Helllppp!!! Nest / Egg Problem!!

[echix]

I have a Toulouse that is sitting on 17 eggs. There is a rotten smell coming from under her. She has been sitting for about 17 days now. There were I believe originally 18 eggs and it is a huge straw nest, I noticed some would get "lost" in the beginning when she first started sitting in the hay and I would pull them back into the nest but for the past week or so there have only been 17.

I am new to this and this is my/her first nest. I tried candling and found one clear egg (think my other goose laid it in there). Anyway I read to "smell" the eggs but they all smell kinda rotty but in clandling they all have the air pocket and are pretty much dark and solid from there up.

How do I tell if there is a rotten one in there without disturbing her or removing her?

I thought about getting a warm towel in a box, putting eggs in that for a second, shooing her off and digging through the entire pile looking for that missing egg - is it the one smelling or is it one in her clutch? What if I can't find that missing egg and I just miscounted one day??

How long can she say off the nest while I dig through it without screwing everything up???

It smells like something is DEAD! All the eggs have a funny smell but it might just be because that smell is in my nose from sniffing one - I can't tell one from the other once I get that smell in my nose.

HELP HELP HELP HELP - what do I do? I can get her off for a few, put eggs in warm towel in box and cover while sorting through and cleaning the hay to find what is stinking.

what does a rotten egg look like when candling and can it completely stink up the entire nest like that??? I can smell it across the yard!

Freaking out................. someone with experience please help us!

 

[BirdBrain]

Be very careful as you handle these (as in gloves and eye protection). They can literally explode in your hand. We had one a couple of years ago and there was no question about it being rotten. The eggs will be fine for about 15 minutes with out Mom. Shut her out and then carefully remove the eggs you can see to a container with padding where they can not roll around and break. Set those aside and start looking carefully through the nesting material trying not to disturb the general shape of it. Then try taking the eggs to a very dark place and recandle using a strong light at the aircell end. Once you are away from the nest, you will know if you brought tge offender with you.

I usually hold my maglight in the circle between my index finger and thumb so I can have a good "seal" on the egg and force the light through the egg end not around the edges. Look for small veins along the bottom of the aircell and below. Sniff each one carefully before examining it more closely.

 

[echix]

Ok - I adorned full gear and went out to do the deed. Brough 17 in and candled - smell came in the door with them fyi!!


All had the airsack and black shadow at the non-airsac end. I couldn't see veins but my flashlight might not be strong enough.

Three were completely solid - no airsac and sloshed swished sound when I picked them up??? They smelled..... they got marked with a R. Are those rotten? No airsac and swishing??? I threw those out - did I screw up? They had no airsac and smelled and were swishing - totally solid and black all through.

I put it all back together and she's back on the nest..... Hmmm........ any ideas?

 

[FarmrGirl]

you probably got those eggs out just in time! I had one explode under mom while I was in the goosehouse, sounded like a gunshot!. I smelled something horrible and looked inside her nest hut... nasty mess! As soon as she left the nest for a drink and a bite I took out all the straw, hosed off the plastic I always keep under the straw (*bleh* it was gross!) and put everything back together again. She didn't seem to notice

 

[echix]

LOL!!! I'M SO glad I got those.... they were stinking up the whole yard!! I think they were the 3 my other goose laid in there in the beginning and she is NOT fertile.....

I think all the smell is gone......

I'm not sure if the other eggs looked right or not..... but I guess if they're not stinking.....

 

[BirdBrain]

Sounds like you got the right ones. And just in time. It is amazing just how stinky they are!! Good Job.

 

[Lund Poultry]

you may not have any bad ones (except the clear) what may have happened is one egg broke early on and the smell is just coming from the nest itself and it of coarse smells like it is the eggs. I have had this happen before. Once she is done setting just remove the nest and clean it all up and you may be fine.

 

[Lund Poultry]

should have kept reading!! I see you put on the bomb atire and went in.

 

[echix]

Yes... it was so funny. Neighbors probably watching though - what is she doing and what is going on!?!!!

I came out with eggs in box on warm towel - ran inside - candled - found 3 that stunk really bad and were solid when candled - no air pocket and when I slightly moved them they were sloshy and like a bottle of water sound - whatever was in there was liquified apparently.

The one I had that was clear the other day (when I first tried candling days ago outside in the dark reaching under her LOL - I only got a few and then "chickened" out). It was clear and then today it was developing that air pocked and dark shadow - guess that was the last one she laid?

Anyway, one did break in there - the 18th egg cause when I removed all the straw under the nest (kept nest intact w/ down and set aside) - there were egg chips under it. but no real smell coming from the nest.

When I brought the eggs in to get in a dark room to candle right quick - the stinkers stunk up the whole bathroom and hallway - someone walked by and said WOW - that's bad!! LOL. I made them smell an egg to tell me what they thought..... LOL - the look on their face when I said "you think this one is bad?"

I'm keeping an eye on it from now on. I have another with 9 in nest that is still laying and fixing to set up soon. She's an Embden w/ Toulouse mate.

Anyway Nanna seems happier. Nest area smells better. I guess we've got about 2 more weeks or so. She's going to do a natural hatch like in nature and I guess I leave them in there with her or do I take them out until all eggs have hatched? Any advice from here on out would be helpful - I've got 2 weeks to research. LOL.