Geese laying eggs in winter!

[TwistyTW]

So, woke up this morning and found 5 goose eggs in the barn. Very confused, as I heard geese shouldn’t lay until at least spring? They are particularly young geese, 2 of them, though I’m positive they’re the age to lay. Any ideas on what this could possibly be?

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Some goose breeds do lay into late fall and winter. What breed are yours?

I have Pilgrims and they won't start up again until spring. When I raised Chinese, they also stopped laying in late fall and resumed in spring.

Lucky you!

 

[Iain Utah]

Over the years, I have seen eggs laid pretty much at any time of year. People have heard me tell the story of my buff dewlap boy who was born on Christmas day in 2016 (his name is Christmas, of course). This year, I started to see eggs about 10 days ago and it appears I have a couple girls laying now. Overall, my geese are acting like season will be a little early this year. It's normal.

 

[QuackersGoose]

Our Embden typically starts the beginning of January, but has laid at all different times of the year. Some years she starts around Thanksgiving. She usually starts earlier if we get snow storms earlier in the year. One year, after moving from an area where it never froze in the winter, back to an area where winters are snowy and freezing, she started laying in January, and laid eggs all year long. Her internal clock got messed up that year. We were happy she finally stopped around February of the next year, and took pretty much a full year off. It seems like there’s some correlation to weather, although I can only speak for my goose’s behavior.

 

[Iain Utah]

I agree there is likely a correlation with weather. I have learned that I can fairly well predict how early winter sets in, how cold it will get, and how soon spring will arrive, based on what and how much my geese eat, as well as breeding and egg laying behaviors.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Despite bitter cold here recently, I've seen my geese mating (these are last year's hatch, so the ganders are still figuring things out ), and am hoping eggs aren't too far off in the future!

 

[NevadaEmma]

My first year geese appear to be mating. The female is moving very slowly and waddling more than usual. She sits down quite a bit and has changed her eating habits. The gander stands guard of her and is very attentive. She has made indentations in the hay in their coop the last few days. One morning she would not get off at first but then was out with the other geese.

Is this typical? It has been below freezing here for a while. Does she lay an egg then leave it unattended until she lays another? If so, I am concerned the egg would freeze.

How long after mating behavior does she actually start laying eggs? Cara

 

[Finnie]

Is this typical? It has been below freezing here for a while. Does she lay an egg then leave it unattended until she lays another? If so, I am concerned the egg would freeze.

Yes, they lay the eggs and leave them untended until they have the amount they want to sit on.

I am also concerned about eggs freezing, since mine has started laying this week. I was hoping to find information from experienced goose keepers on whether to bring the eggs inside until the goose sits, or leave them out in the freezing cold.

 

[Anne 671]

So, woke up this morning and found 5 goose eggs in the barn. Very confused, as I heard geese shouldn’t lay until at least spring? They are particularly young geese, 2 of them, though I’m positive they’re the age to lay. Any ideas on what this could possibly be?

Strange, I just found out my goose has a nest right by my front porch. She did a superb job of hiding it, I thought she was just hanging around because she loved me. I removed her spring eggs and will probably let her hatch these. Just have to figure out how to protect her and the eggs now.