Dewlap Exhibition Toulouse-Incubation Diary with Pics! Hatch Day!!!

[pete55]

DEWLAP UPDATE DAY 10.5
Both the embryos growth has continued well and the air cells are starting to grow. However its not been so easy to capture finer details with the camera.

Emmalion sorry for delay but working over the weekend. Thats good news with your goose egg as I can see the early blood vessels. However the air cell look a little unusual in outline. Keep persevering as it may just well hatch

Pete

 

[Emmalion]

Yeah the ones with the veins are my duck eggs. I was using my other 5 as something to compare to. I don't think my goose egg was fertile as there is no development that i can see. I will check it again but I wont keep up to much hope.

 

[pete55]

Yep I can see it now. Im afraid the egg in the first picture appears infertile whilst the rest (being your duck eggs) are showing embryonic growth

Thats great news though I realise you'll be disappointed with the goose egg after learning so much. Why dont you consider which breed you really like and buy some hatching goose eggs from a reliable source? I call it a little retail therapy

 

[pete55]

DEWLAP UPDATE DAY 11.5

Embryos developing well and today's candling picture now posted onto diary page

Pete

 

[Emmalion]

I was thinking about that but maybe next year. I have a pair of Canadian geese at my house right now that raise their chicks at my pond. I will see how they act with the baby ducks when they can go outside before I start with geese. I don't want a bunch of mayhem.

 

[Emmalion]

How are the eggs progressing? Good I hope. My duck eggs are still doing good. I just added a far to the bator to help keep temps stable. so far so good.

 

[pete55]

DEWLAP UPDATE DAY 13.5
The eggs are progressing well though actually on day 16 today (noon here in the UK) so I'll update again this evening when I candle. I've posted the picture for day 13.5 but as the embryos grow the detail is harder to see but there is an overall darkening of the entire egg. The air cell is beginning to enlarge but I prefer to keep the humidity down and aim for a total loss of 15% over incubation.

The Dewlaps eggs weigh approx 145 grams when fresh laid so I hoping for a total loss of 22.5 grams.

Emmalion thats good that you've converted to forced air as this is more stable and helps to eradicate hot/cold spots in the incubator. Remember to adjust the temperature for a forced air machine to 37.5C

Pete

 

[Emmalion]

Thanks Pete I found out that the fan in there did lower the temps in the bator quite a bit. So adjustments have been made and so far we are doing really good. I'm on day 13 hard to believe its been almost 2 weeks already.

 

[pete55]

DEWLAP UPDATE DAY 17.5
Both chicks are developing well and the chorio-allantoic membrane which acts as a gas and water exchange membrane has fully grown and completely lines the inner surface of the egg shell. This can now meet the growing chicks' respiration and fluid needs. As it (and therefore the blood vessels) lies next to the shell it gives up gas (carbon dioxide) and takes in gas (oxygen) through the pores of the shell. Also it aids moisture loss as water molecules are given up in a similar way.

Although the chicks are growing well Im not happy with the size of the air cells and would like them to be larger. We've been running the relative humidity at approx 25% (dry in the incubator) but have also been cooling and spraying the eggs daily as I hope this will promote further moisture loss.

I'll keep you all posted

Pete

 

[pete55]

DEWLAP UPDATE DAY 19.5
The goslings are both growing and very active when candled. The eggs are being cooled and misted daily and the relative humidy maintained at an average of 25%. However Im still concerned about the size of the air cell and would like it to be bigger.

I've marked it with a pencil line and was a little happier to see it had extended down approx 2-3mm in the last 48 hours.

Diary page updated on first post of this thread.

Pete