2020 Gosling Hatch-A-Long

[duckncover]

I have one Embden possibly Embden/Cotton Patch cross egg on day 24! Don't worry it has a home set up with other goslings! It will be my first gosling hatch so wish me luck!

 

[CindyinSD]

My geese are up to eleven eggs at last count in their nest (three females) and they're still not sitting constantly. It was warm today and the eggs were all alone, buried under alfalfa for most of the day, though I could see that some goose had been in there at some time, from the way the nest had been packed down. Anybody know how many eggs American Buffs typically collect before they get down to incubating?

I already have eleven in the incubator, two weeks in. Every single one fertile and still doing well as of last night. They started collecting on the 10th, so eight days today.

 

[CindyinSD]

Good fortune to you and your little one, DuckNCover!

 

[Pyxis]

There is life in the first two eggs I set

 

[duckncover]

Day 26 here! I candled one last time for life before I locked down the bator. I seen movement! I'm so excited!

 

[mominoz]

Lost another one, started hatching from wrong end. ext. pip, I only chipped a bit, saw blood (after 12 hours), stopped. Next day still breathing but seemed weaker, I left it alone. It was dead this morning. I will attach a photo. It had the same stomach, un abosorbed yolk? too big for shell? Was in a moving air incubator with around 35-45% (it varied because of dehydration)... And have a baby survive that has a crooked neck still, althought a bit better, added yeast to the flock raiser to see if it is vit. def. or genetic. Years ago I had a defective one hatch with a crooked back neck. These are Super Africans of Holdrreads. I have 2 2 yr old Buffs with 4 Brown females, 2 , 2 yr. , 1 4 yr old, and 1 3 yr old. I am also having issues with intermittent laying as if only one is laying. They get green pasture for 6-8 hours a day, and an grains at night they don't always eat, wheat, oats, and 5 way scratch grain... I have cut back the 5 way because it has a lot of corn. They won't eat layer pellets. or Alphalfa pellets. And I think both boys are breeding the same bird, once the older bird... but I have only gotten about 12 eggs this year, first 4 weren't fertile... and I used to get eggs starting in Feb. pretty regular for a month or two. Last year my other flock of geese did the same thing (I sold them ). Weather has been very mild spring, some summery weather , then cooled off again both years. I am trying to figure out many factors. I think I may need to separate the 2 gandars with females, last year when I did that they freaked... and always yelling. Never seen them fight or drive each other off. They both actually will breed in turn the same goose.. Or if it is an inbreeding issue. I got rid of one gandar that I have a daughter of because I think he was going blind and had that defective baby and was going into inbreeding..... arrgh... will add photo...

Well, lost my first gosling that Externally pipped. It pipped, cheeped, after a day I took a bit of shell off as it wasn't chipping anymore, wrapped in warm damp towel and put back, waited. Next day it was dead in shell.. when I opened it , it looked like it had not absorbed yoke or had some parts of it's body outside the shell.I could see greenish stuff,later it had pooped in shell. It was orange, had veins, also something kinda red., maybe an organ... ....Now I had another pip (they are set when I get gather them) , ?Wed. externally, cheeping some when I talk to it or shine a light., hasn't moved or chipped anymore this morning, so I took a bit of shell off it 's head, membrane is white looking, I dampened egg, wrapped in towel. I can see some yellowish liquid, no blood... It isn't turning... wondering if it is too weak or too big for shell, but it has been 48 hours. I am kinda afraid to to more ... it is still cheeping if I put light on or talk to it...humidity is around 58%...

 

[mominoz]

postmortem

 

[Phillisy]

This little one hatched Monday ❤ hands down the sweetest, cuddliest baby I have hatched this year, and it melts my heart. Consensus seems to be that it will be a lavender saddleback like mum, but possibly dilute.

It was the only egg of the batch that developed, so it’s going to think it’s a duck until the next batch hatches on the 30th.

 

[CindyinSD]

Sooo jealous! What a sweetie!

 

[Phillisy]

Sooo jealous! What a sweetie!

I feel so bad for it because I hatched 8 ducks at the same time, they were in the brooder together, but the ducklings all sold today so the poor thing is lonely and just cries every time I walk away. My other ducklings are 2-3 weeks old, almost off heat, and slightly aggressive towards it, so it can’t go in with them.

It’s currently napping in a scarf on my neck.... crazy goose lady, right here