Canada Goose Egg Addling DIY

Mamma Goose Standing Guard

EGG ADDLING STEPS  -  Do It Yourself

   Egg addling is the term used for rendering goose eggs non-viable. This  prevents goslings from hatching. Egg addling has an effect in reducing the resident Canada goose population. Not only are the year’s hatchlings reduced, but when goslings mature they tend to nest in the same area, adding their offspring to the local population. After one to two failed nesting seasons, mother goose is apt to move her nest to a different area next year.  If you have a nesting goose population and have the gumption to take on this task yourself the below information will guide you through the steps.  Before starting, check your individual state's requirements by contacting your Department of Natural Resources' Waterfowl Biologist.
    There are different egg addling methods. These include: Egg Oiling,  Nest and Egg removal, replacement with dummy eggs, shaking or puncturing eggs. RMGC egg addling is performed by oiling eggs, in compliance with The National Wildlife Control Operators Association and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) protocols. 
    The procedures to obtain an Illinois state permit and federal registration to addle resident Canada goose eggs are not complex, nor does it cost money. In Illinois, a permit must be requested through the IDNR with  the property address and anticipated number of nests and eggs to be destroyed.  If you are an ambitious homeowner and familiar with waterfowl, the IDNR may extend a permit to you.

1.) OBTAIN A PERMIT

       ​Contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in your state for a permit. This is a must do and absolutely needed. Follow the directions on the permit application. They are pretty easy and self explanatory forms. In Illinois we have to deal directly with the state DNR. Most states use the U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service reporting system. https://epermits.fws.gov/eRCGR/geSI.aspx

2.) LOCATE NESTS

       Geese build nest in a variety of places. Normally they are close to water and on islands. However, we have seen nests built in planters, in parking lots, on roofs and on balconies.  Some of these in crowded shopping malls.  Depending on your area, we will walk along shore lines, paddle kayaks, climb up on roofs to look for nests. Once they are found we will mark them, usually with a small flag, and record them on a site map.  We will do this with two handlers and sometimes a dog due to the aggressiveness of the nesting pair of geese during the spring season. Mamma goose must be chased off the nest. She can be stubborn.

3.)ADDLING THE EGGS
      When nests with eggs are located,  a float test must be performed on the eggs to assess development. If eggs are in the earlier stages and do not float,  they are coated with 100% food grade corn oil to prevent oxygen from reaching the embryo, rendering the eggs non-viable.  They are put back into the nest so the mother goose continues to incubate her clutch. If eggs are developed and can float, they cannot be humanely addled. They are replaced into the nest and left to develop. This is why you must take action as soon as geese start to nest.
   If the oiled eggs are not replaced and the goose is still fertile, she may re-lay her eggs.  Once the incubation period has past, the eggs are removed and buried off site.
The nest is then destroyed and removed.  This sometimes encourages geese to leave the site and not return to nest.


4.) REPORTING AND DOCUMENTING
    For each site visit, RMGC will record the location of nests, number of eggs addled and plot the data on to a site map. This information is then used for annual reporting to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. If you choose to do it yourself the same procedure must be followed. If you are reporting back to the USFWS it has to be done on line and it less complicated.

5.) PRECAUTIONS
      Nesting geese are very aggressive. Keep this in mind when deciding whether to do this yourself or hire a company like ours to do the work.  Always work in teams of two so one person can stand guard.  Often the geese will leave the nest when approached but fly back towards you to protect their nest.  This is where an large open golf umbrella comes in handy. By holding it up the goose will flap its wings on the umbrella versus your head.  Some people will also use a trash can lid. But in my opinion they are too small.


If you decide this task is not something you want to tackle, give us a call and we can do all of the above for you at one low price.



Rescue Me Goose Chasing
We Get Rid of Geese . . . FAST!

Spring Wild Canada Geese Control

Spring Goose Control 

    Late February through March Canada Geese start to pair up for the spring and look for ideal nesting properties.  Canada Geese are monogamous and mate for life.  This is the time of year when pairs of Canada geese either return to their place of nesting from previous years or look for a new place.   More times than not they will return to the same general area to nest. They may not nest in the exact same location but they will nest on the same lakes, ponds, parking lots etc..

    Why are Canada geese so habitual when selecting a nesting spot?  We believe, and according to the experts, it has to do with familiarity and safety.  Geese who have had successful hatches are imprinted to believe that they found a good spot free of predators, hunters and disturbances. In essence, they have found a good neighborhood to live and raise their young.

    On the contrary, geese that have had unsuccessful hatches are unlikely to return to that place because it is a bad neighborhood for one reason or another.  Given the choice, geese will nest where there is less pressure from predators and human intervention.  This is why our Nest and Egg Depredation Program is so successful.

    Spring goose control is so important to our  Nuisance Geese Management Program.  Without spring goose control the population of wild geese will continue to grow and flourish. Our humane methods of hazing wild geese with our goose dogs, and other proprietary methods, ensure that when geese leave they know they are leaving an area not conducive to nesting or raising their young.  These wild geese find themselves being chased off lawns, into water, then once in the water, chased out by one of our dogs.  This is too much pressure for them.  The geese leave to find another home where they can roost, nest and raise their young in peace. The loss of  a nest by a wild Canada goose pair, can lead to them leaving town and flying all the way back to the Arctic.

    Recent study, discussed here, in National Geographic,  found more than half the resident geese tracked during a satellite-monitoring project, migrated to Canada when their nests failed. Another study found that 44 percent of geese in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont headed north when they had no young to care for.

    Researchers tracked one female goose who nested every year in front of the same Toronto office building until it lost its clutch of eggs. Then, it flew to extreme northern Québec, on the fringes of the Arctic. “If it hadn’t lost its nest, it would have stayed in the plaza outside of shipping and receiving all summer,” researchers reported. 

   If you are tired of having Canada geese on your lawn, in your pond, lake or at your place of business all spring and summer, you have to stop the spring cycle of nesting and the fall cycle of pond hopping and roosting by migratory and resident geese.  Resident geese that find your property to their liking in the fall will be sure to return in the spring.

    Rescue Me Goose Chasing employees use all the Certified Goose Management training we received at the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA) and our experience to Get Rid of Geese...FAST!  

Call Us for a free consultation  630-926-8962

www.rmgoosechasing.com