[pandora]

Does anyone know anything at all about geese? I have a Brecon Buff girl and a farmyard white he/she/it (I was told it was female) it has never laid an egg. Never been overly aggressive either, but that changed this year when the female went broody and sat on 2 eggs. I was away on a trip but it happened sometime between 31 and 34 days ago. She gets up off the nest for a bite to eat and an occasional swim, but is always back on it again about 20 minutes later. I candled the eggs when she was up and about when she had been sitting for about 8 days. Nothing showing so I continued to assume the 'it' had not fertilised them. Today she got up while I was in the yard and I dashed in to have one last look before shutting her out - she has been broody for long enough and showing no signs of ceasing - and one of the eggs is clear, the other is completely opaque, as though it was a fully developed chick. Not possible to see any movement though. My question is this - is there anything else that would cause an egg to be completely opaque other than a chick? If she is carrying out a miracle how long could it be from noticing her going broody to actually hatching a chick out? I've read 28-35 days in an incubator, but don't know if there are some breeds that take longer than usual. I would rather like her to have a baby - much easier than dealing with an angry guard goose and a broody female!

[Helenaj]

Other than a bad egg, I would say it was fertile and your white goose is a male! Geese are particularly aggressive when broody, so be careful.

 Goose eggs take 35 days to hatch so even if you think that your 35 days are up/almost up I would leave it a couple more days because you were away when she went broody so you are not going to know the exact date. I would not candle any more because the eggs shouldn't really be moved the closer to hatch day you get.

Best of luck and show us some little gosling photos when/if it hatches