its time on them and endangering the rest of the children.
Last chance for life
Many breeders, instead of natural incubation, undertake artificial incubation. In this case, you do not have to invent ways to put stupid geese on the nests, make them sit on eggs. In the case of an incubator, how many goslings are born depends entirely on the care of the breeder.
First, eggs are selected that are suitable for artificial incubation. They must have a flat surface and an undeformed shape.Before doing anything, it is advisable to enlighten them with an ovoscope. Products that have passed all stages of selection can be sent to the incubator.
Geese incubate chicks, burying them in warm fluff and straw. Temperature and humidity are the first necessary conditions for hatching chicks. Goose eggs need to be sprayed and turned over throughout all days of incubation, except for the last. Incubation lasts up to 32 days; it is important to see the eggs through the entire process. Where to put the spoiled ones is up to the farmer, but keeping them in the device does not make sense.
Incubation is also a good fallback if the female does not sit down to hatch the chicks. Also, an incubator is an excellent solution in the winter month.
Now you know how much goose sits on eggs at home, as well as what is the reason that the laying hen did not sit on the nest and how to cope with it.