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

[star2525]

I'm currently up to 6 goslings out of the shells now, one internal pipped sort of rolling around currently, and the other 3 eggs that the aircells need to be bigger in. Not for sure but with the ones out of the shell and the one that hasn't externally pipped can I take the humidity back down to try and get the aircells bigger in the other 3 eggs?

Victoria

 

[pete55]

Hi Victoria

In the eggs that have small air cell and not externally pipped. Ideally you should incubate these eggs in the lowest humidity possible and at a temperature of 37.2C/99F. They can be cooled for 15 minutes twice daily. The moisture loss will not be immediately noticeable but when the gosling moves its head to the hatching position then the air cell 'appears' to suddenly enlarge. I usually limit cooling to once daily and then spray with tepid water before they go back into the incubator. Evaporation provides a little further cooling.

Your doing well with the eggs that are pipping and remember you cant expect a 100% hatch so do concentrate on the eggs that are progressing. This is where 2 incubators becomes invaluable - 1 for incubation at a lower humidity and the other 1 for hatching at high humidity

As for membranes and cords attached to the navel do not worry and leave them alone. The only help I give here is a quick spray of dry powder iodine over the navel to reduce chance of infection

Pete

 

[star2525]

The one that was internally pipped early this morning, never externally pipped, I could hear the gosling in the shell cheeping, it didn't make it, when I came home from work I checked the egg and saw no movement and the egg was cracked at the small end of the egg, the goslings in the tray moved the eggs all over the place, which may have contributed to the gosling being disoriented in the shell, I could not tell for sure if the crack was from the goslings moving the eggs or if the gosling in the shell tried pipping the small end of the egg, I peeled it out, looked like a female with about a quarter size of its yolk sack still needing to be absorbed, I still have 2 eggs in the Incubator and moved the Goslings out of the hatching tray, one egg is positioning itself correctly with the angle to the air cell, the other egg is still with the aircell to the top part of the egg and not dryed down enough, dropped the Incubators humidity to about 25 and took both eggs and positioned them at the 25 degree angle you suggested and have them setting in the hatching tray propped at that angle, I'll check again tonight to see if the one egg has changed anymore. I'm happy with the 6 that made it out of the shells, just gave them a little bit of warm water to drink about an hour ago, they already look like they are eastablishing a pecking order and already nibbling on each other. Felt bad loosing the one, almost wish now that I had tried last night to peel it out of its shell, just hoping the other 2 eggs I have in there will make it to pipping.

I think I'll wait until tomorrow evening to candle the eggs I have in the second tray down, those 10 eggs and 6 that was put in later I need to candle, I set the 10 on the 7th, today being the 17th, I'm not sure if that would count for 10 days or if I should wait until tomorrow to remove those eggs to cool down and candle to see if I see anything in them. Appreciate your opinions.

Victoria

 

[critterranch]

Quote:
I've never heard this kind of stuff before.
VERY interesting!

i do this with my calls too. i think it has helped save alot of babies.

 

[star2525]

I just candled the other eggs and am not for sure on a couple of them, one I am very sure on as I saw it moving with the spider webs, one has sort of a dark spot the size of a pencil eraser with a few blood veins, not sure if that one is still okay or not, so 2 I still think may be viable, the rest of them are not.

So far on the 2 eggs left in the hatching tray I got a very slight increase in size, moreso on the one than the other, so I guess I leave them in and wait to see.

Of the 6 hatched I know one for sure is from the Grey Saddlebacks pen, 3 from my White Gander Pistols pen, and sexing of them I'm not for sure on, one is all yellow on the head with light area to the back, and guessing that to be a White from my White pair, 2 others light in color with caps that are barely visible and an almost all over color of silver to the backs, guessing those to be males also, the one from the Saddlebacks pen is darker headed but not really alot darker, the bill has only the slightest small line of real light grey just in front of the head and not really seeing any dark coloring to the legs or feet, like pencil thin line or grey just on the top part of the bill, guessing that to be a female saddleback, the other two I am guessing to be females and may be whites. I went to Cottage Roses site to look at the coloring, the one from the Saddleback group is not dark like the Saddlebacks shown there, lighter in color than the ones shown for grey and white saddlebacks, this will be interesting to see how they do color out. Guessing I have 3 males and 3 females, and 3 for sure from my White Ganders pen as those eggs were marked from that pen, I'll go to the Sebastopol Forum for help in indentifying colors, several breeders there are doing colors and learning the different color combinations for creating other colors, so that's a helpful Forum for Sebastopol Lovers.

