Mutton
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Goose eggs under broody hensAfter a bit of a mixed result from our sitting geese last year, we're going to put some goose eggs under the geese, but others under the next few hens to go broody. First time we've done that.
So
Can you fit more than one goose egg under a broody hen?
If she manages to hatch the goose egg does the gosling then imprint on the hen, or does it wander off to join the other goslings (hopefully hatched by the geese).
If gosling wanders off, how gutted is the poor hen?
If gosling imprints on the hen, does it wear off, or is a small hen always to be followed by a large honking goose?
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hardworkinghippy
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Mutton, one of our hens who is a fantastic sitter had four under her then pinched two more from another hen had and she hatched six goose eggs - although I'd say four (with plenty of straw or good bedding) is fine.
The goslings imprint on the hen and they're reared normally by her until they start taking to water and the hen rushes round worried and tells them off when they come out.
When they're old enough the hen lets them do their own thing to get on with her own life and they don't seem to have any memory that they're family.
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Bodger
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3 
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welshboy454
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I had some bantams and they would hatch 3.
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Gai
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I had a great broody who regularly hatched 3 or 4 goose eggs. As hardworkinghippy says they get reared by the hen until they're old enough to get interested in goosey things like water and chasing a spaniel or human around the field.
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