Goslings hatching... Problems... Any Advice???

[JordanFamily]

I have 13 goslings that were due to hatch the 14th.... 2 pipped last night, the 15th, and finally one of them has gotten out of the shell. I started opening the shells that are not doing anything and found 6 of them were the baby was fully formed but it's beak was turned down away from the aircell??? I kept all the eggs in the same position through out incubation and made sure all their aircells were still up when I put them in lock down!!! I had them in my Brinsea 190 with humidity at 50% and temp steady at 99.6 the whole time and then moved them when the first pipped on the 15th to my hovabator... I had the humidity in there pretty high... Don't know exactly how high but I could not look through the windows because of how much water droplets were on them to give you an idea... Anyways... I had six that never pipped at all because their beak was down and not facing the aircell... One I opened had very underdeveloped gosling still alive in it... Not much blood like it was about to hatch but looks like it still had at least a couple of days to go before it should have hatched... Then I have a couple that are pipped and still alive that have alot of yoke still left in there, but again not much veins like they are ready to hatch.... All the membranes looked good like they were not dried out but again no veins like they are ready to hatch but have a yoke left the size of a quarter.... Still have 4 with pips that I have left alone to see if they are going to hatch on there own over night.... I kept them in the turner until day 28 when one pipped.... Then sent to the other bator to hatch....
Only one that has hatched on it's own is the one that pipped first in the brinsea before I moved them.... Any ideas on what could have gone wrong???

 

[nsanywhere]

Well, I have a feeling you will get A LOT of good feedback from the more experienced hatchers here, but my quick input is this:

It can take 24 hours for some babies to make it out of the shell. In my experience, more than 24 hours often means the little one is not long for this world even if they do get out and fluff up. Just nature's way.

NEVER break the shell for them or try to "help" them hatch. Excruciatingly hard not to, but really, DON'T. They eat inside bits of the lining for energy and nutrients, so you are depriving them of this time and snack. Also, you can dislodge the umbilical cord too soon and that is certain death.

You said "I kept all the eggs in the same position through out incubation" - do you mean you never turned them during incubation? The eggs must be turned!

I've also noticed with a few of mine that they do move around in the shell. I first worried because the beak was down, but checked back and the little one had maneuvered around to another spot. I'm not sure about the air pocket placement - others will surely comment - but I don't think that is the biggest concern.

Humidity plays a very important role in incubating. My chickens, geese, and ducks all hatch under my broody birds, but the peacocks I hatch in the 'bator have to have insanely specific humidity - certain % for certain number of days. Maybe humidity was the main culprit?

 

[pete55]

Hi

I have to be quick as Im at work. Your humidity is too high as the chicks cardio-vascular system is congested. I suggest dry incubation and then lockdown only when they've got a small hole in the shell (not a crack). Also cool the eggs for 15 minutes daily to stimulate further moisture loss.

The chiik died prior to internal pipping as evidenced by their position in the egg. Only as they approach hatching do they draw their heads up from 'between their legs' and angle their beak towards the air cell ready for pipping. The excess moisture appears to have weakened your goslings and they failed to make this physiological change. Others may disagree but thats my opinion

I would refer you to my Dewlap Incubation Diary thread as lots of relevant information on there.

Good luck as all's not lost

Pete

 

[JordanFamily]

Quote:
They were in a Brinsea 190 which automatically turns them every hour.... The ones I opened and noticed they were beak down were already dead... I disagree on helping them... I have saved many in the past that have grown up to be very nice healthy birds that would not have lived if I did not intervein... True you can still loose some if you help them but in my opinion if you know one is going to die and do nothing it is a sure death so I help if I need to to if a gosling is still trying after 2 days of work and is exhausted... The key is to be slow and patient and keep going back to help if you need to... I doubt eating a couple pieces of shell gives them as much energy as getting out of the shell in time to live and eat and drink on their own... I think I will lower my humidity during incubation and see if that works... These are Sebastopols if anyone wants to know that info.... More advice would be helpful from those of you who have been through this yourself... Thanks

 

[cracking up]

It's important to candle before lockdown to see the size of the air cell - then you can tell if they have enough room to hatch. You have to do whatever it takes to get the air cell big enough. Pete has a good thread with illustrations of how big it should be. That's been the only reason I've lost little ones with a pip or even before they pip. I used to just candle for movement and development but now I know how important air cell size is (learned the hard way).

Good luck with the eggs.

