How exciting! My Toulouse goose just hatched two goslings last week from her nest in a kennel in a dog run (I had hopes for more, she had 7 eggs). She and her mate are SUCH good parents! I think the goslings hatched about 24 hours before I saw them - but I certainly heard them and the gander, who spent most of the incubation period standing outside the kennel where the goose had her nest, had his head in the kennel talking to the goose the whole time.
First, make sure there is no water where the goslings can drown. I have a bucket of water tied to the fence where the adults can dip their heads but the goslings can't reach. I have whole wheat in the bottom of the bucket - crows can't get it and it is food for the adults Then a small container of water with a brick in the middle where the goslings can drink and dunk their heads but cannot climb in and drown (I had goslings drown the first year I had them - never again!).
I have bought a bag of waterfowl starter - important it is not medicated. Some people use unmedicated chick feed. It is small crumbles so easy for goslings to eat. I put it on a saucer where the goslings can reach it in the morning and the evening. The goose especially will eat it too (important to make sure she is eating well, she missed a lot of food while incubating) and the goslings will copy her.
I have two extra Toulouse ganders - they have been living outside the dog run during incubation - choosing to go into the hay barn at night. I was careful to make sure they were not going to attack the goslings but, as I've found before, they are almost as caring of the goslings as their parents. So when I'm around the barnyard I let the whole flock out together and they go for long walks to eat what little grass there is, get grit and whatever necessary things geese and goslings need. I'm amazed to find that in the evening the goose and gander and goslings are outside the dog run, ready to go to bed. As far as I can see at sunset the goose goes back in the kennel and the goslings are tucked under her and the gander stands guard again.
Be careful of predators including crows and ravens! I'm nervous but the combination of good parents, vigilant "uncles" and very gentle dogs (I would never have believed two dogs could be as untempted by two such tiny squeaky things)
Love goslings.
Good luck with yours! Let us know how it goes.
