Goose Incubation & Hatching Guide - Completed!!!!

[Miss Lydia]

When i said starting to unzip i must have been wrong, its just made a bigger hole 12 hrs later so i should wait upto 72hrs for the unzipping to occur??

If the hole is bigger it means it is able to get air. 72hrs is a long time can you hear oit peeping does it sound strong? if it's made a bigger hole then I'd say it's still working and to leave it alone you want it to hatch on it's own if at all possible. Can you see the membrane with out opening the bator you don't want the humidity to drop at all right now. we don't want shrink wrapped gosling. can you post a good pic of what your seeing?

 

[nadrojsack]

I can see membrane which is white, only a tiny piece though. 72 hours i got from petes first post.

i think i should upthe humidity... at risk of my quail eggs...

 

[Miss Lydia]

I can see membrane which is white, only a tiny piece though. 72 hours i got from petes first post. i think i should upthe humidity... at risk of my quail eggs...

Nice hole it has there. if membrane is white it probably isn't dried out it would be brownish looking if dry. Can you see it's bill when it's working on the hole? does it sound strong?

 

[Miss Lydia]

It is now that the chick enters its latent phase and it appears as though there is little progress. This phase can last from 6-72 hours depending on species or breed incubated. Gradually the chick becomes more vocal as the lungs finally mature. Apart from the constant clicking noise from breathing the chick will occasional whistle or peep. It is vital to point out that the clicking or tapping noise is NOT the chick tapping against the shell trying to release itself. Many owners nerves are shredded at this stage and they misinterpret the noise and prematurely intervene with disastrous consequences! To reassure the reader I advise putting your chin on your chest and try forcibly breathing in and out. In this position you can mimic the clicking noise which is actually caused by the chicks head being bent and made in the pharynx as it breathes.
While the chick rests during this quiet phase it is preparing for its final hatching sequence. By changing pressure in the thorax and abdominal contractions the yolk sac is drawn inside the abdominal cavity. Meanwhile the lungs have finally matured and the job of the chorio-allantoic membrane becomes redundant. The blood vessels start to gradually close down and recede into the chicks navel. If the owner prematurely assists before this stage they will usually cause haemorrhage from the still active blood vessels and find the yolk sac unabsorbed.
It is this stage that owners find so difficult to judge and when intervention is both necessary and safe. We do not follow the school of thought that chicks that are unable to hatch are best left due to a weakness in the chick or their bloodline. This sweeping and erroneous statement does not account for healthy chicks previously hatched from the same parents. Hatching delays are often the result of slightly imperfect incubation techniques and this should be taken into account. Yes, sometimes chicks are weak and there is often mortality under the parents, nature does select for the strongest. However if we are to employ artificial incubation techniques then we must accept that as owners we are capable of making errors and at least give these chicks the opportunity of life before assessing their worth later. This is especially so in the incubation of endangered species or rare breeds when every egg counts.
The final phase of incubation is finally reached once the yolk sac and blood in the vessels have been absorbed into the chicks abdomen. The egg and its structure has completed its purpose and the chick must now release itself from the shell. If viewed from the blunt end of the egg the chick suddenly starts chipping around the shell in an anti-clockwise direction. This is called rotation or unzipping and it is a relatively quick phase. I have seen chicks rotate around the entire shell in less than ten minutes but usually it is completed in 1-2 hours. By the actions of chipping at the shell and pushing of the feet the chick works around the circumference of the egg until it has gone almost 80% around. At that point the egg weakens and with a pushing action the cap of the shell hinges open allowing the chick to scramble free from the egg. The chick is then taken and its navel area is sprayed with dry iodine powder then placed into a clean container to rest. This action dries any slight bleeding as the powder coagulates and helps to minimise the risk of navel infection. The chick is then left to recover rest and dry out thoroughly before being transferred to its rearing unit.


I'm bringing this over here because I have to keep leaving the page to read it. Very computer incompetent

 

[nadrojsack]

It is peeping now and again, sounds okay. Its not incecent like quail however.

I know im running the incubator at a low humidity for hatching, in your opinion should i increase for a temporary period until hatched? Would i be right in.saying that would only.be beneficial in the unzipping stage?

 

[Miss Lydia]

It is peeping now and again, sounds okay. Its not incecent like quail however.

I know im running the incubator at a low humidity for hatching, in your opinion should i increase for a temporary period until hatched? Would i be right in.saying that would only.be beneficial in the unzipping stage?

Looks like humidity should be in the 65-75% range so it's a hard call since it may jeopardize your quail, but it may help the gosling zip quicker. I have never used an incubator for hatching leave it completely up to my water fowl and chickens so I am very worried I am going to give you bad advise. That's why I keep referring to Pete's guide. We use to have experienced hatchers on here I am sad they have all seem to have left.

 

[nadrojsack]

Its quite possibly the time difference as im i the Uk. I see, well ill up to 70 until zipped, i cant see that killing my quail hatch due to the short term. What i can see of the chick is super cute.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Its quite possibly the time difference as im i the Uk. I see, well ill up to 70 until zipped, i cant see that killing my quail hatch due to the short term. What i can see of the chick is super cute.

What breed of goose?

 

[nadrojsack]

Most likely Embden, i dont actually know as this was passed on from my cousin when he got it from a friend. As far as i know the adults are white. The egg is white. The bill looks orange. Can you suggest any links for how to raise goslings? What their requirments are? I had planned on putting with my 3 week old quail who are still on heat. I know mixing birds is nt recommended however better to have heat,space and companions.

 

[nadrojsack]

What breed of goose?

Its getting tense at 18hrs not alot of progress, hole is slightly bigger. Its hard not to assist is everone sure waiting until 72hrs is the way? Looks like a sore on the bill too, a few more peeps now