2019 Gosling Hatch-A-Long

[Shannonmeans]

I received ten new dewlap Toulouse eggs in the mail today. Its my first attempt to hatch for a few years. I have two Innovator 4250 incubators running. They are digital readouts and have fans. I have a turner and it is a type with rails that lay them on the side. Our local humidity makes for around 30% (in the bators) this time of year. I am very torn as to what kind of humidity to shoot for, dry or 50%? I do know that 99.5 is the best temp. I know to candle (every few days), weigh (once a week or so) and mist them (daily). I know to raise the humidity to around 70% a couple days before hatch and to stop turning them also. I am super nervous. Any pointers appreciated.

 

[PoultryFanatic22]

Are the parents gray or buff?

I’m not sure. I bought the eggs from eBay. The listing said “Both Buff and Gray Pomeranians run together, so you could get either or both colors.”

 

[Gray Farms]

I’m not sure. I bought the eggs from eBay. The listing said “Both Buff and Gray Pomeranians run together, so you could get either or both colors.”

Gonna have to wait it out then. Poms can't be sexed by pattern as goslings.

 

[Pyxis]

Zilla has successfully hatched two goslings. There was a third, but I found it dead

Crappy cell phone picture:

Coloring says they are girls, so they will probably stay.

She had eggs that Lacie must have continued to lay under her while she was sitting, so they weren't hatched. After candling, six seemed possibly still viable, so I've added them to my incubator.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Zilla has successfully hatched two goslings. There was a third, but I found it dead

Crappy cell phone picture:

Coloring says they are girls, so they will probably stay.

She had eggs that Lacie must have continued to lay under her while she was sitting, so they weren't hatched. After candling, six seemed possibly still viable, so I've added them to my incubator.

Congrats! Sorry to hear that one didn't make it.

The littles are adorable and your adults are lovely.

 

[Gray Farms]

Zilla has successfully hatched two goslings. There was a third, but I found it dead

Crappy cell phone picture:

Coloring says they are girls, so they will probably stay.

She had eggs that Lacie must have continued to lay under her while she was sitting, so they weren't hatched. After candling, six seemed possibly still viable, so I've added them to my incubator.

Congrats!!

 

[servpolice]

So this is a good place to talk about this years geese

So I incubated 3 brown African goslings and my buff female hatched 3 more brown and I was in India for a month and I just came back 3 days ago and the goslings grew so fast! It looks like I've 3 males and 3 females.

I had blackhead disease (confirmed by a vet in a lab after giving her a sample) that broke out in February this year that wiped out my turkey population and almost all my chickens. I culled one chicken yesterday who had it. It's a very slow processing disease.

None of my geese or guineafowl are affected as it only really attacks chickens and especially turkey's.

Anyone ever have this disease?

I hatched 9 La Bresse chicks 3 months ago who are all still alive but worried since blackhead stays in the soil for quite a while.

I'm getting 2 emus chicks on Wednesday and I'm super excited!

Had a bunch of fox attacks but my German Shepherd found the den 3 months ago and unfortunately got one baby but I haven't seen a fox since. Although my geese are very alert and stay home a lot since I'm home from India so I think a fox might be around again!

I'll get pics of my animals asap!

 

[Tkpfowl]

@servpolice i don’t believe blackhead attacks chickens. It attacks game birds like turkeys, pheasants, peafowl. Chickens are carriers of the disease but it doesn’t affect them. It’s one of my biggest fears with raising peafowl side by side with my chickens. And yes, I believe blackhead can live in the soil for 7 years.

We have also had numerous fox attacks over the last year. Our geese are the only birds we free range anymore, and they actually ran a Fox out of our barn. The neighbor witnessed the whole thing. Geese are some of the boldest birds I’ve ever met.

 

[servpolice]

@servpolice i don’t believe blackhead attacks chickens. It attacks game birds like turkeys, pheasants, peafowl. Chickens are carriers of the disease but it doesn’t affect them. It’s one of my biggest fears with raising peafowl side by side with my chickens. And yes, I believe blackhead can live in the soil for 7 years.

We have also had numerous fox attacks over the last year. Our geese are the only birds we free range anymore, and they actually ran a Fox out of our barn. The neighbor witnessed the whole thing. Geese are some of the boldest birds I’ve ever met.

After 5 weeks in the lab and getting drugs from Italy to be 100% they found out it was histomoniasis.

Turkeys all died within a few weeks while the chickens with the same symptoms take a month. I've 3 adult chickens left who don't show signs of being sick who are most likely going to be carriers as well as the chicks if they survive.

Most chickens also had dropping dark purple combs before they died.

You never know if you have a fox around or not. They can be quiet for weeks and come back worse than before!

Beautiful animals but damaging.

Only my geese and guinea fowl free range in the fields but both are home in the yard a lot recently so we definitely have a predator on our hands

 

[servpolice]

My flock, other Africans

are shy and didn't want to be photographed :')