Relationships among egg size, energy reserves, growth rate, and fasting resistance of Canada Goose goslings from southern Ontario

Eggs of wild giant Canada Geese (Branta canadensis maxima) breeding in southern Ontario were collected and incubated. Total nutrient reserve of goslings was estimated at hatch to test whether there were relationships between egg size, gosling weight, and weight of reserves in goslings. Growth rate of fed goslings of different weights at hatch was estimated for 25 days. The nutrient reserves remaining in goslings of different hatch weights were estimated after 2, 4, and 6 days of starvation. Egg size and gosling weight were not highly correlated in this population (r = 0.63). Larger goslings generally contained more reserves than small goslings (P <0.05), but variability was high. Gain in weight over 25 days was not related to weight at hatch. Starved goslings with higher body fat concentrations had significantly higher dry carcass weights than goslings with low body fat concentrations (P