do I help my goslings hatch?

[BeckyBoo]

Hi there, I'm brand new on here and I'm brand new to hatching geese!! We keep hens and have hatched chicks with a broody hen before but were given two Toulouse eggs and decided to put them under a broody hen. Well a day and a half ago they started pipping, both have made fairly substantial holes in the shells so you can see the beaks and the curled up chick, they're moving and cheeping, but they don't seem to be making much more progress. I'm getting worried about them getting stuck in their shells and wondered if I should help them along. Everyone I've spoken to says not to and all the books say not to, I read the thread on here about it but how do you know when to try? The shell is SO thick and hard and I'm worried about hurting them. What would you do? We're so excited and we do desperately don't want to lose them - having an egg not hatch is one thing, but when they're so keen to hatch, it would be so sad to lose them now...


BeckyBoo

 

[cheyfrie26]

NO!! DON'T! I have did this before and they died. Believe it or not, if you do, they will most likely be premature. Even though they cracked the egg, they need to break the veins that run inside the egg.

 

[okiehollow]

I just hatched some Sebastopol eggs I had shipped from MA to OK and I learned the hard way to be VERY careful with any helping. I read that it might take 48 hours after the piping before they will hatch. I was told that if I really felt like it was needed to crack on either side of the hole but to leave everything intact. It is hard to be patient but they are probally not quite ready yet. They do much better if you let them come out on their own. I have found it is faster and the goslings are stronger too if you let nature take it's course. I would panic but after I realized it might take 2 full days it was easier to sit back and just watch and be amazed at how nature knows best.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Double posted

 

[ChickenCanoe]

No, they might die if you don't but they'll definitely die if you do. Lots of things are going on at this point that have to happen in the shell unattended.
Best to go shopping and hope for the best when you return.

 

[Alas]

If you can see their beaks through the hole then they have air to breathe. The yolk gives them several days of food. Unless they are shrink wrapped, leave them alone. If you help them hatch when they aren't ready then the yolk might not be absorbed or the veins might not have contracted and they'll bleed to death. Just make sure your humidity is good so the membrane doesnt dry out and let them do their thing

 

[cheyfrie26]

Yea, I lost a White Chinese just a week ago, I have learned my lesson.

 

[BeckyBoo]

Don't worry - THEY HATCHED!!! Overnight, two little Toulouse goslings, all dried out, fluffy and cheeping and snuggled under mum. We have named them Geraldine and Gloria - we aren't clever enough to sex them so until we see evidence to the contrary that's what they'll be called, after that it'll be Gordon and Graham

We are BESIDE ourselves with excitement

BeckyBoo

 

[cheyfrie26]

Yay! Are you planning on taking them from her, or leaving them with her?

 

[blefky]

Congratulations! and