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I think your humidity was too high, Kristina. It sounds like they drowned. HUGSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I want to say that I disagree with whoever said that if it takes longer than 24 hours then they're "not long for this world". Most goslings take up to 48 hours to hatch. Remember, goslings are alot different than ducklings and chickens. I've never had a gosling hatch within 24 hours of a "pip". Its always closer to 48 hours. And when they hatch, they're always sluggish and can take up to 2 days to "get their legs" under them and start moving around. I have a Sebbie that hatched last night that is laying in the brooder, barely moving, except to lift his head. Hatching is exhausting for them!

Laurie

 

[JordanFamily]

Quote:
Thanks so much Laurie... That helps me alot... Did the eggs you got from me ever hatch out? Thanks

 

[NoviceSebastopol2024]

Quote:

They were in a Brinsea 190 which automatically turns them every hour.... The ones I opened and noticed they were beak down were already dead... I disagree on helping them... I have saved many in the past that have grown up to be very nice healthy birds that would not have lived if I did not intervein... True you can still loose some if you help them but in my opinion if you know one is going to die and do nothing it is a sure death so I help if I need to to if a gosling is still trying after 2 days of work and is exhausted... The key is to be slow and patient and keep going back to help if you need to... I doubt eating a couple pieces of shell gives them as much energy as getting out of the shell in time to live and eat and drink on their own... I think I will lower my humidity during incubation and see if that works... These are Sebastopols if anyone wants to know that info.... More advice would be helpful from those of you who have been through this yourself... Thanks

I believe I am going through the same thing. I had 9 eggs, I am on day 24 and see way too much liquid and no veins. One fills a big portion of the egg but the other maybe a third and no movement at all. I kept the humidity at 50-55 and my air cells didn't grow very big. It's still the season for laying for my Sebastopols so I am going to try one more time this year with with the humidity at 40-45 and start weighing them. I hate not knowing if they're actually growing still or if I should throw them away. Sebastopols are not even to hatch and they're a threatened species! I really wanted them to work. They're laying on their own right now but only 1 or 2 for weeks now. Do they layer their eggs under the straw or do they keep them all under one layer? I'm worried something might be taking them but we have a very well insulated and secure coop. Concrete flooring, 3 roosters and a sebastopol gander that are very good at their job. I don't see anyone getting into the coop ever!

 

[JRies]

I believe I am going through the same thing. I had 9 eggs, I am on day 24 and see way too much liquid and no veins. One fills a big portion of the egg but the other maybe a third and no movement at all. I kept the humidity at 50-55 and my air cells didn't grow very big. It's still the season for laying for my Sebastopols so I am going to try one more time this year with with the humidity at 40-45 and start weighing them. I hate not knowing if they're actually growing still or if I should throw them away. Sebastopols are not even to hatch and they're a threatened species! I really wanted them to work. They're laying on their own right now but only 1 or 2 for weeks now. Do they layer their eggs under the straw or do they keep them all under one layer? I'm worried something might be taking them but we have a very well insulated and secure coop. Concrete flooring, 3 roosters and a sebastopol gander that are very good at their job. I don't see anyone getting into the coop ever!

Are they first year hens?
There are allot of reasons for late quiets like the one you have with no movement and allot of liquid its not always humidity. I had 11 eggs this last set all from first year hens, getting ready for lock down and when I candled I had one in the group just like that. Reason for mine young girl laid it. First year eggs are very hard to hatch unless you have a production breed. out of the other 10 I had to assist 3 getting out. They had totally zipped but couldn't get out. I have been breeding a smaller hen to a larger boy and there first year eggs so on the small side.
I guess what Im saying is you can do everything right and things still can go wrong, there is so much in play, Heath genetics age.

 

[NoviceSebastopol2024]

Are they first year hens?
There are allot of reasons for late quiets like the one you have with no movement and allot of liquid its not always humidity. I had 11 eggs this last set all from first year hens, getting ready for lock down and when I candled I had one in the group just like that. Reason for mine young girl laid it. First year eggs are very hard to hatch unless you have a production breed. out of the other 10 I had to assist 3 getting out. They had totally zipped but couldn't get out. I have been breeding a smaller hen to a larger boy and there first year eggs so on the small side.
I guess what Im saying is you can do everything right and things still can go wrong, there is so much in play, Heath genetics age.

Thank you so much for responding, all the knowledge I could get means a lot as these are first year ladies. I let them sit on their own as well and decided to Candle them. One was very much alive and kicking, but hatching geese eggs,to me, are a little more work and more understanding. I'm going to try again one more time this year, but it helps knowing it could be a lot of variables.