2021 Gosling Hatch-a-Long

[Iain Utah]

That's an amazing hatch! Congrats! Yes, the buff females have mauve colored beaks. The grey boys will have black beaks with pinkish tips. Both will eventually turn the same orange color by the time they are juveniles.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

So...2 of the shipped eggs have pretty solid air cells and 2 are loose/saddled.

Since I set a batch of my own at the same time as the shipped, I decided to put the "normal" ones in with mine (on their sides, hand-turned 3x day). The ones with loose air cells will stay upright in a carton until their air cells remain in the proper position, and I'm not going to turn them for at least a couple of days. Shipping damage is such a pain.

 

[Pyxis]

Well, of the shipped American eggs, I only have two hatchers. I had some early quitters, a few late quitters, got three to lockdown. Two were malpositioned, one so badly that once I opened it I knew there was likely no way to salvage the situation. It did end up passing.

The other was foot over head, and I just helped it finish getting out.

Now I just have to hope they're a pair.

 

[RLockhart68]

Okay, question time.
My babes are all from the same parents. I would love to have a pair (or 1 gander and 2-3 girls if it can work that way) to have a couple goslings each year to raise out. My kids say I need to get a gander from someone else to make the pair unrelated. (They are under the assumption that insest babies would be bad) So my question is, are they right and should I be looking for another gander or a couple females? (Maybe one of each and see if they hook up???) I've tried looking for information and can't seem to find anything, other than they mate for life.
PS still have 8 babes. All eating and drinking. Thank you @Iainutah for the info. @FoodFreedomNow I wish you success getting those air cell to stick. @Pyxis so sorry to hear about the trouble you're having with the eggs.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

@Pyxis, sorry to hear about the eggs that quit, and the malpo...there's only so much you can do. Glad that you got 2, though, and hope they thrive!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

@RLockhart68, thanks! And glad to hear that your babies are doing well.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Lockdown for another group - 10 this time. One egg was one I'd marked as a possible blood ring at the first candling but left in until the next candling. It had definite active veins at second candling, and still does - though there's some strange "unfilled" space on one side of the egg. I candled again at lockdown and it has good veins and was moving, so we'll see how it goes. Hoping for another good hatch!

 

[RLockhart68]

Wishing you a great hatch
My 8 are doing well. Growing fast and already out in a pen with lots of grass

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

They look great! Isn't their growth amazing?? It's like you can literally watch them grow right before your eyes...almost by the hour.

Thanks for the good wishes! I know there's not much more time left in the laying season, so there probably won't be many more hatches after this one.

 

[Sierra G]

Baby #1 is out!!! I helped it a little bit since the membrane around the pip hole was drying out. Welcome baby Ritz!

I need names Triscuit? Goldfish? Graham ? Zwieback?

I NEED to know.

Edit: and to answer you question about inbreeding it's not really a problem. Most breeds are developed using inbreeding and line breeding to fix traits. Fix meaning make them dominant or keep doubles of recessive traits in the bloodline. If you don't have a source of new blood just do large hatches and don't keep ąnything for breeding purposes that is a problem for you.