AFTER BUILDING A NEST, PREFERABLY NEAR WATER, MAMA GOOSE MAY LAY UP TO 12 EGGS. IT IS MORE LIKELY HOWEVER, THAT HER "CLUTCH" WILL CONSIST OF ONLY 5 TO 8 EGGS. EACH EGG, 2 OR 3 TIMES LARGER THAN A CHICKEN EGG, WILL BE LAID ONE DAY AT A TIME. THE LAYING PROCESS BEGINS DEPENDING ON LOCATION. IN THE WARMER SOUTH IT WILL BE EARLY MARCH. IN THE COOLER NORTH IT WILL BE EARLY JUNE.
THE EMBRYO BEGINS TO DEVELOP EVEN BEFORE THE EGGS LEAVE THE WARMTH OF MAMA'S BODY BUT THEIR GROWTH SLOWS DOWN UNTIL ALL THE EGGS ARE LAID AND INCUBATION BEGINS. THIS ALLOWS FOR THE GOSLINGS TO HATCH AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TIME. SITTING ON THE EGGS IS CALLED "BROODING" OR "INCUBATING" AND WILL LAST APPROXIMATELY 28 DAYS.
THE EMBRYO THEN BEGINS TO GROW RAPIDLY, ABSORBING THE WHITE AND MOST OF THE YOLK. THE TEMPERATURE OF THE EGGS MUST BE KEPT RELATIVELY CONSTANT, AROUND 90 DEGREES. THE EGGS ARE GENTLY ROTATED, EXPOSING THEM ON ALL SIDES TO THE WARMTH OF MAMA'S BODY. THE ROTATING ALSO PREVENTS THE MEMBRANES ENCLOSING THE GOSLINGS FROM STICKING TO THE SHELLS. A FEW DAYS BEFORE HATCHING, THE GOSLINGS BEGIN TO BREATHE BY GETTING OXYGEN FROM THE AIR CHAMBERS AND THROUGH THE POROUS SHELLS.
MAMA LEAVES THE NEST FOR ONLY SHORT PERIODS OF TIME TO EAT AND DRINK BUT NOT BEFORE THE EGGS ARE WELL COVERED IN THE DOWN SHE HAS PULLED FROM HER CHEST. THIS NOT ONLY KEEPS THE EGGS WARM BUT ALSO HELPS TO HIDE THEM FROM PREDATORS SUCH AS HAWKS, LARGE TURTLES AND RACCOONS.
IT IS SAID THAT JUST BEFORE THE GOSLINGS HATCH, THEY ARE ALREADY MAKING PEEPING SOUNDS. THERE IS A SHARP BUMP ON THEIR BILLS, REFERRED TO AS AN "EGG TOOTH", WHICH ENABLES THEM TO PECK HOLES IN THEIR SHELLS. THIS EGG TOOTH DISAPPEARS AFTER HATCHING. THE SHELLS ARE WEAKER NOW BECAUSE THE GOSLINGS HAVE ABSORBED THE LIME INTO THEIR BONES. IT MIGHT TAKE A WHOLE DAY OR SO BUT THEY EMERGE WET AND WEIGHING APPROXIMATELY 7 OUNCES. THEY ARE CAPABLE OF SEEING, EATING AND WALKING AROUND WHICH MAKES THEM "PRECOCIAL" BIRDS. ONCE HATCHED, MAMA HOVERS OVER THE GOSLINGS UNTIL THEY ARE DRY. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PERIOD OF THEIR LIVES, WHEN BONDING TAKES PLACE. UNLIKE MOST BIRDS, GOSLINGS DON'T RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN KIND. IF MAMA ISN'T THERE FOR THEM TO SEE, THEY WILL BOND TO WHOMEVER OR WHATEVER WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM.
WITHIN A DAY OR SO, THE GOSLINGS ARE READY FOR THEIR FIRST DIP IN THE WATER WHERE THEIR DOWN KEEPS THEM AFLOAT. ONCE THEY HAVE LEFT THE NEST, THEY NEVER RETURN. BY THE END OF 2 WEEKS THEY HAVE INCREASED THEIR WEIGHT 4 TIMES. AT 3 WEEKS THEIR DOWN BEGINS TO TURN GRAY. AT 4 WEEKS, FEATHERS BEGIN TO APPEAR AND BY WEEK 5 THEIR WHITE CHINSTRAPS BECOME EVIDENT. AROUND WEEK 8 THEY ARE FULLY FEATHERED AND STRONGLY RESEMBLE THEIR PARENTS. EVEN NOW, IT WILL BE ANOTHER 2 WEEKS OR SO BEFORE THEY TAKE THEIR FIRST FLIGHT. AFTER THIS, THE GOSLINGS WILL STAY WITH THEIR PARENTS FOR ONLY 1 OR 2 YEARS BEFORE STRIKING OUT ON THEIR OWN TO FIND A MATE AND BEGIN A FAMILY OF THEIR OWN.
CANADA GEESE, THEIR PARTS AND EGGS ARE PROTECTED UNDER THE "MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT". A NESTING GOOSE AND HER EGGS MAY NOT BE DISTURBED WITHOUT A FEDERAL PERMIT. FOR MORE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT CANADA GEESE, PLEASE CHECK OUT MY FAVORITE LINK. THANK YOU.
