PREPARING FOR LAYING SEASON
No matter the size or the expectations you have for your flock of geese, I believe preparing in the weeks leading up to egg laying, sets a flock up for success.
I start preparing the Pilgrim geese for breeding season 3-4 weeks before I expect the first goose eggs, usually the third week of February here in central Pennsylvania. Those 3-4 weeks, allow the geese and ganders time to get accustomed to their new mini-flock and breeding pens. By sorting the geese into different breeding groups, I have upset the social structure of the flock and the geese need time to settle down from the disruption. In the weeks preceding egg laying my daily chores of feeding and refilling water troughs becomes routine and not a cause for agitation.
In the lead up to egg laying, I switch to a waterfowl feed. I am fortunate to have a local mill that grinds and bags a waterfowl ration, formulated by Fertrells, especially for breeding birds. The smallest quantity I can have custom ground is three hundred pounds. Even though I like my feed as fresh as possible, I am willing to make the trade off between freshness and a high quality ration. It is my hope that winter temperatures keep the feed palatable. This feed is more expensive but my goal is to hatch as many healthy goslings as I can, and I believe this ration optimizes the size and quality of the eggs. Finding a balance between cost, quality and convenience is the dance I need to manage.
Although not necessary for breeding medium sized birds, like the Pilgrims, I offer swimming water in 15 gallon troughs. When temps are low and I cannot dump out the ice, I use deep, rubber feed pans . After bathing, waterfowl preen, arranging their feathers and coating each feather with oil. Preened feathers are a layer of insulation and waterproofing which also keeps my birds healthy.
Like last year my breeding groups are separated by livestock panels. Even though they are in their own breeding pens, they can see the other geese in the flock. Unlike last year, the pens are in a concrete floored barn with outside access. Half of each breeding pen is roofed, protecting the deep straw bedding. I’m thinking this is an improvement over last year, cutting down on my labor of cleaning and rebedding straw degraded by snow and rain. I am already appreciating a less physically demanding routine, but I am curious to see how the breeding pens will disrupt our springtime projects.
With about ten days until I expect eggs the geese are making rudimentary nests and hissing at my approach, both signs that the flock is ready to get down to the business of laying eggs.
