Dirty goose eggs

[Kris5902]

hi, so a friend had her nesting geese attacked by egg thieving raccoons... the geese are fine, but she tried to relocate the nest and remaining 2 eggs into a coop and they abandoned their eggs and went nuts trying to get out. So I whipped out the incubator and got it heated up and I’ve got them in there now, but the eggs are really dirty, should I try to clean them off at all?

I’m not sure how long they have been sitting on them. I have no experience with geese, and my first chicken hatch had issues. I’m going to move the incubator up to my trailer so I can monitor them more closely, but it’s going to stretch my electricity a bit, as I’m off grid solar right now and running a brooder for some chicks.

Any suggestions?

 

[Pyxis]

I usually brush excess mud off of geese eggs, but they are typically pretty muddy for me and usually are stained. It never affects the hatch.

Have you read this guide to hatching goose eggs? It's excellent.

 

[chickens really]

hi, so a friend had her nesting geese attacked by egg thieving raccoons... the geese are fine, but she tried to relocate the nest and remaining 2 eggs into a coop and they abandoned their eggs and went nuts trying to get out. So I whipped out the incubator and got it heated up and I’ve got them in there now, but the eggs are really dirty, should I try to clean them off at all?

I’m not sure how long they have been sitting on them. I have no experience with geese, and my first chicken hatch had issues. I’m going to move the incubator up to my trailer so I can monitor them more closely, but it’s going to stretch my electricity a bit, as I’m off grid solar right now and running a brooder for some chicks.

Any suggestions?

I never wash eggs off. I just dry towel wipe if terrible.

 

[Kris5902]

I tried to rub some of it off, but they are both fairly well coated with mud... I’m also having a little troubles keeping the temp stable. I feel like I’m in for a long few weeks on this one...

 

[ColtHandorf]

Goodness! Those are filthy. lol I complained about the mud on mine, but her eggs were wedding white compared to those two.

Anyway, I'm incubating my first goose egg now so I don't have any suggestions other than good luck.

 

[Kris5902]

Goodness! Those are filthy. lol I complained about the mud on mine, but her eggs were wedding white compared to those two.

Anyway, I'm incubating my first goose egg now so I don't have any suggestions other than good luck.

Good luck on your hatch too! The guide @Pyxis linked was a really helpful, good read. And I think these are brown eggs under the mud... I hope. It’s been super rainy here lately, I’m hoping as the goose was sitting on them they have a decent chance to be fertile.

Oh, and you know how raccoons wash their food before eating? I’m guessing the theif has his/her work cut out for them this time!

 

[ColtHandorf]

lol I don't think little raccoon hands could get those clean.

I read through Pyxis' article when I brought the pair of geese home.

I don't have much hope for this egg. I think it probably doesn't have a yolk. It is about half the size of the other eggs she had laid. I'd really hoped that she might incubate her own eggs since she laid one after coming hom in addition to the ones her owner gave me when I bought them. But she didn't lay anything for about a week so I just gave up and pulled them all to incubate. The dumb dog (standard poodle) swiped them off the kitchen counter while I was outside mucking around when the roommate was supposed to be watching them. :/ She has't laid in about a week, but we are having a cold snap again so I'm hoping maybe that will get her wanting to lay again. I wanted some cute babies.

 

[Pyxis]

And I think these are brown eggs under the mud... I hope. It’s been super rainy here lately, I’m hoping as the goose was sitting on them they have a decent chance to be fertile.

All geese lay white eggs, so they're not brown under there - just A LOT of mud, it looks like.

 

[Kris5902]

All geese lay white eggs, so they're not brown under there - just A LOT of mud, it looks like.

Wow, then they are even dirtier than I thought!