Ok, I apologize. I have to retract my statements. I act like I know everything, but am perfectly willing to admit that that is rarely the case.windwalkingwolf wrote:QR_BBPOST They're done laying for the year, unless simulating winter will work. I've never tried it, so couldn't tell you. Once one goes broody, and especially if something hatches, those hormones seemingly affect all the females in a flock and they all quit and moult. I hatched two goslings this year from my Chinese girls, and made the mistake of letting the little guys within earshot of the adults...they promptly stopped laying, and I doubt I'll see another egg this year even though in past years (as long as I took eggs promptly) I could expect eggs through June. Last year I let a Muscovy incubate goose eggs, and the darned gander KNEW those were goose eggs. I don't know how. He checked on the duck and those eggs every day, and once they hatched, he took the goslings from her at beak-point and herded them to the rest of the geese. then BAM, no more eggs, grrr. Once a baby happens, even if it dies, the buggers call it good.
A week and a half ago, 2 of the Chinese suddenly started laying again, pretty much all at once, and then the third joined them in laying just as the oldest girl went broody. Now my oldest girl is now attempting her second nest of the year on 8 eggs (first try was a complete bust, and she has never set a second time), while the younger two are tossing her off to lay in the nest. I marked the 8 oldest eggs and I'm having to remove a fresh one every day as the other two girls are still laying so far. Buggers are making a liar out of me LMAO! Just when I thought I had them figured out....
I bought some Embden goslings this spring, excited about a goose that's actually big enough to feed more than two people (Chinese are quite small and mostly feathers for those who don't know). But now I don't know if I'm looking forward to THAT learning curve, since they lay so many fewer eggs than Chinese and aren't known as the greatest broodies, either. As I understand, Embden mating/nesting habits are very similar to Roman and Sebastopol. But I can probably throw all anecdotal lore out the window at this point, and just wing it.
