Hatching Goslings in an IncuView Incubator

[CluckNDoodle]

Hi and congrats on getting so many to lockdown! Now the real fun begins... And it's nerve-wracking every time, isn't it?

Goslings hatch much more slowly than chicks or ducklings, in my experience. It can take 24 hours + from external
pip to hatch, so be patient. I followed @pete55's guide when I hatched my Pilgrims and only needed to assist the last gosling (7 of 8) to hatch because she was a bit glued into her egg and it was a smaller egg. @pete55 does make a safety hole if it seems like the gosling is possibly in trouble and hasn't externally pipped.

I aim for humidity at about 70% after external pipping.

Best wishes for a great hatch! Looking forward to seeing those goslings!

Thank you so much! This guide will give me something to do while I'm waiting! Your timeline will help me to calm down and breathe for a minute too, lol.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

We have our first little goosie external pip!

 

[kandyg_99]

WOO HOO !! Congratulations Now The Real Waiting Begins LOL...

 

[CluckNDoodle]

And nearly 12 hours later we have a 2nd egg with an external pip and a 3rd egg rocking around. The 1st pip is bigger now and she's still peeping up a storm but you weren't kidding when you said geese take their time! lol

 

[kandyg_99]

How Exciting!!! I Can't Wait To See Pics Of Your Babies ...

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Goosie number 1 hatched in the middle of the night last night and 2 of the other eggs still have small pips. I'm going to step in if I don't see any changes in the next couple of hours but that 4th egg has been unsettlingly still through all of lockdown. It was so dark in the eggs on my final candling that it's possible that one had passed before I actually put them on lockdown. As long as I get 2 so they're not lonely I'll be happy for a first-time goose hatch...but I don't like late development losses so I would prefer all 4 hatch!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

So I didn't wait very long because I just had to know about egg #4 and it's probably a good thing I decided to step in because eggs #2 & #3 both pipped but the hole in the external membrane was VERY small. I enlarged it a bit and see now that it's pretty dry in there too so I'm going to monitor for a while because I don't think they're ready yet, as chick #1 took a loooong time to hatch after external pip. But! I feel better now that I know they're getting plenty of oxygen.
Egg #4 was no good, not sure when it happened because the chick was in position for hatching but breakdown had already begun probably a couple days ago at least.
On a more positive note, I'm in LOVE with chick #1 , I don't know how I'm going to give these goslings to my friend. lol!

 

[Percheron chick]

One problem I've run into with a prolonged hatch in the Incuview with goslings is he can't stand up and use his legs. They'll develop a splayed leg stance that will self correct in a few days in the brooder.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

One problem I've run into with a prolonged hatch in the Incuview with goslings is he can't stand up and use his legs. They'll develop a splayed leg stance that will self correct in a few days in the brooder.

Thank you so much for this information! I did notice the first chick was big for the height in the IncuView so I took her out a bit early. Hopefully she won't have splay leg. I have a Little Giant styrofoam incubator running as well and I'm going to move the other two as they hatch to finish drying in there. I don't love the Little Giant but it should be ok for drying them I think.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

And just like that (not seriously, this almost took 3 days, lol) all 3 goslings have hatched! The last baby out does have a hernia which I've only seen when incubation temps were too high so I guess that answers my question as to whether I should have adjusted it more when I first calibrated the incubator.
I moved all of them to the Little Giant incubator to dry off so I'll have to wait a bit before I can take more pictures but here are a couple of the first baby! Hopefully little baby with a hernia will be ok!