We got our geese several years ago when we first got the rest of our birds. It started with, “We can’t get just one” so we got 2 of them. And as our luck would have it, turned out to be one male and one female. So we kept them over the winter and the next spring we incubated the eggs. Geese eggs are a little different than regular eggs and I had limited luck. We had three babies that survived into adulthood. Not sure what we did with them, but think I sold all of them.
Then in the spring of 2010 a couple of stray dogs came through the yard and killed the female goose, along with several of our turkeys and chickens. So we went to the hatchery and had a chick sexed to ensure we got a female goose. Unfortunately none of the eggs we had in the incubator managed to survive. But the baby we bought did.
So now we have a pair of geese again. We started calling the new female “Emmy” when we got her. And the male we started calling “Aflac”, yes, after the commercial. And it seems the two of them have bonded really well. So the plan is that next spring we will have fertile eggs and be successful in hatching several of them. We are hoping they will become Christmas dinner for someone.
And it is almost funny, because the two of them seem to be the leaders of the known world around here. Aflac stands regally in the yard, always on the lookout for stuff. And Emmy seems to lead the flock around the yard, and out into the street and to places they aren’t supposed to go.
And they seem to referee some of the quarrels among the Toms. Every now and then one or the other will grab onto one of the Toms, or get in between them and push the turkeys around. Really fun to watch.
This is a picture of all the eggs in the incubator. We didn’t have many that made it all the way to hatching this year. 2011 was not a good year for hatching eggs, and not just for us.
The white eggs at the top are goose eggs and the speckled ones up close are turkey eggs. I didn’t have enough incubators to separate each kind in its own incubator.
The three turkey eggs on the left are Bourbon Red eggs and the others on the right I’m pretty sure are Blue Slate. You can tell the difference by the size and placement of the spots.
The picture further down of the incubator shows some of the eggs hatching. Again, you can see the difference in the turkey eggs. One of the goose eggs has pipped, as have two of the chicken eggs. The green one has a very distinct hole in it, and the brown one to the left has the shell broken, but it hasn’t created a hole yet.
The white eggs at the top are goose eggs and the speckled ones up close are turkey eggs. I didn’t have enough incubators to separate each kind in its own incubator.
The three turkey eggs on the left are Bourbon Red eggs and the others on the right I’m pretty sure are Blue Slate. You can tell the difference by the size and placement of the spots.
The picture further down of the incubator shows some of the eggs hatching. Again, you can see the difference in the turkey eggs. One of the goose eggs has pipped, as have two of the chicken eggs. The green one has a very distinct hole in it, and the brown one to the left has the shell broken, but it hasn’t created a hole yet.
This is an old metal bucket thing we found lying around or in the junk pile and decided to use for a waterer. It cleans easy and is big enough that it holds water for several days. Problem is that the geese love to get in it. Emmy especially. And usually right after you fill it up, she is in it. Sometimes they take turns getting in it, sometimes they get in it together.
And it seems that there is always a turkey in the background. Usually it is a turkey butt, especially when they strut, so feel grateful to have a side shot in this one.
And it seems that there is always a turkey in the background. Usually it is a turkey butt, especially when they strut, so feel grateful to have a side shot in this one.