first eggs of the season.

[Jaytyce]

Hi, last month i decided to incubate some geese eggs in my incubator from my pair of Embden geese.
I first started off with three but one was a dud. the second one died at week 2 and the third seems to be dead today, it was 19 days into incubation. These eggs where the first 3 she had laid for the season, I currently have another 4 in the incubator which i put in on the 30th of August. Would attempting to incubate the first eggs of the season be less viable than choosing to incubate the eggs from later in the season. It's my first time incubating geese eggs and I have read Pete's geese egg incubation guide. I'm not sure if I have missed something in the process that may have lead to them dying prematurely. I turned them at least 2-3 times a day, I've kept the humidity at around 50% and the temperature at 37.3 C, I'd love to have some input into this so that i don't repeat any errors in the second batch.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Iain Utah

 

[Gray Farms]

First of the season egg are typically less viable for some reason. I've seen in all poultry not just in geese. Also humidity sounds high to me. I usually incubate mine at roughly 35% and about 50% when hatching with good success. I turn mine 3 times a day by hand so they turn completely over.

 

[Jaytyce]

Because i live in a normally dry area, and also this year we are starting to enter into an
el-nino I usually end up incubating eggs at a higher humidity. (duck eggs) maybe the humidity was too high for the geese eggs. I'll take that into account.

 

[Iain Utah]

Fresh goose eggs do best with lower humidity (around 25%), and daily cooling/spritzing after two weeks. Dying off mid-stream usually indicates temperatures either fluctuating or set slightly off. Finding a temperature stable room is key unless using a cabinet or brinsea.

 

[Jaytyce]

Thanks so much, I'll take all this into account when incubating my next batch, right now my goose just became broody so I'm letting her sit on the eggs and i'll see how it goes. Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[Jaytyce]

Hi, So now I have 2 goslings and 2 on the way, What I find a bit confusing are their coloration's. I believe both are males. I know for a fact that Jasper (the fluffier one) is a a male, however I have never seen Embden goslings this yellow. Is it possible for both male and female goslings to hatch with bright yellow down?

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Emden gander when hatched had light grey down mixed with the yellow. The females are much darker. Did you hatch these?

 

[Jaytyce]

My Emden gander when hatched had light grey down mixed with the yellow. The females are much darker. Did you hatch these?

Yes, One hatched yesterday and the other hatched last night

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just never seen pure yellow Embden goslings before. They are adorable.