Abstract
Abstract The British population of feral Canada Geese is increasing at about 8.5% per year and is causing concern through conflicts with agriculture, human recreation and other wildlife. This paper addresses a technique of population management involving the coating of eggs with a cheap and readily available chemical, liquid paraffin, to prevent hatching. Laboratory studies with domestic chicken eggs and field studies with Canada Goose eggs showed that the treatment was completely successful in suppressing hatching. Examination of chick embryos and adult geese suggested that the technique was likely to be at least as humane as other techniques in regular use. The birds were shown to incubate eggs treated with liquid paraffin for an average of 37 days, ‘pricked’ eggs for 17 days, whilst controls hatched after 28 days. Treatment of Canada Goose eggs with liquid paraffin could, when combined with other control methods, make a valuable contribution to population management programmes aimed at reducing damage.
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