Hatching geese eggs

[AClark]

I haven't been having any luck getting my goose eggs to hatch. They are fertile, they are making it about halfway through the incubation period, but no hatching.

That said, I have been leaving eggs in the nest for the mom to hatch out the past couple of days. I now have a chicken who is setting those eggs - and is hostile to me about it! I tried to move her earlier and she fussed, fluffed up, and gently rolled this huge goose egg under her fluffy butt. This is a good sized buff orpington hen and she has 3 goose eggs under her.

Question, will she hatch them or give up when it's been "too long" for chicks to hatch? I'm wondering if I should make her leave and give her some chicken eggs to set instead. I don't really mind that she has gone broody, I have plenty of hens, but if she probably won't sit them out to 30 days, she needs to move and go hatch some of her own, or my duck eggs since i found a huge clutch and nobody is sitting on them.

Ideas? I see no need to waste "the perfect incubator" if she wants to hatch babies.

 

[Percheron chick]

I would let her try to hatch them. You haven't had success up to the his point so why not try it. The extra 10 days shouldn't present a problem. Hens have an innate ability to know if the eggs are duds or are still viable . She should stick with it until the bitter end.
Consider having a spray bottle handy and if you catch her off the nest mist the eggs with water. It's very humid under a goose and the eggs might lose too much weight.
Keep the incubator free to finish the eggs if you have to.

 

[Farmer Doc]

She should hang in there. I had a broody that I didn't work to break or give eggs to and she stayed forever on a couple of golf balls! Of course, it may have been she just wanted a break from the roosters!

 

[AClark]

I think she's enjoying not being the roosters favorite anymore. She was looking pretty haggard. She has a big dog crate with her eggs and food and water now away from everyone else (and my kids!). So far she's been sitting on them.
I think I figured out why I'm not having great luck, I double checked my digital incubator with another thermometer and the temp is lower than it says about about 4 degrees. Kind of sucks because that was a good name brand one that has barely been used, and my cheap chinese big one holds it's temp better and hatches out great!