I'm looking forward to seeing how they grow out and am hoping I have a few that I can take to a few shows.

The Whites here are APA approved the Colors aren't, they get Disqualified in a Show, still think if I've got nice colored ones I'll still take those too, they are really beautiful Geese. Almost like a Party Color or Phantom Poodle, and I like those too.

Victoria

 

[mtacagni]

Hi Pete,
Thanks for info so far, I think I have another 7 DIS today but I'll give them another couple of days, they were the last batch that were changed to dry incubating half way through, the good news is I have 6 eggs at day 12 and I candled them last night and for the first time (as described by you) saw dancing embrios, cool. Would be very interested in getting involved with a DIS thread though, I have 10 more eggs in at day 5, they all are fertile and if I can fit them in I have another 12 to set today, all Dewlap Toulouses so very much a vested interest! I have some Norfolk Black turkey eggs in also but the trick with them is to get them fertile in the first place! Keep up the good work, this is the best help I've had

Thanks, Maria

 

[pete55]

DEWLAP UPDATE DAY 25.5
Hi Everybody. Both eggs still ok and have enlarged their air cells again by about 3mm and overall looking reasonable but would have liked more moisture loss. The air cells slant towards the front and I've placed them in a position with the greatest amount of air cell uppermost. This will now be their hatching position and if placed on a flat surface would naturally roll to this position. Turning has now stopped. Incubation details; temp 37.2C, RH 25%, daily 15 minute cooling & light mist, ventilation open to maximum and turning stopped.

The next 36 hours will be the crucial phase

I'll be anxiously waiting to see the air cell enlarge and drop steeply down with shadows emerging into the air cell. The shadows start at the back, move to the sides and then the front, progressively occupying more of the air cell. At this point I'll be hoping the goslings have internally pipped. This is the time where the goslings must lift their heads from pointing towards their tails and manouvre their head upwards and towards the right (if viewed from the blunt end). Only then can their beak penetrate the air cell and pulmonary respiration can start.

Maria - Im sorry to hear about the DIS but the Dewlaps are notorious for being difficult to hatch. Its so important to try and achieve a good moisture loss and I find the only way is to incubate dry, ventilation to maximum and daily cooling of the eggs. I start cooling about day 5-6 when I can confirm first signs of embryonic development. You are right in that you've got quite a vested interest in that amount of Dewlap eggs so Im hoping you have some good results. I didnt realise your turkeys were also a problematic breed for fertility, are the artificially inseminated?

Victoria - I think you've had a wonderful hatch and yes its a shame for the losses but an excellent result and you've acquired so much experience and knowledge from this hatch. I'll bet the babies are adorable. Im afraid Im not too good on predicting colour or pattern from the goslings down. Its part of the fun to see the colour range you have but Im certain the Sebbie forum has loads of info in this area.

Pete

 

[pete55]

DEWLAP UPDATE DAY 26.5
Both eggs continue to have a further increase of approx 2mm in the air cell size. There is no detail on candling just the clear air cell and dark mass of the maturing gosling. At the back side of the air cell both eggs have 2mm moving shadows just starting to move up into the air cell. Now's the time to keep all my fingers crossed for a good result

Pete

 

[gofasterstripe]

Good Luck, I hope all goes well.

 

[star2525]

I hope all goes well for you too, my 2 eggs I just came home and took out, only a slight increase in air cell size on both eggs, the one that was level with the big end of the egg almost straight accross if the egg was standing pointed down has just started to change the angle, so it's coming, it's the bigger egg of the two and needs the most change, and I just saw a faint shadow moving in the air cell of that egg, so know it's for sure still viable. The other egg is smaller and has good angle, just would like to see it a little bit bigger than where it is now, I took them out and put them on the cool surface of my Clothes Dryer, figured it was a cool spot, I just got done putting both eggs back in the Incubator and will remove them again tonight after dark to let them cool again for another 15 minutes to see if there is any more progression. So glad I saw that slight shadowy movement.

The one egg of the 10 I sat on the 7th is definately what you'd call dancing, was happy to see that, am hoping there is another egg that is also going to be with it, just not sure on that other one with the pencil eraser size dark red spot yet, hope there's another one for the one to try and hatch with. If not I guess I can bring Audrey in again to honk and talk to the egg, that freed up the second and third goslings out, after hearing her they didn't waste anytime at all kicking off their shells.

I have the 6 in a tote and they are just starting to eat their first feed and have a waterer in with them, active little goslings for sure, glad they are active.

Keeping fingers and toes crossed for you Pete!

Victoria