Papa has come in to sit with her now and help keep the babies warm and protected.
We have seen a few of the goslings peek their heads out and even wander out between their parents. They won't need any food or water really for the first 3 days as their bodies are still absorbing the final nutrients from the egg. This gives mom time to continue sitting and waiting for any late hatchers.
When she is sure there are no more babies coming, or even when she just decides she's done, she'll roll the unhatched eggs out of the nest and start focusing on her little ones.
Tomorrow I will setup a water bowl and feeder for the babies. They will start to come out from under their mother more and more each day and by tomorrow will be starting to be hungry. I usually feed my babies a non-medicated starter that is at least 18% Protein. I like my animals to be as healthy as I want to be, so I purchase my grain directly from a local mill where I can get freshly milled grains that have not been sitting in bags on warehouse shelves for as much as 2 years before they get to me. How could that possibly have any nutrition left.
Also baby geese can eat chopped up greens right from day one. They can have blades of grass, and kitchen scraps such as spinach and lettuce. I also feed my birds Hay because even though its not living it is a good source of secondary greens for them and is high in protein and vitamins. The babies can eat the "flake" that falls off the bale as the pieces are quite tiny.
Setting up a safe water supply for geese can be quite challenging. More so if they are not being raised by their moms. Waterfowl (geese and ducks) can get cold very easily and if they don't get warm quickly enough they can die. When they have their mom to keep them warm, this is usually not a problem, but if they are just under heat lamps, they cannot dry of and get warm quickly enough. Plus they LOVE water. So they will play in it all day which will surely endager them. So the trick is to have water that they can stick their whole head in and wash their eyes several times a day, but also make it so they can't get IN completely to swim.
The best solution I have found is a 16 oz water bottle. You cut a hole in the side of it at about 1.5 inches above the bottom. Just big enough for them to get their heads in and drink. You'll have to get new water bottles and cut higher holes as they grow, but it works great. Keeps the brooder dryer, and they stay dry as well, while still being able to wash their eyes. You do have to fill it several times a day. Also the water needs to be close to the food. They get food in their mouth and then walk over to the water to get it wet and soggy before they chew and swallow it.
Now I won't have to worry about them swimming when they have a mom to protect them. This is the first time I have let a mom hatch and raise goslings though, so I am excited to watch!
Stay tuned for more photos and updates as the goslings grow! :-)
UPDATE 4PM ** FINALLY GOT SOME GOOD PICS!**
The babies found the food I left this morning! Also I just have a standard chick waterer in here temporarily but will replace with a gosling swimming pool in a few days. :-) As I mentioned Mom raised goslings are allowed to go swimming from day one. Its just been so cold and windy I am not quite ready to let them get all wet. Just being extra cautious.
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