Help-Gosling hatching-do I help?

[daze333]

Hi all,
I have lots of experience hatching chickens and ducklings, but this is my first gosling. It is a sebbie from my flock. Today is day 29 and one of the eggs was pipped this am when I got up. Then shortly after he started to zip. About noon he stopped like he couldn't do anymore. He has sat there the rest of the day. He peeps and wiggles and rocks the egg around, but can't make anymore progress. I am concerned that the membrane will dry out. I am trying everything I can to keep the humidity up. I have 4 west sponges and 6 wet rags and spray twice a day. I looked at it just now and the membrane that is open is turning brown and drying out. I put a little olive oil on this to keep it from sticking to him. The membrane I can see that is fresh looks very white like paper. I don't see any veins. But I don't know if he has sucked up his yolk.

I know waterfowl take longer to zip. So at what point to I want to help? I usually help my chicks after 24 hours after pip.

Please advise.
New gosling mama

 

[daze333]

Anyone???

 

[crazy goose lover]

tough call. Most say don't help at all. If they aren't strong enough to hatch on their own they will be to weak to survive anyway. I on the other hand can not help myself and help them. I break the shell away very slowly and carefully and at the first hint of blood stop and wait awhile. I have not lost any doing this but others have. Which way can you live with?

 

[horsefeather]

Gosh, wish someone else would answer. I don't know too much as this is my frst yr. hatching Sebs. However, from eveything I've read, don't help it. I've also got one that started breaking shell this am, has done a little more, not much. People on here say it can take up to 48 hrs. for a Seb to hatch. Personnaly, I would keep the exposed part wet. We did hatch one several weeks ago and even tho I had high humidity, it was drying out. So, every hr. or so I would wet the drying part with warm water. She finally hatched and was ok. But thats just me. Hope someone else helps you.
Pam

 

[daze333]

Quote:
Thank you! So you treat it just like a chick right? I do that with my chicks. If they have started to zip, they are usually ready to come out. So I will peal it back slowly. I have figured out that if you have some membrane exposed and dab some olive oil on it, it becomes transparent so you can see if the veins are receded or not.

 

[shelleyd2008]

They can take up to 3 days after pipping before they hatch. If you help it you will almost certainly kill it. I would leave it alone.

 

[daze333]

I helped it get the lid off the egg and it looks good so far! It is feisty! And a little funny looking. LOL!

 

[daze333]

PS My sebbies are white and this chick doesn't look white. Is that normal?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Most goslings are grey and yellow when they hatch.

 

[daze333]

Yes that's the color. So it turns white later?