incubating african eggs - detached air cell (day 30 - they are hatching!!)

[Iain Utah]

This is my first attempt at hatching goose eggs, but am excited at the challenge. I just candled for the first time at day 4.5 and noticed one of the eggs' air cells is floating around (they are shipped eggs). The embryo appears to be developing, but it is hard to tell this early. I am using an LG still air, so space is tight. I was wondering if it would help to prop that egg at an angle so that fat end is slightly elevated?

FYI, I have 2 sets of goose eggs in my bator... standard non-dewlap africans, which I can candle pretty easily and see clear spiders in 4 (the 5th has the weird air cell). My other set are the large dewlap africans. Those eggs are bigger and appear more porous than the standard african eggs. I cannot candle these easily to see if fertile or not. I am hoping that when I try again in a few days I will be able to see inside more clearly.

Either way, at this point I have at least 4 that are alive. Hope you guys can guide me through the pitfalls and help me have a successful hatch!

OH... and Pete's guide and his other super informative posts are AMAZING!! Pete, if you read this, THANKS!!!!!!

 

[animaladdictions]

I always attempt incubation even on the badly torn air cell eggs and yes, I prop them up in the corner or I take out a section of an egg carton and use that as a prop. I have to tell you though, I've never had an egg of any kind hatch when the air cell is completely torn. If its just loose, sometimes I'm successful, but never when there's an air bubble inside. I hope you have better luck! Keep us posted on how its going.... I just LOOOOVE hatchin baby geese!!!

 

[Iain Utah]

Thanks for the reply. I found Pete's thread about handling damaged air cells and have the goose egg propped upright in corner. It is developing, but I don't have high hopes for that one. However, after checking my other eggs, not counting the one with the bad aircell, I officially have 5 goosies growing well. Not too bad after one week??

 

[pete55]

Hi there

They are well worth incubating and last year we had quite a good sucess rate with eggs with detached air cells. You're doing the right thing proping up the blunt egg of the egg as this keeps the 'free' air generally in the area where it should be. Just maintain stable incubator conditions and they will stand a good chance of sucess.

Best of luck with them.

Pete

 

[Iain Utah]

Thanks!! I have 2 propped up now. There is a third with a loose aircell, but seems ok on its side. In all, I have 5 goosies developing well plus the two propped up. I know my odds are low, especially being a first timer with shipped eggs... but I am very hopeful to have goslings in 3+ weeks.

 

[pete55]

Thats good to hear and just keep referring to the incubation guide which has plenty of information. I'll try to keep an eye on the progress of your eggs

 

[Iain Utah]

I candled my eggs last night and the 5 with good air cells (laying horizontally) are looking like textbook pictures, in that the membrane is covering approximately one half of the egg and the other half is clear. When I candled the egg with weird air cell, it too is developing the membrane but instead of it looking like it is going from top to bottom, it is filling the middle of the egg, and the clear fluid is on the bottom. Is this ok??

 

[animaladdictions]

I'm super excited for you! Hatchin baby geese is THE BEST THING EVERRRR! LOL Can ya tell I love my geese? You're already on the best possible track and have done, in my opinion, THE single most important thing you can do when starting out with goose eggs, and that is.....get ahold of PETE!!!! Last spring was my first time ever attempt at hatching goose eggs (I've done loads of chicks & ducks)...I had a problem with one of my eggs in that the air cell had not grown as much as it should have and I was really worried that the gosling wouldn't have enough space to internally pip. Pete came to my rescue, told me what to do, and a few days later I was the proud mamma of a new baby Dewlap Toulouse. Pete is a wonderful man and he truly cares about all geese. At least that's how I see it. He has some of the most amazing dewlap geese I've ever seen but he treats everyone on here as if their geese are just as beautiful. He's just one of the nicest and smartest people you'll ever meet!

Keep me posted on the babies! Im invested now so I gotta know how it goes!!

 

[Iain Utah]

I am super excited to hatch these guys too! I just candled them (day 12) and clearly saw 6 frisky swimming embryos... which includes the one sitting upright with the weird air cell. So amazing!

 

[SouthDakotan]

I am super excited to hatch these guys too! I just candled them (day 12) and clearly saw 6 frisky swimming embryos... which includes the one sitting upright with the weird air cell. So amazing!

I'm living vicariously through you! I raised a gosling two years ago and adopted a flock, but have never hatched out my own! Though I have wanted to try it. Just not the right time for us since we're in the midst of remodeling. So I love your posts