Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Only those ducks and geese in good physical shape should be kept for breeding. Legs should
be straight and free of deformities, as should the beak and wings. They should comply with
breed standards for coloring, body shape, and weight. A drake can breed five to eight females.
For geese, only one gander should be used for one or two females. Ducks can be bred during
the first year; geese should be 1 year old when they breed. Geese prefer to mate on water, and
the water should be deep enough for the geese to swim in.
Most duck eggs take 28 days to hatch, with the exception of Muscovy duck eggs, which take
35 days. If the female incubates her own eggs, make sure she has water and feed available
near the nest. Pekin and Indian Runner ducks do not make good egg sitters, so you may need
to have a foster mother incubate the eggs. Duck eggs can be brooded by broody chicken hens,
but the eggs will need to be sprinkled with water every day to keep them slightly moist. If you
plan to artificially incubate the eggs, the process is similar to chickens except for differences
in humidity and temperature. Incubation requires 99.5 degrees F and 55 to 75 percent humid-
ity. The eggs need to be turned at least twice daily but preferably four times a day. At day 25,
the temperature should be lowered and the humidity slightly increased. Once the ducklings
are hatched, allow them to dry in the incubator for one hour. Then, they can be moved to their
prepared brooding pen.
Geese eggs take 30 days to hatch. Temperature in a forced-air incubator should be 100 de-
grees F, while in a still-air incubator, the temperature should be maintained at 103 degrees F.
The humidity should be 50 to 55 percent for the first 27 days of incubation. Eggs should be
turned 180 degrees, four to six times each day. The final three days before hatching, increase
the humidity to 75 percent. When the goslings hatch, the doors to the incubator should be
opened to allow the humidity to escape; this allows the goslings' down to dry. After an hour,
they should be dry and can be moved to the brooding pen.
Nest boxes for geese should be a minimum of 2 square feet. Larger breeds may require more
space. You can build your own boxes out of wood or purchase them from a poultry supply
company, though it might be difficult to find a wooden box large enough for geese. If the fe-
male incubates her own eggs, make sure she has water and feed available near the nest. A fe-
male should not leave her eggs unattended more than once a day. Most females can success-
fully hatch up to a dozen eggs.
If you plan to incubate the eggs, collect them at least twice daily, but be sure to use caution.
During breeding season, the geese can become ornery. You most likely will be hissed at as
